ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – Governor Sean Parnell today offered testimony at an oversight hearing on “ANWR: Jobs, Energy and Deficit Reduction,” held by the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, chaired by Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA).

“Some of our nation’s richest oil reserves exist along the coastal plain known as ANWR,” Governor Parnell said. “It’s accessible. It’s extractable. And oil production and wildlife in ANWR are compatible. Oil from ANWR could help meet U.S. demand for the next 25 years – or longer. Responsible development of ANWR would create hundreds of thousands of jobs across our nation, in virtually every state, because a secure supply of petroleum will create demand for goods and services, and lower the cost of doing business.

“No citizens are more directly invested in keeping the Alaska environment pristine than Alaskans themselves. We need not choose between a vibrant economy, and a safe and clean environment. We can have both.

“I have long called for increasing American oil and gas production, as it is critically important for both our economy and our national security. Alaska can – and must – play a major role in achieving this.

“Today the United States imports over 65 percent of our nation’s petroleum needs. These imports cost more than $150 billion a year, a figure which does not include the military costs – and the human cost – of imported oil, which is truly incalculable.”

Source: Office of Governor Parnell