U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

WATER AND POWER SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: To consider the Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study

Tue, 16 Jul 2013 02:30:00 EST

The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study.

The hearing will be webcast live on the committee's website, and an archived video will be available shortly after the hearing is complete. Witness testimony will be available on the website at the start of the hearing.

ENERGY SUBCOMMITEE HEARING: To consider S. 1084, S. 717 and other pending energy efficiency legislation

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 02:30:00 EST

The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1084, S. 717 and other pending energy efficiency legislation.

FULL COMMITEE HEARING: Challenges and opportunities for improving forest management on federal lands

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST

The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on the challenges and opportunities for improving forest management on federal lands.

FULL COMMITTEE HEARING: Water Resource Issues in the Klamath River Basin

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:30:00 EST

The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on water resource issues in the Klamath River Basin.

The committee is inviting the public to submit comments on water resource issues in the Klamath River Basin. Please direct comments to: Klamath@energy.senate.gov.

Wyden, Murkowski Applaud Senate’s Passage of Energy, Lands Bills

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

Washington, D.C. – The leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today applauded the Senate’s passage of 14 bills that will encourage the development of energy on federal lands, protect wilderness areas, expand the boundaries of a historically significant site and expand recreational opportunities and access at several rivers and federal sites.

“I commend Senator Murkowski and the rest of my colleagues on the committee for proving that sensible bills with bipartisan support can thread the needle and pass the U.S. Senate,” Wyden said. “The bills passed today will promote recreation, speed up development of renewable power and protect some of our country’s most pristine areas.”

“It’s encouraging to see senators from both sides of the aisle working together to move energy and lands bills through the Senate,” Murkowski said. “Sen. Wyden and I have made it a priority to focus our Committee efforts first on areas of broad consensus, and, today, I believe we’ve found a balance between energy development and conservation in passing these 14 bills.”

The Senate passed 14 bills representing both Democratic and Republican legislation, including three wilderness bills, and measures improving permitting for energy projects.

The full list of bills passed is below:

S. 23, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act
S. 25, South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act
S. 26, Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act
S. 112, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act
S. 130, Powell Shooting Range Land Conveyance Act
S. 157, Denali National Park Improvement Act
S. 230, A bill to authorize the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes
S. 244, A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to modify the Pilot Project offices of the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project.
S. 276, A bill to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the American Falls Reservoir.
S. 304, Natchez Trace Parkway Land Conveyance Act of 2013
S. 352, Devil's Staircase Wilderness Act
S. 383, A bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of Illabot Creek in Skagit County, Washington, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
S. 393, White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic River Expansion Act of 2013
S. 459, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act

The committee favorably reported the bills as part of its first markup in March.

BUSINESS MEETING: To consider pending calendar business

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST

The purpose of this business meeting is to consider pending calendar business.

The meeting will be webcast live on the committee's website, and an archived video will be available after the meeting is complete.

Agenda Items

1. S. 28, a bill to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah to Brigham Young University, and for other purposes

2. S. 155, a bill to designate a mountain in the State of Alaska as Denali

3. S. 159, a bill to designate the Wovoka Wilderness and provide for certain land conveyances in Lyon County, Nevada, and for other purposes

4. S. 255, a bill to withdraw certain Federal land and interests in that land from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws

5. S. 285, a bill to designate the Valles Caldera National Preserve as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes

6. S. 327, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and protection services

7. S. 340, a bill to provide for the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes

8. S. 341, a bill to designate certain lands in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan Counties, Colorado, as wilderness, and for other purposes

9. S. 353, a bill to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as wilderness, to make additional wild and scenic river designations in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes

10. S. 360, a bill to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authorization of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to provide service opportunities for young Americans; help restore the nation's natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational and scenic resources; train a new generation of public land managers and enthusiasts; and promote the value of public service

11. S. 486, a bill to authorize pedestrian and motorized vehicular access in Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area, and for other purposes

12. S. 783, a bill to amend the Helium Act to improve helium stewardship, and for other purposes

*** New substitute amendment posted below ***

Energy Committee Advances 12 Lands, Energy Bills to Full Senate

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today applauded her colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for advancing 12 energy and lands bills out of the panel for consideration by the full Senate.

“It’s important to acknowledge the work that has gone into these bills, as some have been worked on for many years,” said Murkowski, the ranking Republican on the panel. “To be able get to a point where we can move these bills out on a bipartisan basis really says something about the hard work, the dialogue and negotiations, and ultimately, the accommodations made on both sides.”

Among the bills reported by the committee by voice votes:

S. 28, a bill by Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah) to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah to Brigham Young University.
S. 155, a bill by Sen. Murkowski to designate a mountain in the state of Alaska as Denali.
S. 159, a bill by Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) to designate the Wovoka Wilderness and provide for certain land conveyances in Lyon County, Nevada.
S. 327, a bill by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and protection services.
S. 340, a bill by Sen. Murkowski to provide for the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
S. 486, a bill by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) to authorize pedestrian and motorized vehicular access in Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.
S. 783, a bill by Sens. Murkowski and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to amend the Helium Act to improve helium stewardship.

The Helium Stewardship Act is expected to generate an estimated $495 million over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That money will be used for deficit reduction, the Abandoned Mine Land Fund, the Secure Rural Schools program, lowering taxes on domestic mineral production, and cleaning up the federal government’s abandoned exploratory oil wells.

The bill also includes a cost-sharing program that will make a down payment on the $13 billion maintenance backlog of the National Parks Service. Next month, the committee will focus on National Parks legislation, including how to handle these important funding issues.

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Legislation Finalizing Sealaska Land Claims Advances in Senate

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approval of legislation to complete the aboriginal land claims of the Sealaska Native Regional Corp.

The Southeast Alaska Native Land Entitlement Finalization and Jobs Protection Act (S. 340) was approved Tuesday by the energy panel by unanimous voice vote.

(Click to play video)

The measure provides Sealaska Corp., the Alaska Native regional corp. for Southeast Alaska, with 70,075 acres to finalize transfer of land owed to the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

“It has taken six years, but today we’ve taken a major step toward fulfilling the promise made to Southeast’s 20,000 Alaska Natives more than four decades ago,” Murkowski said. “This has been a difficult process because every acre of the Tongass is precious to someone, but we have worked tirelessly with all of the stakeholders to address their concerns. I truly believe that all of that work has resulted in the best bill possible. It will help the region’s timber industry grow, while at the same time protect more than 150,000 acres for fisheries and habitat.”

Under ANCSA, which extinguished aboriginal land claims in Alaska, Sealaska was entitled to an estimated 375,000 acres of the 16.9-million acre Tongass National Forest to help improve the livelihoods of its shareholders. The government never made good on its promise.

Sealaska is currently owed some 85,000 acres, but under the compromise worked out in Murkowski’s bill it will accept about 15,000 acres less in exchange for 68,400 acres for timber harvesting, 1,099 acres for renewable energy resource and recreational tourism projects, and 490 acres of Native cemetery and historic sites.

The measure also places 152,000 acres of old-growth timber in new conservation areas to protect salmon and wildlife habitat.

The legislation steers Sealaska’s timber harvesting activities toward second-growth timber and areas that already contain roads and other infrastructure to minimize impact on old-growth timber.

“We took great care to fulfill the promises made to Sealaska shareholders, while at the same time addressing the concerns of all Southeast residents who utilize the Tongass for everything from subsistence to fisheries to recreation,” Murkowski said. “The bill ensures public access and protects key salmon streams. It also creates new habitat conservation areas, including six areas sought for protection by Trout Unlimited.”

The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), has undergone more than 225 changes since first being proposed by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) in 2007.

“I realize this bill won’t make everyone happy, but we’ve made literally hundreds of changes over the past four years in an effort to meet every possible concern,” Murkowski said. “My goal was to fulfill the promises made to the shareholders of Sealaska by the federal government back in 1971, to support what’s left of Southeast’s timber industry, and to recognize that there are areas here that deserve additional protection. I believe this bill accomplishes all three.”

The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.

Video of the full hearing can be viewed at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee website. Murkowski is the ranking Republican on the panel.

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Sen. Murkowski Applauds Passage of Bill to Rename Mount McKinley

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

“We don’t refer to it as Mount McKinley. We just call it Denali”...

Wyden, Merkley Applaud Step Forward for Secure Rural Schools Extension, Oregon Treasures

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

Washington, D.C. – Oregon Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today applauded the passage of legislation through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that would expand wild and scenic river and wilderness protections for lands in Oregon, as well as provide much-needed payments to timber communities through the Secure Rural Schools program. Both bills now are eligible to be considered by the full Senate.

The committee passed a one-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) to provide rural timber communities in more than 700 counties with payments totaling about $329 million for fiscal year 2014 – a five percent reduction from fiscal year 2013. The payments mitigate the severe impacts felt in these communities as a result of lost revenue from declining timber revenues on federal forest lands. Oregon would receive roughly $100 million, although the exact amount may vary depending on the funding formula and mandatory budget cuts.

“Secure Rural Schools payments extend a lifeline to resource-dependent communities that in many cases are perched on the edge of financial disaster,” Wyden said. “I’ve been working on a long-term answer to challenges for rural areas that can find common cause between the communities on the Gulf Coast and the timber towns in Oregon and other resource-dependent communities. But while that effort is underway, it is critical for rural counties to keep law enforcement on the roads, and teachers in classrooms, which is why it is so important to renew this program for the next year.”

“It’s great news that the Energy and Natural Resources committee has passed a one-year extension of county payments to help keep our rural timber counties afloat,” Merkley said. “This is an important bridge to building a sustainable harvest plan that will strengthen our timber economy.”

The program expired at the end of fiscal year 2012. The last payments were made early this year.

The committee also passed the Oregon Treasures Act (S. 353), sponsored by Wyden and Merkley, which would create new wilderness on land near Cathedral Rock in Central Oregon and Wild Rogue in Southern Oregon. It would also provide strong protections to a three-river system – the Rogue, Chetco, and Molalla – which are significant sites for recreation and together provide critical spawning habitat for several fish species. Following the committee’s passage of the bill, Wyden stressed the ongoing work to advance legislation to increase timber production and improve forest management on Oregon’s O&C lands.

“I’m working aggressively to develop new legislation for Oregon’s O&C lands and looking for opportunities to get the harvest up on both the O&C lands as well as on the forest lands. I believe that can be done consistent with sensible approaches with respect to environmental legislation,” Wyden said. “As we go forward on the O&C legislation, the lands in Western Oregon that were protected in the Oregon Treasures bill are going to be part of the balance that is going to be struck in the division of lands between conservation and harvest lands.”

“Oregon is a state full of natural beauty and wonder. I’m pleased to have cosponsored the Oregon Treasures Act that will preserve key areas across our state and ensure that future generations can witness the same natural beauty that is available today,” Merkley said. “Advancing through Senator Wyden’s committee is a crucial step toward making the Oregon Treasures Act a reality.”

Wyden is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which will hold a hearing June 25 to consider the challenges facing forest management on federal lands.

Committee Passes Helium Legislation, 11 Public Lands Bills

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

Washington, D.C. – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the committee’s passage of eleven public lands bills that would protect wilderness areas, increase access to wild lands and scenic rivers and expand the boundaries of national parks.

“You don’t get these kinds of bipartisan measures passed unless people are willing to work together. They’re not going to happen by osmosis,” Wyden said. “I appreciate the cooperation shown by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get these bills this far. Now it’s time to translate this bipartisanship to the Senate floor to start passing these bills through the Senate.”

The committee also passed legislation sponsored by Wyden and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that would continue access to the Federal Helium Reserve, while ensuring a smooth transition from federal to private ownership. After 10 years, the bill would require the federal helium program to close and sell off any remaining assets.

The committee has now passed 62 bills since the beginning of the 113th Congress.

The full list of bills passed by voice vote is below:

S. 28, a bill to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah to Brigham Young University, and for other purposes
S. 155, a bill to designate a mountain in the State of Alaska as Denali (Senator Rob Portman, R-Ohio, asked to be recorded as voting no)
S. 159, a bill to designate the Wovoka Wilderness and provide for certain land conveyances in Lyon County, Nevada, and for other purposes
S. 255, a bill to withdraw certain Federal land and interests in that land from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws
S. 285, a bill to designate the Valles Caldera National Preserve as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes (Senators Tim Scott, R-S.C., Mike Lee, R-Utah, James Risch, R-Idaho, John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Portman asked to be recorded as voting no)
S. 327, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and protection services
S. 340, a bill to provide for the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes
S. 341, a bill to designate certain lands in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan Counties, Colorado, as wilderness, and for other purposes (Senators Portman, Scott, Lee, Risch, Barrasso, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and John Hoeven, R-N.D., asked to be recorded as voting no)
S. 353, a bill to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as wilderness, to make additional wild and scenic river designations in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes
S. 360, a bill to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authorization of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to provide service opportunities for young Americans; help restore the nation's natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational and scenic resources; train a new generation of public land managers and enthusiasts; and promote the value of public service (Scott, Risch, Flake, Portman, Lee and Barrasso asked to be recorded as voting no)
S. 486, a bill to authorize pedestrian and motorized vehicular access in Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area, and for other purposes
S. 783, a bill to amend the Helium Act to improve helium stewardship, and for other purposes

Sen. Murkowski Delivered Keynote Address at EIA Annual Conference

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today delivered a keynote address during the Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s annual conference. The conference focused on current and future challenges facing domestic and international energy markets and policymakers.

2013 EIA Annual Conference

Senator Lisa Murkowski

June 18, 2013

“Good morning, and thank you, Adam, for that kind introduction. It is a true pleasure to be here. At this early hour I’m reminded of advice the English poet William Blake once gave: ‘Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.’ We’re off to a good start, aren’t we?

“I love gatherings like this – the world’s leading experts coming together to discuss the world’s most interesting topics with incredible breadth and depth.

“As the Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I know that it’s not an exaggeration to say that the Energy Information Administration is the go-to source for much of reliable and nonpartisan data we need each and every day.

“Take, for instance, my Energy 20/20 blueprint, which I released back in February. One of the things I’ve heard most frequently about it is praise for the research that went into the document. It contained more than 100 footnotes – a full third of which cited EIA data or analysis.

“It’s no accident that my Energy 20/20 report focuses extensively on the topic we are here to talk about today – the role of the United States in global energy markets, which is rapidly evolving.

“Let’s start with our domestic situation, which is shaping up to be an unexpected success story. Record-breaking levels of crude oil production, an abundance of natural gas, newfound wealth flowing into communities that desperately need it, high-skilled jobs that pay well – the list of economic benefits to our nation is endless, and only just beginning.

“People often ask, ‘If this oil boom is so great, then why have gasoline prices not come down?’ As an Alaskan, where we have some of the highest fuel prices in the nation, I certainly feel their concern – but imagine where prices would be without our oil boom.

"The National Intelligence Council, which is in charge of the intelligence community’s long-range analysis and forecasting, describes the prospect of U.S. energy independence as a ‘tectonic shift.’ It’s right up there with the aging of the world’s population, the rise of a global middle class, and the worldwide growth of cities. That is the scale of change we are talking about.

“The fundamental shift below ground has already occurred. It’s geological – we now have the technology to economically access resources we couldn’t get to before. The domestic challenge we face is that the accompanying shift above ground isn’t keeping pace. The problem is psychological. Many of us grew up in an era where energy was thought to be scarce, with the development of alternatives viewed as our only path.

“Today we have a far more promising option: an ‘all of the above’ energy policy. Through that policy we can produce more of all of our resources, we can continue to foster innovation, and we can continue to find new ways to conserve energy. And that’s why you’ve seen the Energy Committee report a number of bills to the full Senate on a bipartisan basis. That includes the efficiency bill authored by Senators Portman and Shaheen, and two hydropower bills that will facilitate more of that clean, renewable resource.

“I’m also an original co-sponsor to the MLP Parity Act spearheaded by Senator Coons of Delaware. Currently the tax code provides a special structure to oil and gas companies that enables them to raise capital more efficiently, and I believe we should give all renewables – a growing component of our energy supply – that same opportunity.

“Abundant energy at home means that we have a real opportunity to greatly enhance our nation’s global posture in energy markets. We already export a great deal of energy – 11.5 quadrillion Btu’s last year, according to the EIA. Coal exports have more than doubled since 2009. Natural gas exports have tripled in the past decade. And we’ve become a net exporter of petroleum products, thanks to our world class refineries.

“The debate over exports of liquefied natural gas has drawn a great deal of attention. My colleague on the committee, Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon, and I collaborated on a series of natural gas roundtables last month, one of which focused on LNG exports.

“The intensity of the debate is interesting because, to me, deciding to export natural gas should be easy. Either we will have a surplus that can be sold abroad or we won’t. If we do, we can add LNG exports to the record levels of natural gas we’re already exporting via pipeline to Mexico. Those levels, by the way, are larger than the capacity of the most recently approved LNG export project. And if we don’t end up with a surplus, then we won’t see large levels of LNG exports anyway because the economics won’t make sense.

“The more complicated debate will be over crude oil exports. We won’t see it this summer, but we will see it soon. And if we don’t handle LNG exports in the right way, with sensible data-driven analysis, then there is little hope we will be able to tackle a hot-button issue like crude oil in a way that escapes the din and strife of partisan squabble.

“Now, looking further out to the future, methane hydrates and oil shale are two other areas that hold great potential to add to our nation’s resource base. At the moment, there are technological challenges – but we figured out oil sands, we figured out tight oil and horizontal drilling, we figured out hydraulic fracturing. If our past history with research and development is any indicator, eventually we’ll find an economically feasible way to harness the energy potential of these promising resources.

“If we zoom out slightly, we see that North America, not just the United States, is in the midst of an energy revolution, too. Our friends in Canada, through determination and ingenuity, are developing oil sands in Alberta. The Canadians are also producing lots of natural gas and have already started approving their own export licenses.

“Our national systems are so intertwined that the Congressional Research Service says the United States and Canada are ‘joined at the well.’ But the relationship is not without conflict. We’ve taken far too long to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The economic argument is obvious, but we shouldn’t downplay the diplomatic significance of this, either.

“I also support the Trans-Boundary Agreement with Mexico. I think it’s important that we move forward on that quickly so that development can get underway.

“But it’s not just the North American continent that holds enormous potential. Our friends in Colombia and Brazil have tremendous oil resources and are developing them to the benefit of their nations. Argentina has been blessed with some 800 trillion cubic feet of shale gas resources, according to the EIA’s latest global shale report, and 27 billion barrels of shale oil.

“It seems to me there is the prospect of not just U.S. or North American energy independence, but perhaps something the whole Western Hemisphere can share in.

“Zooming out to look at the entire globe, we see that North and South America are not the only areas where we have opportunities for international collaboration. Last month I visited Sweden for a meeting of the Arctic Council. It was an exciting time and the Arctic is an exciting place, and not just for Alaskans. Observers from countries like South Korea and Singapore attended alongside Scandinavians, the Russians, and others. Those nations want in on Arctic resources because they know how big the resource potential truly is.

“Of course, you can’t have a say in the conversation if you don’t have a seat at the table. That’s why we need to be involved with the Arctic Council, to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty, and to move forward on LNG exports, so our allies can diversify their energy supplies.

“Our hydrocarbon boom is having ripple effects around the world. Even OPEC is studying the impact of U.S. tight oil production.

“We’re talking about displaced imports, competition for refining capacity, new kinds of contracts and trade routes, and the untold effects of all of this that will reverberate through the old international system. Nor are the geopolitics of gas necessarily the same as the geopolitics of oil. For starters, there is no global gas cartel. On the other hand, oil doesn’t need costly liquefaction and regasification facilities to be traded and shipped around the world.

“The only thing we know for sure is that we don’t know exactly how this will all play out. That is why the United States should not turn its back on the world when it comes to exporting energy products. We must be involved in the world markets if we are to benefit from them, and strengthen our alliances and global posture in the process. But this is also why the federal government must implement policies that provide predictability when it is needed and flexibility when it is required.

“Finally, let me say a special word about EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski. Whenever one of my fellow senators on the committee asks him a question at a hearing or a roundtable, we all listen to his answer. He should be recognized for his competence and intellectual honesty. With Adam at the helm of EIA, and Secretary Ernest Moniz running the Department of Energy, I think we all have reason to be optimistic about the work we can do together. Or, as William Blake would say, to ‘act in the noon.’

“I’ve enjoyed this chance to ‘think in the morning’ with you and look forward to your questions.”

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