Lisa Murkowski

Congress must provide government agencies with the authority to respond to cyber security threats and their vulnerabilities and do so in a timely manner.

Discussion about a Clean Energy Deployment Administration I think is certainly an important one, certainly timely.

I don't have additional questions. I'm just pondering what Ms. Yanosek said about the importance--you don't call it the valley of death.

I'm way over my time, but, Mr. Reicher, if you want to.

Back in 2005 with passage of the Energy Policy Act, we took a major step toward addressing the problem by creating the loan guarantee program there at DOE.

I conclude that you view CEDA as yet one more tool, that it is not necessarily something that replaces loan guarantees or replaces tax credits or the other financing mechanisms or opportunities out there.

When you look to the purpose of CEDA, to address the persistent inability of clean energy projects to obtain financing, I think you will have folks say, well, why haven't we figured this one out earlier?

I am concerned, however, that because of budget limitations in 2011 we won't be able to perform all the crucial fishery surveys in Alaska this summer.

Give us the environmental data, but don't include us in that marine spatial planning at this point in time.

Well, we would like to be kept abreast on that because the concern, of course, is that if the startup funds aren't in place, then program implementation may be delayed. I don't think that anyone gains from that.

What we really need is environmental data collection, mapping, integration, and all of that.

Thank you for your leadership.

I want to bring up the National Ocean Policy and the framework for the coastal and marine spatial planning.

We are very concerned about it, having sat down with Jane Lubchenco and talked about this...

I am hoping we do that today.

So there is, what you would consider to be, a definitive plan that is either under way or is on the books for after 2018?

I think it has meaningful consequence and unfortunately, possibly negative consequence if we're looking at a lot of the deferrals.

Understanding all that, but insofar as what is happening right now with the collection of the fees----

I am a big advocate of geothermal and what we can do with that resource.

We do have this responsibility.

I think the frustration has been that, well, if there is a plan in place, I can understand why I should be depositing fees.

Well, I am glad that you recognize that because that seems to be the sense that we have as we are working with constituents on this.

So we have got a system where we have a cost-benefit ratio system that will never allow many of these States to ever get into the funding stream.

I think it speaks to the issue of what we are dealing with and the significance of not only ports and harbors.

I will not accept the conclusion that 26 States, including Alaska, will just not see general construction money.