| Outer Continental Shelf Testimony April 14, 2009
Alaska State Chamber of Commerce - Wayne Stevens, President/CEO
Good morning,
I am Wayne Stevens, President/CEO of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce. The Alaska State Chamber is a membership organization of more than 500 business and their employees. Our Mission is to promote a positive business climate in Alaska.
Support for Oil and Gas Exploration and Development in Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Waters is one of our top legislative priorities. The State Chamber encourages and supports responsible development of these valuable resources and we urge you to allow these lease sales to move forward expeditiously. As someone who lives and has worked in Alaska for more than thirty-eight years, I am particularly interested in allowing expanded access offshore in Alaska, including leasing in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.
Alaska North Slope (ANS) production is in decline. Unless there are significant future discoveries and commercial development, ANS production could reach the estimated minimum Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) throughput rate of about 300,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025 or sooner. This is a critical time for our nation. It is time to provide a sensible energy policy that fully utilizes this nation's vast natural resources.
Domestic oil and gas development in Alaska will have a positive impact on the Alaskan economy and spur strong economic growth because it will create jobs, provide a significant tax source for local communities and support Alaska’s business community. Additionally, Alaska oil delivered to west coast refiners in Washington and California creates thousands of jobs downstream from Alaska.
Offshore leasing must proceed in a safe and environmentally sound fashion. We support the acreage included in the Proposed Plan for leasing and development while protecting the environment, local communities, and other economic interests.
As has been demonstrated by the 40 years of oil and gas development in Cook Inlet, Alaska's offshore waters can be explored and produced without harming the environment, while making a positive impact on the community, through jobs, workforce development, taxes, and economic prosperity.
It is clear that alternative energies will help offset some uses of oil and gas. Wind farms on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, solar panels in the Mojave Desert in California and wave and tidal generators all have an important place in our energy future. However, solar panels will not fly airplanes nor power railroads to haul freight across the country. Alternative fuels will not replace the critical components of oil used to manufacture Chap Stick, cosmetics or the myriad of plastics used to deliver critical health care.
It is time for a change we can believe in. Your approval of the process that allows these lease sales to move forward is just that kind of change.
Thank you.
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