Articles & Op-eds
Juneau Empire: Murkowski, Sullivan urge action on mine cleanup
by Peter Segall
Alaska's Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, on Monday hosted a number of state and federal agencies, local organizations and commissioners of the U.S.-Canada International Joint Commission for a round-table discussion of transboundary mining. Among the organizations present were the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Salmon Beyond Borders, Council of Alaska Producers, Alaska Miners Association and United Fishermen of Alaska. Government organi… Continue Reading
08.05.19
Kodiak Daily Mirror: Sen. Murkowski stresses importance Coast Guard in defending the Arctic
by Iris Samuels
Sen. Murkowski stresses importance Coast Guard in defending the Arctic In an April visit to Coast Guard Base Kodiak and Air Station Kodiak, Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, discussed funding for two new Offshore Patrol Cutters, which will be homeported in Kodiak. The move is part of her ongoing effort to secure funding to bolster the Coast Guard capabilities in Alaska. In a July 23 interview with the Kodiak Daily Mirror, Murkowski highlighted the growing importance of the Coast Guard's role in de… Continue Reading
08.05.19
Nevada Independent: Nevada's veto power a sticking point in congressional negotiations on Yucca Mountain
by Humberto Sanchez
House proponents of storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain are unwilling to negotiate with members of the state's congressional delegation over whether to give the state veto power over building the repository. But key members of the Senate, led by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, who are frustrated with the lack of progress on the long-delayed project, are working with Nevada's senators to pass nuclear waste legislation that would include a consent provision for the state. California Democr… Continue Reading
08.05.19
New Security Beat: Concerns Rise Over Governance Gap in Arctic
by McKenna Coffey
"We're attempting to do something that's never been done before in world history," said Senator Angus King (I-ME). "The peaceful development of a major new physical asset." He spoke of the Arctic Ocean at the 8th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations. The symposium was hosted by the Wilson Center's Polar Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, U.S. National Ice Center, Arctic Domain Awareness Center, Patuxent Partnershi… Continue Reading
07.27.19
Daily Energy Insider: Senate hearing examines benefits of energy innovation on the economy
by Dave Kovaleski
The U.S. Senate held a hearing last week to examine the importance of energy innovation to economic growth in the United States. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) opened the hearing by outlining the importance of innovation to our success as a nation. "Whether we are looking to bolster our energy supply or reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, innovation will need to be front and center and recognized as our best solution," Murkowski said. "In Alaska, we have alrea… Continue Reading
07.27.19
Maryland Matters: Rallying for the ERA
by Danielle E. Gaines
Lawmakers and advocates gathered on Capitol Hill this week to push for a change in law … that many American assume has already happened, they said. "Most Americans believe we've already gotten this done. But we haven't. And we're paying a heavy price because we have not," U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Maryland) said at a briefing about the proposed Equal Rights Amendment on Thursday in the Russell Senate Office Building. "We're still on that path for equal rights for women. And we wil… Continue Reading
07.26.19
Elwood City Ledger: Casey bill reauthorizes funding for domestic violence program
by J.D. Rose
An estimated 1.3 million survivors of domestic violence could benefit from a bill co-introduced by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and a Republican colleague. Casey, D-Scranton, and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have proposed renewing the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act. According to a statement from Casey's office, the bill would authorize increased funding for the National Domestic Violence Hotline to be improved, especially for underserved communities, such as the deaf and… Continue Reading
07.22.19
Investor Intel: The U.S. rare earths saga continues…
by Matthew Bohlsen
Put simply, the US produces minimal rare earths, while China produces 70.59% (in 2018). This is important as rare earths are used as components in most electronic devices, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and the aerospace and defense industries. They are essential to our modern society, and the US depends on China's exports. Global rare earths production is dominated by China (in red) The US' only domestic rare earths producing mine is California's Mountain Pass rare earths mine, owned by MP… Continue Reading
07.20.19
Utility Dive: Advanced US nukes need a boost; is the Pentagon the answer?
by Catherine Morehouse
While nuclear energy has the dual attraction of zero carbon emissions and being a reliable form of baseload power, it remains cost prohibitive, especially when compared to natural gas and renewable energy options. In addition, the large-scale reactors that are the norm across the U.S. don't fit in with the growing trend toward smaller, decentralized power. Small, advanced nuclear reactors better fit that mold, but have yet to enter the market. So the key question, say stakeholders, is how to sp… Continue Reading
07.20.19
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman: Murkowski discusses state, federal issues
by Tim Bradner
From 4,000 miles away, in the nation's capital, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has to bite her tongue at times, watching the state's budget turmoil. "I know my lane," she says, knowing that her role in Congress is different than the difficult "lane" state officials are now in. However, Murkoswki and her colleagues in the state's congressional delegation, fellow senator Dan Sullivan and Cong. Don Young, have a laser focus on hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds that could be lost to Ala… Continue Reading
07.19.19
Benefits 360: Easing regulations on patient data comes with risks
by Scott Wooldridge
Patients should have unfettered access to their health data-right? Although many in the health care world would agree, a significant number of stakeholders are expressing concerns about the possibility that easing controls and regulations may result in data being exploited or misused. A recent move by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) to give patients or consumers more control over their health care data has some health care experts worried that the government may be opening a… Continue Reading
07.19.19
KTVF: Senator Lisa Murkowski collaborates in bipartisan effort to help spur innovation
by Amanda Hanson
Murkowski, along with Senator Chris Van Holland (D-Md) and U-S Representative Bill Foster (D-Ill), recently introduced the 'National Fab Lab Network Act" legislation to expand Fab Labs across the country. These facilities are equipped with digitally-controlled tools that enable individuals to create and innovate new products. The tools range from laser cutters, to 3-D printers, to automated knives, and training is also provided. Alaska is home to the 'Cook Inlet Tribal Council Fab Lab' in Anc… Continue Reading
07.19.19
Alaska Public Media: Congressional delegation eyes federal funds at risk in state budget impasse
by Liz Ruskin
A pile of federal dollars on the line as legislators negotiate the state's capital budget and whether to restore some of the roughly $400 million Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed. "I am certainly one who has been encouraging everyone to come together. This is pretty high stakes for all of us in the state," Sen. Lisa Murkowski said this week. With the vetoes, the state will forfeit at least $22 million from the federal government. Some of the vetoes will cost the state more in federal dollars than the… Continue Reading
07.17.19
Utlity Drive: Sen. Murkowski teases prospects for storage as committee advances 22 energy bills
by Iulia Gheorghiu
Dive Brief: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday advanced 22 energy bills, ranging from nuclear power to energy efficiency and fossil fuel research, through largely bipartisan support. The bill markup did not include proposals for energy storage-related bills, despite a range of bipartisan legislation focused on research and development. The storage industry has been advocating for a technology-specific tax credit to enable further competition in the market and has no… Continue Reading
07.17.19
Anchorage Daily News: Alaska congressional delegation urges budget compromise to protect federal funding
by Alex DeMarban
Alaska's congressional delegation urged lawmakers and the governor to prioritize Alaskans and find a way through an unprecedented budget divide that threatens federal funding. In separate statements, the three members of the delegation said they're working to protect federal funds that are key to the Alaska economy. The state's lawmakers have yet to complete a capital budget amid a continued battle over Gov. Mike Dunleavy's $444 million in vetoes to the state operating budget. Alaska's senior… Continue Reading
07.16.19
Daily Energy Insider: Lawmakers launch energy initiative
by Douglas Clark
As part of an effort to expand the nation's global energy reach, a group of Senate lawmakers recently developed an energy initiative designed to nurture such an endeavor. The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee recently conducted a hearing to unveil the Strategic Energy Initiative. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), chair of the LNG hearing, said that the initiative would provide a framework to strengthen the country's geopolitical posture. The tools include federal departments and agenci… Continue Reading
07.15.19
Water Finance and Management: COMMENTARY: Numbers, Numbers, Numbers
by Dan Buckley
As contractors, engineers and business owners, we deal with numbers every day. As I give you a recent summary of how our elected officials have been behaving, I ask you to remember a scene from a movie that is over 20 years old: Dr. Evil in "Austin Powers," demanding "$1 million…no, $100 billion!" It seems that Dr. Evil can't grasp decades-exponential inflation. And the funny thing is, our elected representatives seem to have the same issue, and we actually give them the job of managing… Continue Reading
07.15.19
KTUU: Geothermal development is heating up in Alaska
by Matt Leseman
Volcanoes along the Aleutian chain, hot springs in the interior and the Southeast. these are Alaska's three main geothermal resources. Lisa Murkowski has encouraged Alaskans to develop them. Gwen Holdmann, Director of the Alaska Center for Energy and Power says the main thing stopping development is the distance. "At the end of the day, if you're looking at economic development of these resources, you need to have some sort of a load within a reasonable distance to make it worth developing or s… Continue Reading
07.15.19
CoastAlaska: Forest Service chief makes quiet visit to Tongass National Forest
by Jacob Resneck
USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen was hosted this past weekend in Southeast Alaska by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The trip gave Chief Christiansen a direct look at challenges and opportunities in the Tongass National Forest and an opportunity to hear from local stakeholders and tribal leaders about the need to build a strong, sustainable economy in the region. "I thank Chief Christiansen and her team for joining me in Southeast to see and experience our nation's largest natio… Continue Reading
07.09.19
Automotive Logisitics: Running out of juice – will demand for battery materials outstrip supply?
As OEMs accelerate their EV programmes, there is growing concern that demand for battery materials will outstrip supply. Gavin du Venage considers the risks Environmentalists hope that a transition to electric vehicles (EVs) will secure cleaner air in the near future and carmakers are putting increasing resources into electrification, but few people supporting the rise of EVs consider the viability of the raw material resources being fed into the lower end of this new type of automotive supply … Continue Reading
