From across all sectors of the community and the economy, Alaskans spoke their minds before Interior Secretary Ken Salazar as to Alaska’s role in shaping future national energy policy. The April 14 meeting at Anchorage’s Dena’ina Convention Center also attracted elected federal, state and local officials.

It was perhaps the most important public hearing held in Alaska in decades with over 750 Alaskans attending, preceded by a “March for Jobs” where over 100 signwaving Alaskans chanted an assortment of slogans supporting development of oil and gas resources in the state’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

“It was an impressive showing as Alaskans gathered in force to show tremendous support
for responsible oil and gas exploration and development in the OCS,” said RDC Executive Director Jason Brune. “Support for OCS development went far beyond the oil industry as positive testimony came from mining, forestry, Native corporations, labor and local governments.”

The Anchorage hearing was one of four held across the nation this past spring to take public comments on a proposed OCS oil and gas leasing program for 2010-2015. The new program was drafted at the end of the Bush administration, but Salazar put the plan on hold, extending the public review for the program to September and staging four regional meetings to get public input.

Salazar emphasized that an energy plan cannot consist of a single solution, but will include traditional fossil fuels, as well as renewable energy.

Alaska’s offshore is home to some of the most prolific, undeveloped hydrocarbon basins in the world, reserves that would not only fuel Alaska’s economy for decades, but would provide the nation with much needed energy. Noting Alaska’s OCS likely holds at least one-third of the nation’s total offshore oil resources, Salazar said the state will play a major role in future energy policy.

Although the crowd was mainly pro-oil and gas, opinions varied widely with the North Slope Borough and Northwest Arctic Borough opposing offshore development while local government jurisdictions in Southwest Alaska supported exploration. Commercial fishermen in the Bristol Bay region spoke out against offshore exploration while other resource industries supported it.

Laborers and others told Salazar that OCS development could generate tens of thousands of new jobs, refill the oil pipeline and sustain the economy for generations. There were also Alaska Natives who said offshore drilling would bring much-needed revenue to their villages while others said it would threaten their way of life.

Governor Palin warned that a delay in offshore leasing could lead to the premature shut down of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline in as little as a decade and block access to gas deposits to underpin the reserves needed to justify the construction of the proposed gas pipeline to the Lower 48.

Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski, as well as Congressman Don Young all agreed that drilling off Alaska’s coast must be at the core of future energy policy. That sentiment
was echoed by state legislators, including Rep. Charisse Millett and Senator Lesil McGuire.

While communities in the Aleutians East Borough depend on subsistence and commercial fishing, responsible oil and gas development would broaden the economy and provide much needed jobs for local residents, said Mayor Stanley Mack.

However, North Slope Borough Mayor Edward Itta, an Inupiat whaler, expressed concern about the potential impact of offshore development on subsistence whale hunting and industry’s ability to clean up an oil spill in broken ice conditions. If development moves forward, Itta asked that agencies and industry acknowledge the risks and commit to the toughest possible precautions.

North Slope resident and Inupiat whaler Richard Glenn expressed confidence that offshore development can occur with little negative impact on local villages and subsistence. “Existing Chukchi leases previously granted should be allowed to proceed because of the unlikely effects on our subsistence activities, the meaningful economic benefit for Alaskans and energy security for America,” Glenn said.

Glenn noted that when onshore development of oil and gas began decades ago, many were concerned about the effect it would have on the subsistence lifestyle. “Our fish have not died and our caribou have not decreased in number,” he said.

Shell Alaska General Manger Peter Slaiby reminded those attending the hearing that 30 wells have been drilled in the Beaufort Sea, five in the Chukchi and about a dozen wells off Southwest Alaska since the 1980s without adverse consequences. He pointed out Shell has assembled a fleet of oil spill response vessels especially suited for Arctic waters that will be on location at all times at the well site to respond to any potential incident.

RDC noted in its testimony that while the nation needs to conserve more and move toward renewable energy, it still needs to pursue new oil and gas production, given the fact it will take decades before renewable energy becomes a dominant energy source. Even with the Obama administration’s goal to decrease dependence on oil, fossil fuels will still account for twothirds of our energy consumption in 2025. RDC warned that if domestic oil and gas reserves are not tapped, the nation will be forced to import more oil, often from areas where
environmental controls and regulations are inferior to those here.

In addition to the hearing, other activities were held in conjunction to the event. RDC sponsored a sold-out luncheon, the Alaska Oil and Gas Association hosted an exhibition
of companies engaged in Arctic oil and gas development and the Alliance organized the
“March for Jobs.”

RDC has created a website highlighting comments from its members and public officials at the hearing. View them at: www.akrdc.org/issues/oilgas/ocs/

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