Saudi Attacks Highlight Need for Alaska Oil & Gas Project Support

This weekend’s attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq oil processing facility – the nations’ largest – not only disrupts the world’s oil supplies, but highlights the need for continued investment and advancement of American oilfields. Here in Alaska, there are several new fields in the regulatory and/or development process. In Cook Inlet, several producers have projects in-production or in the prospect phase.  Many of these companies hold additional lease sites, and this could be a large job creation project. On the North Slope, Hilcorp’s Moose Pad started production this past April, while Glacier, Eni, Repsol, Oil Search, Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobil and…

Lefties Vote To Block Drilling In ANWR

By a 225-193 vote, the liberal-led House of Representatives voted to block drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge yesterday. A sponsor of the bill, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) said that “some places” are “so special, so wild, so spectacular, that they have to be off-limits to being spoiled by oil and gas development.” This is a tired argument that’s long been peddled by the eco-left – that resource development and the environment cannot coexist in Alaska, and that wildlife matter more than people. It’s no surprise that a House Member from California, who doesn’t live in Alaska, would vote…

Congress Wastes Time And Money On Eco-Extremist Legislation That Is DOA In Senate

Washington, D.C. is back to its normal cadence, as Congress has returned from its August recess. One of the primary pieces of legislation being pushed by the House is H.R.1146, designed to shut down drilling in Alaska’s 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The House Democrats, along with extremist non-profits – led by the National Resources Defense Council – have led efforts to reverse the advancements made toward ANWR development under President Trump. As they bring H.R.1146 to the floor this week, in what will be a made-for-TV experience, with every eco-bought Congressman sure to spend their…

Congressional House Dems (And A Few Republicans) Impose Their Will On Alaskans With ANWR Vote

On Thursday, the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly for an amendment to establish a provision in Section 118 of the Interior-Environment spending bill that effectively blocks the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, if lease sales scheduled for late this year don’t generate at least $500 million in bids. The amendment, introduced by California liberal – and former National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) employee – Jared Huffman, would halt any further development, should the lease sales fall short of the set amount. What Huffman and the Democrats (along with four Republicans) fail to remember is that Alaskans – by over…

AOGA Conference Recap: ANWR Lease Sale Still Scheduled For 2019

The Alaska Oil & Gas Association’s annual meeting, held Thursday, May 30th in Anchorage, was generally an upbeat affair. With information from industry executives and guest speakers filling the day, the conference’s theme, “Alaska: Back on the Map”, celebrated our state’s role in President Trump’s call for American energy dominance and independence. There was buzz around the Dena’ina Center when Lt. Governor Kevin Meyer announced that both BP and Exxon had committed $10 million each toward the Alaska Gasline project. There was buzz when U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski spoke about the role Alaska has in the national energy agenda, stating in a post-conference…

Joe Biden Targets Alaska In His Embrace Of The Green New Deal

When Joe Biden first announced his run for President, he did so with talking points that seemed to suggest he was going to go against the grain of the typical 2020 Democratic hopefuls and run to the middle. Of course, with far-left politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and organizations such as the Sunrise Movement gaining prominence, it was only a matter of time before Biden’s views on energy and the environment would come to mirror theirs. And that’s exactly what happened. After AOC and others belittled Biden for his “middle of the road” approach on the environment, Biden moved left, announcing today…

Eco-Left Senators Submit Anti-ANWR Legislation

Environmental extremists across the nation were most likely rejoicing when Democratic Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, joined by a number of his Democratic colleagues, introduced the Stop Arctic Drilling Act of 2019 last week. The legislation, which closely mirrors legislation introduced by Democratic California Congressman Jared Huffman in January, would “prevent any new or renewed leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Arctic Ocean planning area,” per a Merkley press release. While the extremists were rejoicing, Alaskans should have been grumbling. Over 70% of Alaskans consistently support drilling in ANWR, and development in…

What is ANWR’s Economic Potential?

Much has been made about the status of potential lease sales later this year for lands in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management held public hearings earlier this year on their draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), with a goal to hold the first lease sales late in 2019 or early 2020. With environmental extremists across the US demanding ANWR development be put on hold, due to their belief that extracting oil and gas from the refuge would harm the Porcupine Caribou herd, it might be a good time to review what development in…

Senator Dan Sullivan Understands Alaska’s Need to “Protect What We’ve Earned”

Alaska’s junior US Senator, Dan Sullivan, addressed a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on February 21st.  Much like Senator Lisa Murkowski two days earlier, Sullivan spoke about Alaska’s resiliency.  He noted the way Alaska is recovering from an economic recession, with technology and innovation helping replenish lost jobs throughout the State.  He spoke about Alaska’s role as a strategic piece in US military defense, how President Trump has a commitment to Alaska, and has shown it by placing Alaskans in key positions throughout his administration, and how Alaskans across the state are positively impacted by congressional and executive-branch actions….