Washington, DC – Today, local Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand announced that she has become an original cosponsor of the DRILL Act.  This legislation is another step taken by Congresswoman Gillibrand to combat record-high gas prices by promoting policies that attempt to bring short-term relief to the American people and long-term policies that will move America forward on a path towards energy independence.

The DRILL Act will expedite the permitting process in one of the largest reserves of oil in the United States, the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska, providing for the development of 20 million acres of lands set aside for energy exploration in Alaska.  Those 20 million acres are roughly an area the size of the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.  According to the United States Geological Survey, the NPR-A contains an estimated 10.6 billion barrels of known oil reserves.

The legislation would mandate that the Administration offer at a minimum of 1 lease sale in the NPR-A per year for 5 years.  The NPR-A has been open for energy exploration for 26 years, yet only 4 leases have been issued in the NPR-A since 1999.  Currently, only 14% of the NPR-A is leased for energy production. 

The DRILL Act also invests in the critical energy infrastructure, by developing the Alaska Oil and Gas Pipeline to connect with energy exploration in the NPR-A.  The legislation also requires the President to work with the Canadian Government and the State of Alaska, as well as oil and gas producers for the construction of the Alaskan Natural Gas Pipeline.  The Congress provided significant loan guarantees to the tune of $18 billion dollars for the development of this pipeline, but since 2004, the Administration has failed to move forward with the development of this critical energy pipeline. 

Even with record high fuel prices, exportation of domestically produced energy is taking place at record-high numbers.  According to Reuters, the United States is exporting 1.6 million barrels of refined petroleum a day – that is a 33% increase in petroleum exports in just 1 year.  The DRILL Act reinstates the Alaskan export ban to keep American produced energy in America.  In 2000, 7% of the oil produced from Alaska’s North Slope was shipped overseas to countries like China. 

“Folks are financially strained by rising food and fuel costs, and this legislation is a step towards protecting American interests and bringing relief to the American people,” said Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee.  “The DRILL Act represents commonsense legislation that increases America’s domestic energy production and keeps American oil in America.  There’s no silver bullet that will solve our energy crisis, but this legislation, combined with a commitment to renewable fuels and new conservation technologies, is another step to addressing the problems that contribute to record-high energy prices.”