Juneau Empire: Letter: Murkowski leads on energy innovation
“Is Murkowski part of the climate problem?” (June 13) just doesn’t have all the facts on U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s record of protecting Alaskans and providing for a healthy environment and economy. As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee, Murkowski has acknowledged the impact our changing climate has on Alaska’s environment and has taken action. Murkowski and her committee have supported the responsible development of all of our natural resources, including renewables such as hydropower, wind, solar, and biomass, to create jobs, increase national security, and spur the energy innovation needed to help us achieve a clean energy future.
Murkowski has worked across the aisle in the 114th Congress to sponsor dozens of bills to modernize federal energy, mineral, and land management policy. In fact, her broad, bipartisan Energy Policy Modernization Act, which itself combined over three dozen Senate bills sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats, was overwhelmingly approved in April as the first major energy bill to pass the Senate in almost a decade and authorizes $500 million to support research and development into cleaner forms of energy.
Thanks to Murkowski, legislation is moving forward to help lower high-energy costs, reduce the emissions that impact climate change, create micro-grids for electricity delivery in Alaska’s remote communities, and safeguard the long-term energy security of our nation. She should be applauded for investing in Alaska’s renewable energy sources to ensure a clean and safe environment for generations to come.
Link to the original article: http://juneauempire.com/letters/2016-06-20/letter-murkowski-leads-energy-innovation
By: James Dozier
