U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and the rest of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently traveled to Alaska for a field hearing to explore the possibilities of expanding U.S. energy options to gain independence.
Along with the hearing, held in Bethel, Daines also traveled to Oscarville to participate in a panel discussion with community leaders and meet with students at a school in Oscarville.
At the field hearing, Daines talked about the need for the U.S. to achieve energy independence through an all-of-the-above approach to spur innovation, as well as job growth, and protect rural Americans and Native Americans from rising energy costs.
"Montana’s electricity rates are more affordable than many places in the country thanks to coal and hydropower, but when you have a sparse population, keeping prices low is challenging. These challenges are felt the most on our Indian reservations, which face some of the highest unemployment in our state. Montana’s Indian reservations have some of the richest coal, oil and gas reserves in the lower 48 states; vast wind potential and hydropower capacity; and biomass. We have it all in Montana — we just need to innovate to make it happen. With over 50 percent unemployed on these reservations, energy development is not only a ticket to more affordable energy bills, but also good-paying jobs.”
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