Press Release: Sen. Murkowski Touts Alaska Energy - ANWR, Natural Gas Line, TAPS to Play Big Role


Senator Rick Halford President of the Senate State Capitol, Room 111 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-4958 Fax: (907) 465-4928 Send Email	Representative Brian Porter Speaker of the House State Capitol, Room 208 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-4930 Fax: (907) 465-3834 Send Email

For Immediate Release:	February 21, 2001
Contact:	Dan Saddler at (907) 465-3804 Laura Achee at (907) 465-3803

(JUNEAU) - U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski told a joint session of the Twenty-Second Alaska State Legislature today that Alaska will continue to play a critical role in meeting national energy needs.

"After suffering rolling blackouts in California, heating oil spikes in the Northeast, and skyrocketing natural gas prices everywhere else, Americans are starting to get the message that they just might need Alaska's energy resources," Murkowski said.

Murkowski praised the Alaska Legislature's efforts to appropriate $1.5 million to lobby for oil exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal plain; voiced encouragement of a variety of methods of delivering North Slope natural gas to local, domestic and international markets; and looked forward to reauthorization of the trans-Alaska Pipeline right of way by 2004.

He also commented on federal involvement in Alaska issues, including Medicare funding; Alaska-Canada rail links; Southeast Alaska power generation and transmission; logging and forestry management; transportation; fisheries management; and education.

"Despite all the talk of gridlock, narrow party majorities, and the difficulty of rising above partisan rancor, I believe Alaskans should give it our best to accomplish everything we can in Washington during the next two years," Murkowski said.

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Attachments:

Senator Frank Murkowski's prepared remarks
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