In an event today, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, called for “ending the prohibition on crude oil and condensate exports,” saying that the export ban is “not beneficial to the American people.”
In the event, hosted by the Energy Security Initiative at Brookings, Sen. Murkowski cited the fact that “we are producing more energy today than ever before in this country” yet the rules governing energy trade were written “long ago for a now bygone world in which scarcity, not abundance, was the prevailing mindset.”
Sen. Murkowski outlined three key principles detailed in a white paper, “A Signal to the World: Renovating the Architecture of U.S. Energy Exports,” that she released today:
- “To assess this energy architecture… particularly where we have seen exports banned.”
- “Do no harm where the regulations we have in place are working.”
- “Look to efficiencies in the regulatory framework and see if we can’t work to do better.”
The regulatory edifice for energy exports, she said, “is antiquated and at times I would suggest even absurd … we surely can do better than this.” She said that “American-made energy is the safest and most environmentally responsible energy on earth.”
Managing Director of Brookings William Antholis introduced the senator, and Charles Ebinger, director of the initiative, moderated the discussion that followed.
Commentary
Senator Murkowski Calls for End to Crude Oil Export Ban
January 7, 2014