Administration Forms New Group To Spearhead Alaskan Energy Exploration

A high-ranking official from the Interior Department announced Tuesday that a bill creating a working group responsible for exploring energy resources in Alaska has been signed by President Obama.

“We’re not looking to this group to be a super-permitting agency, to be a one-stop shop,” David Hayes, the Deputy Secretary at the Interior Department said during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The primary purpose of this is to ensure coordination and broad sharing of information.”

In 2010, President Obama announced a goal to reduce American dependence on foreign oil by increase the amount of oil produced domestically and expand natural gas drilling.

Sen. Lisa Murkowksi (R-Ala.) noted Tuesday that Alaska ranks second in the nation in crude oil production and that there are a plenty of untapped resources for natural gas in this state.

With new coordination team experts expect to receive a faster evaluation of gas and oil resources in the Atlantic Ocean.