Press Releases
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Currently showing results related to Energy
Murkowski Convenes Hearing Focused on Latest Cyber Threats
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine federal and industry efforts to improve the cybersecurity of the energy sector, including efforts to improve collaboration on various cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection initiatives. In her opening remarks, Murkowski explained that cybersecurity must remain a priority even as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. "We all know the stakes here. A successful hack could shut down power - impacting … Continue Reading
08.04.20
Murkowski Votes to Confirm Deputy Secretary of Energy
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement after voting to confirm Mark Menezes to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE). The Senate confirmed Menezes through a bipartisan vote of 79-16. "Mr. Menezes has demonstrated that he has the knowledge and experience needed to succeed as Deputy Secretary of Energy and I congratulate him on his bipartisan confirmation," Murkowski said. "I am confident he will be a great second-in-command to Secretary Brouill… Continue Reading
08.04.20
ICYMI: Murkowski Speaks in Support of Mark Menezes
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, yesterday spoke on the Senate floor in support of the nomination of Mark Menezes to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy. Murkowski spoke just before the Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Menezes' nomination. That vote was successful - 78 to 14 - and a vote on final passage is scheduled for 11:30 am this morning. Click photo for video of Murkowski's floor statement Senator Murkowski's Remarks Mr. President, I've co… Continue Reading
07.29.20
Murkowski, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Boost Research and Development of Carbon Removal Technologies
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) yesterday introduced bipartisan legislation, the Carbon Removal, Efficient Agencies, Technology Expertise (CREATE) Act, which supports the development of innovative technologies that ensure cleaner air and a healthier environment. "Carbon removal technologies have significant promise and could someday present an opportunity to substantially reduce net levels of global greenhou… Continue Reading
07.27.20
Murkowski’s Mineral Bill Included in Recovery Legislation
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that her bipartisan American Mineral Security Act is included in new legislation to help the U.S. recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Murkowski's bill, which focuses on rebuilding domestic supply chains, addresses systemic weaknesses exposed by the pandemic and is critical to the future of U.S. manufacturing and competitiveness. "The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed attention to the fact that our nation is heavily dependent on imports … Continue Reading
07.23.20
Senate Passes Nuclear Energy Leadership Act In Defense Authorization Bill
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today thanked her colleagues for supporting the inclusion of S. 903, her Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), in S. 4049, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. The Senate today passed the NDAA bill, with NELA incorporated by amendment, by a vote of 86 to 14. "For too long, the United States has lagged woefully behind on innovative nuclear energy technologies, which comes at great cost to our economy, our global leadership, an… Continue Reading
07.23.20
Delegation: Ambler Access Project Will Aid Alaska’s Economy, Domestic Mineral Security
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its Record of Decision (ROD) for the Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road project (Ambler Road). "Federal approval of the Ambler Road is both timely and significant for Alaska's future," Senator Murkowski said. "This project will provide the access needed to responsibly develop a number of high-grade mineral deposits, hopefu… Continue Reading
07.23.20
Murkowski: Public Land Users Have Been Hit Hard By COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on users of public lands, forests, and national parks. The committee received testimony from witnesses representing the outdoor recreation industry, ranchers, water providers, state wildlife agencies, and a nonprofit foundation that partners with the National Park Service. In her opening statement, Murkowski called attention to the 22 percent drop in visitation to national parks, which … Continue Reading
07.15.20
Murkowski Welcomes NEPA Modernization Rule
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed President Trump's announcement of a final rule to modernize the federal regulations that govern the environmental review and permitting processes under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1970. "For decades, projects in Alaska and throughout the country have languished as a result of a federal permitting process that has become unnecessarily burdensome due in large part to outdated NEPA regulations. As we work to recover from the… Continue Reading
07.01.20
Murkowski Welcomes Finalized Hilcorp-BP Sale
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement on the announcement of Hilcorp's acquisition of BP's Alaska upstream assets. "I'm very pleased to see this transaction move forward and appreciate Hilcorp's commitment to Alaska," Murkowski said. "This announcement is particularly welcome news for our state as we work to rebuild our economy. Hilcorp has ensured a stable natural gas supply in Cook Inlet and secured a 90-percent local hire rate in recent years. BP has b… Continue Reading
07.01.20
ICYMI: Murkowski, Manchin Make Case for American Energy Innovation Act
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., took to the Senate floor this week to urge their colleagues to pass the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA), rather than leaving behind years of important bipartisan work and resigning our nation's energy policies to at least another year without modernization. Click photo for video of colloquy between Murkowski and Manchin Excerpts from the Senators' Remarks On the American Energy Innovation Act Chairman Murkowski: "We… Continue Reading
06.30.20
Murkowski Convenes Hearing Focused on COVID-19 Impacts on U.S. Territories
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. territories - American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "All of our states face challenges in fighting the spread and impact of COVID-19. The territories face additional hurdles, from limited capacity to handle a health pandemic to economies with fewer sources of revenue that are severely harmed by the economic shutdown, p… Continue Reading
06.29.20
Murkowski Welcomes PILT Payments to Alaska
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced today that the Department of the Interior is distributing $31,683,971 to eligible local governments across Alaska through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. The PILT program provides monetary compensation to local governments in the state that contain federal lands that are not subject to state or local taxation. This revenue supports local governments in providing essential services, such as construction of public schools and roads, firefight… Continue Reading
06.25.20
20 Senators: Defense Authorization Bill Should Include Advanced Nuclear
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., recently led a bipartisan group of 20 Senators in sending a letter to urge the inclusion of S. 903, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), within S. 4049, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. The members' letter highlights nuclear energy's contribution to national security. The advanced reactors supported by NELA have significant potential to provide clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy to mi… Continue Reading
06.25.20
Delegation Welcomes Final Environmental Impact Statement on NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an updated Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). The final EIS will be followed by a record of decision that will guide management of the NPR-A. "As Alaskans work toward economic recovery, having a robust plan to unlock the potential of on… Continue Reading
06.24.20
Murkowski: Mineral Supply Chains Critical to Energy – and Health, Economy, and Security
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mineral supply chains, the role of those supply chains in economic and national security, and the challenges America faces in rebuilding them. This is the committee's ninth hearing on the importance of minerals to supply chains during Murkowski's time as Chairman and Ranking Member. "The pandemic has brought home that we don't produce many goods important to our country," Murkowski said… Continue Reading
06.19.20
ICYMI: American Energy Innovation Act Can Boost the Economic Recovery
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, yesterday took to the Senate floor to outline how the energy industry has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic - and urged her colleagues to pass the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA) to help boost the nation's economic recovery. Murkowski's comments followed a hearing held by ENR on Tuesday morning to discuss those impacts and hear from witnesses on how to recover from them. Click photo for video of Murkowski's floor statement Excerpts from the S… Continue Reading
06.18.20
Murkowski to NOAA: Update Tsunami Monitoring in Prince William Sound
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, recently sent a letter urging officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to prioritize improvements to tsunami-monitoring in Prince William Sound and throughout Alaska. State officials recently announced the discovery of potential for one of the largest landslide threats in Alaska history at Barry Arm-where an unstable slope sits above a retreating glacier and could trigger a massive tsunami if released. "The landslide and tsun… Continue Reading
06.16.20
Murkowski: Energy Industry Has Faced Significant Impacts, Is Critical to Economic Recovery
U.S. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. energy industry. Murkowski also emphasized that the industry can play a key role in the nation's economic recovery. "The decline in demand can be found just about everywhere. Less flying means less jet fuel. Less driving means less gasoline and diesel. Less commercial activity means less electricity. Less consumption means less production. Less investment today means les… Continue Reading
06.11.20
ICYMI: Murkowski on the Great American Outdoors Act
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, earlier this week spoke on the Senate floor about the Great American Outdoors Act, which would help address deferred maintenance backlogs on federal land-including at National Parks and National Forests in Alaska-while providing greater funding for local recreational opportunities. In her floor remarks, Murkowski also highlighted the role of oil and gas revenue in funding conservation efforts and made the case for offshore revenue sharing to be incorporated… Continue Reading
