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Frank Murkowski on Energy & Oil
Republican AK Governor; previously Senator
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Fined ExxonMobil $20M for not drilling next to ANWR
Adjacent to the much-discussed ANWR area, Point Thomson is a North Slope parcel of state-owned land that holds trillions of cubic feet of clean natural gas and an equally enormous amount of oil. The leases in question were the subject of a prior expansio
agreement that would substantially enlarge the area in which ExxonMobil was permitted to drill. The big question was, why would DNR approve an expansion when ExxonMobil had sat on the unit for more than 25 years and had never successfully sunk a drill
bit?The Murkowski administration had even recognized the injustice of this situation and had begun taking steps to force ExxonMobil to drill or relinquish its leases. ExxonMobil had recently been fined $20 million for not drilling. The company paid th
fine. To them, it was a drop in the bucket. My administration agreed with the Murkowski team's opinion and told ExxonMobil its leases would be history unless we saw action.
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p.196-198
, Nov 17, 2009
Ushered ANWR bill through Senate, until vetoed by Clinton
Like most Alaskans, I viewed Sen. Frank Murkowski as a respected elder statesman, a bigwig pol on the national level. By then, he'd served twenty-two years in Washington, where he'd chaired powerful committees, like the Energy and Natural Resources
Committee, and helped usher Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) legislation through to President Bill Clinton's desk--before Clinton vetoed it.
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p. 82
, Nov 17, 2009
Petroleum Profit Tax: companies share oil profits with state
The Petroleum Profits Tax, or PPT, was the latest formula the state and oil companies used to calculate Alaskan's share of oil revenues. The majority of legislators wanted oil companies to share with the state 25% of the profit they made selling Alaska's
oil; others wanted the rate sky high; some wanted virtually nothing shared with the true resource owners. The debate was cut short when Murkowski unilaterally proposed setting the rate at the lowest number seriously under consideration, a deal the oil
companies liked very much.Heading into the governorship, I knew something needed to be done about it. An analysis of PPT showed that it was generating far less revenue than legislators had advertised--$800 million less in the year or so since it had
passed. Also, PPT called for the state's share of oil revenues to be tallied as a percentage of oil companies' profits. Interestingly, after PPT passed, producers' reported operating costs suddenly doubled. [We replaced the formula entirely].
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p.162-163
, Nov 17, 2009
Voted YES on drilling ANWR on national security grounds.
Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Murkowski Amendment No. 31323; To create jobs for Americans, to reduce dependence on foreign sources of crude oil and energy, to strengthen the economic self determination of the Inupiat Eskimos and to promote national security. Would allow gas and oil development in a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if the president certifies to Congress that production in the area is in the nation's security and economic interests (qwhich Prsident Bush would). If the cloture motion is agreed to, debate will be limited and a vote will occur. If the cloture motion is rejected debate could continue indefinitely and instead the bill is usually set aside. A yea vote for this bill was one in favor of drilling in the reserve. Three-fifths of the total Senate (60) is required to invoke cloture.
Reference:
Bill S.517
; vote number 2002-71
on Apr 18, 2002
Voted YES on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months.
Levin Amendment No. 2997; To provide alternative provisions to better encourage increased use of alternative fueled and hybrid vehicles. Vote to pass an amendment that would remove the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard (CAFE) and instead establish a new automobile efficiency standard in 15 months. Congress could veto any CAFE increase and would be allowed to increase the standard if no changes are made with 15 months. The bill would overhaul the nation's energy policies by restructuring the electricity system and providing for $16 billion in energy-related tax incentives.
Reference:
Bill S.517
; vote number 2002-47
on Mar 13, 2002
Voted YES on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling.
Vote to preserve language in the Fiscal Year 2001 Budget Framework that assumes $1.2 billion in revenue from oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge [ANWR] in Alaska.
Reference:
Bill S Con Res 101
; vote number 2000-58
on Apr 6, 2000
Voted NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards.
Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Bryan (D-NV) introduced a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate towards ending CAFE Standards. Senator Gorton motioned to table this amendment. [A YES vote is considered pro-business].
Status: Amdt Rejected Y)40; N)55; NV)4
Reference: Gorton Amdt # 1677;
Bill H.R. 2084
; vote number 1999-275
on Sep 15, 1999
Voted YES on defunding renewable and solar energy.
In June of 1999, Senator Jeffords (R-VT) was prepared to offer an amendment which would have added $62 million to the Energy Department solar and renewable energy programs. This action was blocked by Senator Reid (D-NV).
Status: Motion Agreed to Y)60; N)39; NV)1
Reference: Motion to table the recommital;
Bill S. 1186
; vote number 1999-171
on Jun 16, 1999
Voted YES on approving a nuclear waste repository.
Approval of the interim nuclear waste repository. The repository would be located at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, with an integrated management system for storage and permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Voting YES would authorize the President with sole and unreviewable discretion to determine the suitability of the Yucca Mountain site.
Status: Bill Passed Y)65; N)34; NV)1
Reference: Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1997;
Bill S. 104
; vote number 1997-42
on Apr 15, 1997
Voted NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline.
Funding a mandated percentage of market share for the use of ethanol in gasoline, to be funded b reducing NASA budget b $39 million..
Status: Table Motion Agreed to Y)50; N)50; VP decided YES
Reference: Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1995;
Bill H.R. 4624
; vote number 1994-255
on Aug 3, 1994
Page last updated: Nov 23, 2011