7-5-16 Meanwhile...on the Washington, D.C. front

7-5-16 Meanwhile…on the Washington, D.C. front

(Note: as we have observed for about 15 years, now, Alaska and its natural resource based Constitution and economy face two major opponent groups: 1) Alaska based environmental and social activists (primarily democrat operatives), and 2) Washington D.C. activists (Primarily a progressive democrat administration supported by a well organized environmental/socialist political network). Today’s report reflects the continuing work of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance and the state’s Congressional delegation to fend off Alaska’s federal adversaries. -dh)

Rebecca Logan -tilt-r- by Dave Harbour - Mayors Charity Ball-2

Rebecca Logan, General Manager, Alaska Support Industry Alliance, NGP file photo by Dave Harbour

Date: July 5, 2016 | Live on Twitter: @AKAlliance

The Alaska Support Industry Alliance’s General Manager, Rebecca Logan, and members of the Board participated with other Alaskans in a Washington, D.C. fly-in to encourage the Obama Administration to retain the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas lease sales in the Department of Interior’s forthcoming 5-Year Lease plan.

Kevin Durling with Petroleum Equipment and Services, Tom Walsh with Petrotechnical Resources of Alaska’s Tom Walsh and Logan joined in agency meetings with members of Congress and a Roll Call Policy Briefing on the issue.

The key points emphasized were:

Native communities overwhelmingly support offshore oil and gas development in the Arctic
Offshore development plays an essential role in the economy of Alaska
Offshore development plays an important role in ensuring America’s future energy security
Offshore oil and gas resources in the Arctic can be safely developed using existing, proven technology
Removing the Arctic from the lease sale will not end offshore development in the region. Other countries will continue with their own programs regardless
Offshore development plays a crucial role in underpinning the United States’ national security in the Arctic
Offshore development will help to build out the critical infrastructure within the Arctic, including supplementing the Coast Guard’s search and rescue capability
Excluding the Arctic from the leasing round today will restrict decision-making tomorrow.

Summary of Meetings:

Tommy Beaudreau, NGP file photo by Dave Harbour

Tommy Beaudreau, DOI Chief of Staff. NGP file photo by Dave Harbour

Department of Interior: Tommy Beaudreau, Chief of Staff; Abby Hopper, Director of BOEM; and Janice Schneider, Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Major take-away: The Assistant Secretary indicated it was “problematic” that the Department of Interior wasn’t “hearing more from industry” with regards to the plan. Industry has provided a large amount of written testimony and public comment regarding the plan, so it was unclear why DOI felt they weren’t hearing enough.

Department of Energy: Deputy Secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall’s Chief of Staff, Tim McClees; Deputy Secretary Sherwood-Randall’s Senior Advisor, Mark Davis; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas, Neelesh Nerukar; Director, Environmental Science and Policy Analysis Office of Fossil Energy, Nancy Johnson.

Major take-away: Oil and Natural Gas Division filed comments in support of retaining the leases.

US Senate:

Angus King, I-ME
Claire McCaskill, D-MO
Martin Heinrich, D-NM
Tom Udall, D-NM
Maria Cantwell, D-WA

Events:

Policy Briefing Breakfast hosted by Roll Call
Participants: Senator Lisa Murkowski; Senator Jeff Merkley, D-OR; General Joseph Ralston, Former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO; Leah Donahey, Senior Campaign Director, Alaska Wilderness League; Rosetta Alcantra, President, E3 Environmental LLC.

Major take-away: Alaskan voices are being overshadowed by outsiders who do not have Alaska’s best interests at heart. Senator Merkley is adamantly opposed to any activity in the Arctic and was frequently inaccurate with his descriptions of what is happening in Alaska. The representative from the Alaska Wilderness League (headquartered in Washington, D.C.) confirmed that their support of the elimination of the lease sales and the corresponding job loss and negative economic impact was their only plan for Alaska – they had no plans for replacing jobs and economic activity, just hopes that renewable energy jobs would develop in the next 20 years.

About the Author: wpnorthern

Dave Harbour, publisher of Northern Gas Pipelines, is a former Chairman of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, a Commissioner Emeritus of NARUC, NARUC's Official Representative to IOGCC and Vice Chairman of NARUC's Gas Committee. He served as Gas Committee Chairman of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners. He also served as commissioner of the Anchorage Bicentennial Commission and the Anchorage Heritage Land Bank Commission. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree: English, at Colorado State University, a Master of Science Degree: Communications-Journalism at Murray State University and graduated from Utility Regulatory School for Commissioners at Michigan State University. He served as a Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs at Alaska Pacific University, taught bank marketing classes at the University of Alaska and was an English teacher at Los Alamos High School. Harbour served in ranks of Private - Captain during a 4-year assignment with the Army in Korea, Idaho, Georgia and Fort Meade and received the Meritorious Service Medal among other commendations. Harbour is also a past Chairman of the Alaska Council on Economic Education, the Alaska Oil & Gas Association Government Affairs Committee, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Export Council of Alaska and the Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He is a past President of the Alaska Press Club, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Consumer Energy Alliance-Alaska and Common Sense for Alaska. Harbour was instrumental in founding the American Bald Eagle Research Institute (UAS), the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Downtown Anchorage Business Partnership, and Arctic Power. He also served as CEO of several small Alaska organizations, including the Anchorage Parking Authority and Action Security, Inc. Harbour is also Chairman Emeritus of the Alaska Oil & Gas Congress. Harbour's wife, Nancy, is a professional, performing arts administrator and his three boys, Todd, Benjamin and William work in the fields of environmental management, energy marketing and medicine.