But it is--it really seems to be that the stumbling blocks are at the Federal level...

As Senator Stevens always said, money is going to evaporate for Alaska. We need to work together.

But I think it's important to recognize that we're going to have to figure out in this State how we can take a small community...

we're looking at exporting this natural gas that we have that for Alaskans could last 1,000 years.

Thank you, Bernie. I appreciate your vision and your passion.

I think we recognize that unless we can be building things to scale to allow for the efficiencies in small communities...

We must not forget that even if we were able to provide Rural Alaska with the 25% renewable energy for free their bill would still be unsustainably expensive.

I will, I guess, ask for your encouragement within the administration.

Energy is a bedrock component and fundamental underpinning of any Economy.

How can we, from the Federal level, better help to facilitate some of the smaller-scale projects?

Those Federal dollars, unfortunately, are limited, and they're limited at all other levels as well.

What we need is agency coordination. Because we can unleash the innovation that we have.

Alaska is uniquely positioned to help transition America to a new energy future.

I think it's important for us to understand how we can realistically remove or perhaps soften some of these roadblocks.

Do you feel that you do not have that cooperation presently?

Alaska is America's Arctic--it's our home, our history, our heritage, and our future.

I want to thank you Senator Murkowski for stepping up to the plate an asking Congress to support funding for ice breakers in the Arctic.

I would sort of lay the gauntlet down to them on how are they going to work with the rest of the Alaskans to get that message out there and try and get some positive action.

Such vast upside potential carries with it a responsibility to use world-class safeguards that minimize any potential costs in damage to the Arctic environment and the subsistence way of life.

I want to applaud Senator Murkowski for recognizing this in her proposed legislation that requires any offshore oil and gas production to use pipelines to shore-based facilities rather than tanker transportation across Arctic waters to…

It's a preventive measure that makes as much sense in the Arctic as it does in Prince William Sound, where it was put in place after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

I am confident that together we can bring traditional, renewable, and alternative energy to market and increase Alaska's contribution to our Nation's energy independence for years to come.

Domestic energy supplies support national and homeland security.

I was able to recently restore the reauthorization that is necessary for the Army Corps of Engineers.

I am urging the Congress to support the ground-based missile defense system in Alaska and reconsider the proposal to scale back the placement of interceptors at Fort Greely.