Murkowski: Alaska Will Greatly Benefit from Bipartisan Energy and Natural Resources Bill

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, this week introduced S. 1460, the Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017 (ENRA), as the successor to her broad, bipartisan bill from the last Congress. This new measure will help Alaskans produce more energy, pay less for energy, facilitate needed infrastructure, boost the innovation of new technologies, and protect sportsmen's access to federal lands--all without raising taxes or adding to the deficit.

"This new bill encompasses a wide range of Alaska priorities for energy, resource, innovation, infrastructure, and land management policies," Murkowski said. "It will allow us to tap into more of our world-class mineral base, remove hurdles to the gasline, expand the use of hydropower and other renewables, reauthorize critical programs that provide vital funding, boost Alaska Native energy development, increase sportsmen's access to federal lands, and protect against natural hazards. This is a bill written by and with Alaskans, for the benefit of our whole state, and I'm eager to work with my colleagues to move it forward."

The bill builds on the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015, which included priorities from 80 Senators and passed the Senate with 85 votes. While that bill fell just short in a bicameral conference with the House of Representatives at the end of last year, it provided an excellent starting point for Murkowski's bipartisan efforts in this Congress.

Murkowski worked with Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to add S. 1460 directly to the Senate Calendar so that it can be brought up for debate before the full Senate on an expedited basis.

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