United States Senator Lisa Murkowski

ANWR

When it comes to reducing the federal deficit, the conversation in Washington has largely focused on cutting spending or raising taxes. Senator Murkowski believes that significantly increasing energy production in Alaska is a viable third option that could help
the nation meet its goals.

The non-wilderness coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has an estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil and 8.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Responsible development of this domestic energy source will create tens of thousands of new jobs, generate hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax revenues, reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and improve the trade balance, strengthening the dollar.

The nation currently imports roughly 9 million barrels of oil every day, which will cost the country tens of trillions of dollars over the next quarter-century. Senator Murkowski wants to develop more conventional resources to dramatically reduce these costs while advancing a long-term energy policy.

A legitimate, long-term energy policy- where substantial government revenues from fossil fuels are used to advance development of their replacements, can be accomplished by utilizing a portion of the revenue from development in ANWR. Even a small amount of the revenue collected by the federal government each year from resource extraction could have a positive impact on the development and deployment of renewable energy. The Senator believes the best way to keep energy prices low, to create new jobs, and to bolster national security is to increase domestic energy production and ensure that some of the returns to the Treasury are used wisely to develop the resources of the future.

This year the Senator has introduced two bills in an effort to urge Congress to open the refuge’s coastal plain. S. 351, the No Surface Occupancy Western Arctic Coastal Plain Domestic Energy Security Act, allows for the extraction of oil and natural gas from ANWR using underground directional drilling from locations outside the exterior boundaries of the refuge. It would allow the nation to increase its domestic supply of oil and would be unquestionably harmless to the wildlife and ecosystem of ANWR itself. The second piece of legislation, S. 352, the American Energy Independence and Security Act, allows for the opening of the coastal plain to development, while limiting activities within ANWR to 2,000 acres.

On September 21, 2011 Senator Murkowski testified before a House Committee on Natural Resources oversight hearing on ANWR. Senator Murkowski expressed her frustration over the Administration’s repeated attempts to lock up lands in Alaska by designating them as wilderness to prevent resource development. To view her full testimony, click here.