Platts senior editors Herman Wang and Brian Scheid go ringside for the big fight over the oil industry between the Obama administration and the Alaska congressional delegation, led by Senator Lisa Murkowski. The administration recently angered Alaska lawmakers by designating portions of the state off limits to oil and gas development. With Alaska depending on oil revenues for much of its budget and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline seeing its flows significantly reduced in recent years, state lawmakers say the administration’s move infringes on their sovereignty and their citizens’ livelihoods.
Brian and Herman talked with Zach Olson, a Washington-based attorney who works on Alaska energy issues for Birch, Horton, Bittner & Cherot, about why Alaskans took this news so personally and how this will play out, now that Murkowski is chairing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Check back every Monday for the latest analysis of US oil policy news from leading Platts editors covering the Capitol. E-mail the editors at brian.scheid@platts.com and herman.wang@platts.com.
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