Murkowski Releases Discussion Draft of Strategic Energy for America Act
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released a discussion draft of the Strategic Energy for America (SEA) Act of 2019, building from her recently launched Strategic Energy Initiative (SEI).
“In this era of strategic energy competition, we must strengthen our tools of statecraft through a rational, long-term approach,” Murkowski said. “What I have released today outlines the means to continue growing our nation’s energy dominance. American companies and workers participate in highly competitive global energy markets that are often dominated by cartels, state-owned enterprises, and trade finance agencies in other countries, and we cannot unilaterally disarm.”
The SEA Act would:
- Enable the new Development Finance Corporation to support civilian nuclear energy projects in developing countries;
- Direct the Secretary of the Treasury to oppose any energy-specific restrictions imposed by multilateral development banks; and
- Establish a strategic energy portfolio at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), and reauthorize EXIM through 2031. The Act would also raise the exposure cap to $200 billion, address outdated restrictions, and modify the “2 percent all-stop freeze” related to the default rate.
Murkowski announced the SEI in July with the publication of a white paper, With Powers So Disposed. Comments on the discussion draft of the SEA Act are welcome and should be submitted to SEA_Act@energy.senate.gov by September 15, 2019. Please include your full name, affiliation, and contact information with your submission. Comments should be formatted as plain email text or attached as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file.
Murkowski is chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
