The U.S. Interior Department says that no bids were submitted for this week’s oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The lack of bids raises questions about the future of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, after decades of debate. Some criticized the sale’s restrictions, saying they discouraged industry interest.

The lease auction for oil and gas drilling in the Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska has not received any bids from energy companies. The US Interior Department confirmed the absence of bids for the congressionally mandated auction, which was a requirement under the 2017 Tax Act.