Willow Master Plan Development Testimony

September 12, 2019 • Crowne Plaza, Anchorage

Good evening. My name is Marleanna Hall, Executive Director of the Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc. In brief, RDC is a statewide trade association with members in fishing, forestry, mining, oil and gas, and tourism, as well as the 12 land owning Alaska Native corporations. RDC supports the proposed Master Development Plan (MDP) – the Preferred Alternative, Alternative B, and Option 1 for the transfer of sealift modules.

It is important to note that the MDP conforms to the BLM’s 2013 Integrated Activity Plan, which provides a framework for minimizing impacts. Alternative B maintains very high standards for safety and emergency response and includes contemporary North Slope best management practices to avoid and minimize impacts. It would reduce environmental impacts compared to other alternatives by using less fresh water, less aircraft flights, and less gravel. Further, Alternative B allows for a road connection to the Alpine infrastructure and overland connections to all drill sites, which is an important element in maintaining safe and environmentally-sound operations.

Under the MDP, Willow would produce up to 130,000 barrels of oil per day over its 30-year life and would substantially boost throughput in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), currently running at approximately one-fourth capacity. It would also extend the viability of TAPS, a critical component of our domestic energy complex. Clearly, Willow production would help fulfill the primary purpose of NPR-A, which is to harvest American energy resources.

Production from the $5 billion Willow project would generate an estimated $10 billion dollars in revenue to the State of Alaska, the North Slope Borough and the federal government. Willow would also generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs for local residents and other Alaskans. These would be high-paying, year-round jobs that would sustain Alaskan families and benefit local communities in many ways. Overall, the activity and revenues generated by this major project would provide a major boost to Alaska’s ailing economy, which has been stuck in a recession for the past three years. 

RDC acknowledges that there are special interests that oppose further development of fossil fuels in the Arctic and elsewhere. However, oil and gas development in NPR-A could ultimately prove indispensable as forecasts indicate our nation’s energy demands will increase over ten percent in the next quarter century. Despite sharp increases in alternative energy sources, the majority of these growing energy demands will continue to be satisfied through the use of fossil fuels, and as along as there is a market for oil and gas, the resources should be developed and produced here in Alaska where operations and emissions are strictly regulated and best management activities are employed to avoid and minimize impacts. 

Thank you for the opportunity to comment in support of Alternative B and Option 1 for the transfer of sealift modules.