We are reassured by the White House’s decision to finalize plans to permit more oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s North Slope.

Our editorial board has frequently warned the public that the hostility to conventional sources of energy would leave our region and our nation without the affordable energy necessary for our workplaces and families. We can see evidence of that at this time in the likelihood of higher utility bills.

The proposal would allow lease sales on a 1.5 million-acre tract — for context, Alaska comprises 365 million acres.

“It is encouraging to see decisionmakers in Washington advancing policies that respect our voice and support Kaktovik’s long term success,” Charles “CC” Lampe, president of the Kaktovik Inupiat Corp., told the Associated Press in an article in Friday’s Sun-Gazette.

It is encouraging, not only for the predominantly Native communities in Alaska whose men and women will benefit from the creation of new jobs, but for the country as a whole.

The United States needs a stable, plentiful supply of energy to meet its needs. Until renewable sources of energy become more feasible, a dependable backstop of conventional sources — oil and gas — are a critical part of ensuring affordability.