Must Read Alaska: Murkowski politely explains to new Energy Secretary that Alaska is ‘resource anchor’
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee gavel passed from Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia Wednesday, just in time for the hearing on the nomination of former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as the new Energy Secretary for the Biden Administration.
Because the Senate was still organizing under Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Murkowski gaveled in the meeting and conducted it as her final day as chair of the committee.
During the confirmation hearing, Granholm committed that DOE will prioritize investments in states that have lost traditional energy jobs.
“This is the most important question, honestly, because we know that this transition is happening. We cannot leave our people behind. In West Virginia, and in other fossil fuel states, there is an opportunity for us to specialize in the technologies that reduce carbon emissions, to make those technologies here, to put people to work here, and to look at other ways to diversify. These ‘place based’ solutions [will] be able to take advantage of expertise and comparative advantages of states and build on that to allow them to diversify inside and outside their main industries is a partnership that we could have through the Department of Energy,” Granholm said.
Sen. Murkowski attempted to explain to Granholm that Alaska will not be a manufacturing center, and that what the state does is bring resources to the other states, so they can manufacture. Alaska is a resource anchor for other states, she said.
Granholm replied that she understands the anxiety of Alaskans who may see their jobs go away, as she witnessed that when she was governor of Michigan.
“The experience that I had, I feel like I get this so much because the experience I had in Michigan seared by soul on behalf of worker who were feeling utter anxiety about ‘who is ever going to hire me?'” Granholm responded.
Also on Wednesday, John Kerry, who is the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, was asked what his message is to workers who are “seeing an end to their livelihoods” as a result of President Biden’s plan to crush the resource industry.
“What President Biden wants to do is make sure those folks have better choices, that they have alternatives, that they can be the people to go to work to make the solar panels,” Kerry said.
“The president of the United States has expressed in every comment he has made about climate the need to grow the new jobs that pay better, that are cleaner,” Kerry said.
“What President Biden wants to do is make sure those folks have better choices, that they have alternatives, that they can be the people to go to work to make the solar panels,” Kerry said.
By: Suzanne Downing
Source: Must Read Alaska
