On September 18-21, I attended the Energy Council’s 2014 annual meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Energy Council does most of its work during four quarterly meetings that rotate among member states and Canadian provinces. Participating in the Council is an important part of our continuing efforts to develop Alaska’s energy resources and foster greater collaboration between national policymakers and our state.
This year’s annual meeting highlighted oil and gas production issues such as advancements in technology, drilling concerns at the state and provincial level, landowner rights, shale gas, fossil energy exports, and federal/state energy regulations. We also heard interesting presentations on cyber-security in the energy sector, electric power rates, an update on wind power, and energy education issues. The conference was led by Texas State Representative, Wayne Smith, who has served as the Chairman of the Energy Council for the past year. The chairmanship rotates each year and the annual meeting is when the Energy Council elects a new Chairman to serve for the upcoming year. Louisiana State Senator John Smith was unanimously elected to serve as the Chairman. I want to congratulate Senator Smith on his new chairmanship and thank Representative Smith for his adept leadership of the council over the last year.
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