Political Quotes

“Mr. President, on Tuesday, just a few days ago, I convened a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and we were focused on the impacts of COVID-19 and how this pandemic has impacted our Nation's energy industry. We had a lot of discussions about the impact of COVID on the Nation, on our economy, and I think it is probably fair to say that every facet of our society has been impacted, but it is certainly clear to me as a Senator for the State of Alaska and as chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee that the energy sector has suffered perhaps uniquely and I think acutely. We have seen limits on business and travel and social activities, and we think about those limitations, the far-reaching consequences they have on our Nation's energy producers, whether it is those who produce oil and gas, coal, renewables, advanced technology such as nuclear power, and all those who help us produce our energy and use our energy more efficiently, all aspects have been impacted. At the hearing, we had some pretty good testimony that our witnesses were able to explain and quantify some of those impacts. We heard that U.S. oil production has declined by almost 2 million barrels per day. Spot prices for liquefied natural gas have effectively collapsed, creating challenges for export projects. Domestic electricity consumption is projected to decline by 5.7 percent this year, largely due to the closure of businesses and, of course, the shelter-in-place orders.…”