In my previous newsletter,I mentioned my recent appointment to the National Petroleum Council, a federally chartered advisory committee to the U.S. Secretary of Energy with respect to any matter involving oil and natural gas. In May, the National Petroleum Council accepted a request from Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, to offer advice in the area of Arctic research. Specifically, Secretary Moniz asked, “What research should the Department of Energy pursue and what technology constraints must be addressed to ensure prudent development of Arctic oil and gas resources while advancing U.S. energy and economic security and ensuring environmental stewardship?” In response to the Secretary’s request, the Chair of the National Petroleum Council, Mr. James T. Hackett, CEO of Anadarko Petroleum, commissioned a Committee on Arctic Research of which I was appointed a member. The Committee will be responsible for developing, for the full Council’s consideration, a proposed response to the Secretary’s request for advice. Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, will serve as the Committee Chair and Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman is the Secretary’s designee to serve as the Committee’s Government Co-Chair. Future meetings of the Committee on Arctic Research will be called to review study results and propose a final report for the National Petroleum Council to recommend to the Secretary of Energy. Considering that Alaska is the only Arctic state in the U.S., I am excited and honored to represent Alaska’s interests as this important policy report is developed.
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