Sarah Palin-An expert on America's Energy Needs

The current version of Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College, has printed an adaptation of a speech by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin this past August.  The Governor proves that she is an expert on America’s energy needs and resources and how to match the two.  The entire article can be found at http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis.asp

Here are some highlights, quoted or paraphrased from Palin’s message:

When Alaska was purchased from the Russians for two cents an acre in a deal known as “Sewards Folly” the agreement was that we pull our own weight. … Now we’re earning our keep, largely by tapping our energy resources such as crude oil and liquefied natural gas.

…. As we consider where our country’s energy will come from in the future, Alaska can and must be a big part of the answer.  In fact, Alaska has already begun to take the lead on a sorely needed national energy policy. Groundbreaking history was made when Alaska’s lawmakers voted to award TransCanada Alaska a license to proceed with…the building of a natural gas pipeline. Once constructed, this pipeline will supply four to four-and-one-half billion cubic feet of natural gas per day—roughly six percent of America’s demand.

Just to provide some perspective, Alaska has tens of trillions of cubic feet of natural gas under the surface, especially on the North Slope. Alaskans have longed for the right to access our gas and more of our oil to assist in supplying the U.S. market…This $30-40 billion infrastructure project—which will be built by the private sector—is one of the most exciting and progressive events in Alaska’s history. 

This is a good start, but Alaska has much more to offer in the way of resources. And let me tell you clearly that we can do so in a way consistent with good environmental stewardship.

Because of the lagging economy, Americans do not have time for “all talk and no action.”

Alaskans find it incredibly frustrating that others—many of whom have never even set foot in our state, much less lived here—dictate how and when we can best use our own resources. Whether over the barren tundra or in our majestic mountains, we have a strong history of responsible development. To date, Alaska has sent more than 15 billion barrels of oil, safely and efficiently, to the lower 48. One look at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System illustrates that development and wildlife can and do coexist.

I’ve heard it said by some politicians that Alaska doesn’t have enough oil to make a difference. I can tell you honestly that we do have enough. And while consultants and experts debate the current energy crisis, Alaska is already preparing for its next role—providing American consumers with a safe and secure domestic source of crude oil and natural gas. In fact, if energy imports were curtailed completely, Alaska could provide our nation with seven years of crude oil independence and an eight-year supply of natural gas. These are numbers that reflect known and recoverable oil and gas deposits. 

Congress can make it possible to take advantage of these resources right now, by streamlining access to offshore areas. As usual, outside interests are throwing up roadblocks and manipulating the legal system to achieve their agenda. But we need to bring some sanity back to the legal and permitting processes in the area of energy production. 

In calling for bans to be lifted in order to get our nation out of the chokehold of high oil prices and dependence on the Middle East, I am certainly not rejecting the idea of alternative and renewable resources. I believe that we need to move in that direction, ultimately weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels. But we can’t do it overnight—or even over a decade.

 We must open ANWR and lift the ban on offshore drilling. The science and technology to harvest our resources responsibly and safely are in hand. The time for congressional action and leadership is now.

I believe that, if elected, Senator McCain and Governor Palin will pursue a program to free American away from the economic drain and securoity vulnerability of dependence on foreign oil.  If elected, Senators Obama and Biden will only deepen the current energy crisis.

Posted by Marianne Pecoraro