Last week, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced that they were launching an Arctic congressional caucus to focus U.S. leadership in the Arctic as it pertains to issues of energy, defense, environment and trade. According to The Hill, Senator Murkowski remarked: I’m calling on colleagues in the Senate to join me, to […]
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During a recent event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, officials from the Obama Administration discussed a new Executive Order that seeks to enhance cooperation amongst the multiple federal agencies charged with implementing Arctic policy. Dr. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, reviewed […]
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The U.S. must take steps to bolster its military presence in the area as the Arctic increases in economic and political importance, according to one high-ranking official responsible for handling airborne threats and advocating for Arctic interests on behalf of the Department of Defense. In an interview with Alaska Public Media, Admiral Bill Gortney, head […]
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Through an independent analysis, the U.S. Coast Guard says its needs three medium and three heavy icebreaking ships in order to meet growing demand and anticipated needs in the Arctic and Antarctic. The need for icebreakers is growing as the Arctic region is becoming more attractive to commercial shipping and ship-based tourism. The Coast Guard has […]
The U.S. Department of the Interior last week proposed regulations for offshore oil and natural gas drilling in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. The regulations, which are the first of their kind, augment existing regulations that currently apply to operators in the Gulf of Mexico and target the unique conditions operators will encounter in the Arctic. […]
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Writing for Forbes, former U.S. Senator Conrad Burns of Montana argues that the key to America’s energy success is Arctic development: At a time of unrest in both the Middle East and Eastern Europe, our government should be sending signals that we are serious about long-term energy development both on and off our shores. It is […]
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The U.S. took a positive step toward increasing its engagement on Arctic shipping and transportation. Last week the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers submitted a plan to expand the Port of Nome, AK to allow the acceptance of larger ships. Expanding the port to a deep-water facility will allow the U.S. Coast Guard to more […]
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The opening of the Arctic has put Russia on high alert as the melting ice fields mean a new active border near key oil and gas reserves for the country. According to Military Times, U.S. military officials report that the country is increasing the number of Tu-95H Bear long-range bomber flights over the Arctic, including the […]
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The 611th Civil Engineer Squadron will be able to find and recover oil in case of oil or hazardous waste spills in the Arctic. The U.S. Air Force reports that in early February the 611th CES, along with other state and federal agencies, practiced techniques to clear oil quickly before it travels to a larger affected […]
Two proposals recently announced by the Obama Administration have the potential to dramatically slow down America’s progress towards energy stability, even as nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia move forward at full speed with oil and natural gas production, according to U.S. Representative Rob Bishop. Upon instruction from President Obama, the Department of the Interior […]
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