ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- An energy plan for U.S. markets must include a leasing program for exploration and development in the Outer Continental Shelf, the Alaskan governor said.
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell in a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he "strongly" supports a responsible lease program in the OCS, noting, "exploration, development, and production of oil and gas are vitally important to Alaska and the nation."
Parnell notes Alaska accounts for a substantial portion of the recoverable oil and gas reserves for the United States, with an estimated 27 billion barrels of oil and 130 trillion cubic feet of natural gas on the Alaskan OCS.
"New oil production will also allow the Trans Alaska Pipeline, now operating at less than one-third of capacity, to continue efficient operations for decades," he added.
Parnell said OCS development would increase jobs and revenue for Alaska and the rest of the nation, which is struggling to move forward in a jobless economic recovery. The development would also advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, he said.
"OCS exploration is about Alaska jobs and revenue," the governor said. "And, it's about reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and gas."
He added the federal government could share a percentage of the revenue from OCS development.
