Juneau – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin released a letter to Senator Akaka of Hawaii denouncing Senator Joe Lieberman’s recent ANWR Wilderness Act. The letter, also cc’ed to the Alaska Congressional delegation in Washington and the Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, states detailed disapproval of Senator Leiberman’s Thursday attempt to declare the 10-02 Area of ANWR as a permanent “wilderness” area.]]>
November 7- Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) introduced an ANWR Wilderness bill into the US Senate. The bill, called the “Arctic Wilderness Act”, would designate the 10-02 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a “wilderness” area as defined by the 1964 Wilderness Act. In doing so the 10-02 Area of ANWR which, in 1980 was set aside by Congress as a special area for oil and gas exploration, would be closed off to all resource development use and subject to strict access and usage laws.]]>
October 29 - World oil prices hit record levels today with the all time high price of $93.20pb recorded for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude. Alaskan oil prices (Alaska North Slope or ANS West Coast) rose correspondingly from $91.56 on Friday to $92.23 per barrel today. By comparison the average price for ANS over the last 10 years has been $31.15. The world oil price rise today was caused by a shut down of 20% of output by Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos or Pemex due to storm warnings in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the beginning of the year there has been a 67% rise in the world price of oil in US dollar terms. ]]>
The Department of Interior (DOI) under Secretary Dirk Kempthorne is set to list the polar bear as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing, which is due to take place on or before January 9th 2008, is expected to be used by radical environmental groups to delay or block resource development on the Arctic North Slope of Alaska.]]>
Following Arctic Power’s news report of the polar bear ESA listing we have put together a timeline of the history of this listing process.
1) February 16, 2005 - The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) petitions the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to include the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FWS had 90 days to make a decision to address the issue on the petition, and a one year deadline to make a formal finding.
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Arctic Power reviews current trends in oil and gas writing across the Internet and occasionally hosts guest writers who are experts in related fields. Alan Caruba has been writing on energy and the environment, including ANWR, for many years and reports here on recently published views on Peak oil. Peak oil refers to the world wide debate amongst energy experts as to whether or not we have discovered the majority of the world’s proven oil reserves and whether we are in terminal decline with this finite resource. America imports over 60% of its oil, and its own “home grown” oil is in decline. The Prudhoe Bay field just to the west of the 10-02 Area of ANWR used to supply 25% of America’s oil, yet today the entire North Slope of Alaska supplies just 16% and falling. Caruba comments on other fields in America and how they, like the untapped fields in the 10-02 Area, could be brought online to stem the tide.]]>
Following part one of Arctic Power's assessment of the Presidential contenders for 2008, we review now the candidates of the Democratic party on the ANWR issue. Although a majority of the House and Senate have traditionally supported exploration of the 10-02 Area of ANWR it has been the Democrats who have always made up a majority of the nay-sayers. Those opposed have often taken the view followed by the radical environmental movement that ANWR is a pristine wilderness not ever to be touched by humankind. They commonly state that there is scant oil deposits to recover and that there would be irreparable damage done to the Porcupine Caribou Herd if development were allowed. The common warning, “you can't drill yourself out of dependence” is given by those less convinced by the caribou armageddon claim. Instead many Democratic candidates reviewed below say turning to alternative fuels, and renewable resources is the answer. Seeing the political tables turn in Congress this year will undoubtedly help their cause. It is hoped, however, that candidates whatever their persuasion, would look at the facts, and present the facts, basing their arguments on realities of what we consume and use today, and what energy sources actually are capable of producing.]]>
With the number of contenders for the 2008 Presidential election firming up Arctic Power has conducted research into the views of the candidates on the ANWR issue. In this two part series we will review the past history and current views of the candidates toward allowing exploration in the 10-02 Area. A quick overview of each candidate’s home states will also be made to compare their views with the realities of their constituent areas. There are ten republican candidates whom have been traditionally linked with pro-ANWR 10-02 development. There are 10 Republican candidates currently making the rounds. All but one are committed to opening ANWR.
]]>Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska Tuesday addressed the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) in New Orleans. Governor Palin has recently taken on the chairmanship of the Commission which is a multi-state government agency that tries to promote the responsible use of oil and gas from national sources within our country. The Commission’s 30+ member states try to forward rational energy policy on local as well as national levels of government. ]]>
Washington D.C. – Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) of the Committee on Natural Resources introduced an ANWR related amendment today to HR 3058 Public Land Communities Transition Act. The Bill was under discussion in the full committee. Minority Chairman Don Young (R-AK) was in attendance to support the Bishop amendment. The amendment would allow use of timber logging and ANWR royalties for assistance in funding the PILT or Payment in Lieu of Taxes program creating “transitional payments” to counties located on National forest lands. The amendment was rejected by 17 votes to 10 with 20 members not voting. In rejecting the amendment majority Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) stated that it “involved matters outside the jurisdiction of the committee”, offered “controversial measures”, and was “unclear if revenues could cover the cost of the bill”. The Bill description is listed as follows and was released out of committee this afternoon:]]>
Arctic Power re-opens it’s Washington D.C. office again this month after a short hiatus for the summer. On June 30th, newly elected Governor Sarah Palin (R) from Wasilla, Alaska signed into law the 2008 State Budget re-appropriating Arctic Power $120,000 in state funds left over from its 2007 fiscal year campaign. The funds will enable Arctic Power to maintain a presence in Washington D.C. and help the State monitor energy, and particularly Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) activity on Capitol Hill. ]]>At a news conference this afternoon here in Anchorage, Stevens said he wants to make ANWR part of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Democrats have blocked oil drilling in ANWR for years, but Stevens says it only makes sense to tap the area's vast reserves for the nation's emergency energy supply.
"I think it is in the national interest to be able to produce from ANWR, and certainly, by the time we could get it ready to produce it would be a ready reserve," said Stevens, R-Alaska.
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