Sullivan to Secretary Granholm: Look to Alaska, not China or Saudi Arabia, for Energy Resources
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today sent a letter welcoming Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm for her first visit to Alaska as secretary, and urging her and the Biden administration to allow Alaska—rather than America’s adversaries—to meet the nation’s all-of-the-above energy needs, including oil and natural gas, and the critical minerals used in renewable energy technologies.
Below is the full text of the letter.
The Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm
Secretary
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20585
Secretary Granholm,
Welcome to Alaska. I’m pleased that you’re visiting our great state, meeting with Alaskans, and seeing the diverse natural resources and world-class energy supplies we have to offer the nation. Alaska is an all-of-the-above energy powerhouse, including geothermal, hydropower, on-and-offshore oil and natural gas, wind, solar, and mineral production—which is critical for renewable energy and battery technologies in America. Alaskans are proud of the role our state plays in powering America. The Renewable Energy Fair at the Chena Hot Springs Resort showcases a variety of innovative energy solutions, as I am sure you saw.
Just a few short miles from the Resort runs one of the greatest engineering and energy infrastructure achievements in American history, the 800-mile Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Since its completion in 1977, TAPS has transported over 18 billion barrels of oil from Alaska’s North Slope to tidewater for the benefit of Alaskans and all Americans. With Alaska’s critical contribution, the U.S. has grown from an energy importer to a dominant global energy producer. However, as we discussed during your confirmation process, I am deeply concerned that the Biden Administration’s policies—like freezing progress on ANWR exploration, cancelling the Keystone XL Pipeline, and suspending oil and gas leases on federal lands—are counterproductive to U.S. energy independence and ensuring secure and affordable energy supplies for Americans.
I am hoping to meet with you while you are in Alaska and plan on raising three issues that are critically important to Alaska and America.
First, just a few days ago, the Biden Administration’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, publicly requested Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ countries to increase oil production to help the global economy and lessen inflationary pressures in the United States. I have a much better policy idea—ask and enable Alaska and our great workers here to produce more American oil. We have the highest environmental standards in the world. If the world needs more oil, the Biden Administration should ask Alaska first, not our adversaries in OPEC+, some of whom use oil proceeds to fund global terrorist activities.
Second, I am sure you have seen that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorizes the Department of Energy to provide the Alaska LNG project $18 billion in loan guarantees. This is a sign of strong bipartisan Senate support to utilize clean-burning Alaska natural gas for the benefit of Alaskans, our fellow Americans, and our allies around the world. Getting this massive Alaska natural gas project online will create thousands of good-paying American jobs and significantly help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. I hope you make this project a high priority during your tenure as Secretary.
Third, the Administration’s goal of building out the American renewable energy sector will require significant production and refining of critical minerals, as well as increased manufacturing capacity for renewable energy technology. We should source these mineral inputs and build this manufacturing in the United States, instead of outsourcing them to our adversaries, like China. We have these critical minerals in abundance in Alaska from Bokan Mountain, the Northern Alaska Range, Kuskokwim-White Mountains, Darby Hogatza, to the Graphite One deposit, and other gold, silver, lead, and zinc mines, like Red Dog, Fort Knox, Kensington, Donlin, and Greens Creek. Just recently, the Senate passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 90-9 my amendment to the budget resolution that would require any technology or critical minerals for renewable energy projects purchased with federal dollars or supported by subsidies to be sourced from America and our allies, not China. Again, I hope during your tenure as Secretary you will focus on these critical issues.
Thank you again for visiting Alaska. While you are here, I hope you will experience everything our great state has to offer with our all-of-the-above energy supply—including oil and gas. I look forward to further discussing these critical issues with you.
Sincerely,
Dan Sullivan
United States Senator
# # #
Next Article Previous Article
