Murkowski: Alaska’s Willow Project is Key to Increasing Domestic Energy Security Amid Global Energy Disorder
Alaska’s Energy Project is Vital to Increasing American Domestic Energy Security
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) raised the critical need to invest in domestic resource projects during an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing covering the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on global energy security.
In her questioning, Senator Murkowski highlighted current and future changes to the global energy sector as a result of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine.
“You cannot take back the atrocities that we have seen perpetrated on the innocent people of Ukraine. You can't just say that once this war is ended, we're back to normal, there will be a new normal, but the normal will not be what we know today,” Murkowski said.
Senator Murkowski highlighted the parallels between the oil and energy crisis of the mid-1970s to the world’s ongoing energy crises caused by Russian President Putin. She also noted that Alaska’s energy capabilities with the Trans Alaska Pipeline System in the 1970s were transformational in supply production and energy security—and how once again, Alaska has the opportunity to lead the country in energy production and improving national security with the Willow Project.
“I would kindly ask you to take back to the White House—the imperative of what it can mean to bring on meaningful production in this country, in an area where we are poised to refill that pipeline that we built in the mid-70s,” Murkowski said.
Senator Murkowski raised Norway’s current efforts to mitigate the energy supply crisis in Europe by ramping up production to support their European allies. She asked Ditte Juul Jorgensen, Director-General of the Directorate General for Energy of the European Commission, if the United States can play long term role in increasing supply and supporting our European allies. Ms. Juul Jorgensen said, “If we look between now and 2030, we can see that global energy markets and the natural gas markets will remain tight, there will be some supply demand gap and so we need to respond to that together,” underscoring the critical need to develop long-term solutions.
Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Murkowski’s remarks during the hearing.
Excerpts from Senator Murkowski’s Remarks:
- “So, when we think about the disruption of a global pandemic, and what that meant to energy supply and security, and then you overlay the war in Ukraine, brought about by Russia, it is transformational in a way that I'm not sure that any one of you with the expertise that you bring to the table really can't anticipate how we build this out.”
- “It's been noted that Russia has just made this announcement that they are cutting production another 500,000 barrels a day. We have an opportunity in Alaska as we speak, the administration has just a matter of weeks to determine whether they're going to announce a final record of decision on a project up north, the Willow Project, that would provide for 180,000 barrels a day. That's real production. That's real production in the here and now.”
- “And yet, there is some concern by the administration, that perhaps the recommendation from their own agency might take them in a different direction, might take them in a direction where they either do not approve the Willow Project. Or worse, it's kind of a sleight of hand and they approve it knowing that what they have changed results in an economically unviable project. That would be a travesty not only to Alaska, but to the country.”
