WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Lisa Murkowski and Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrapped up a wide-ranging, bipartisan tour of Alaska’s energy resources today, as part of an ongoing study of energy-producing regions of the United States.

Senator Wyden made the trip at the invitation of Senator Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Depending on how the 2012 elections impact the political balance of the Senate, either Murkowski or Wyden is poised to be the committee’s next chairman in the 113^th Congress.

“Senator Wyden has a longstanding reputation for being willing to reach across the aisle and find common ground on some of our nation’s greatest challenges. I look forward to working with that same sense of bipartisanship with him on the energy committee to advance policies that will help us realize our full energy potential by taking advantage of a wide range of our nation’s vast natural resources, both in Alaska and across the country,” Murkowski said. “While Alaska may be known primarily as an oil-producing state, we’re also a big producer of renewable energy. That’s why I think visits like this one are so important – they give lawmakers a chance to see firsthand the challenges and opportunities we have in Alaska.”

“I’ve seen first-hand how truly unique Alaska is, both in the challenges and opportunities it has for energy development. Alaska is known for its massive Arctic oil and gas projects, but it also boasts opportunities for renewable power in isolated villages and towns that need affordable energy,” Senator Wyden said.

“I could not have had a better guide than Lisa Murkowski – a senator who truly understands that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to energy policy, both here in Alaska and the rest of the United States. I am eager to continue working with her on ways to safely develop Alaska’s energy resources, while ensuring protection for the state’s outstanding natural beauty,” he added.

Senators Wyden and Murkowski’s itinerary included stops at a sampling of Alaska’s energy projects, including: a renewable energy fair and 10-megawatt geothermal plant at Chena Hot Springs; a liquefied natural gas terminal in Kenai; and an offshore oil platform in Cook Inlet.