Port of Seattle Commissioners
P.O. Box 1209
Seattle, WA 98111
Dear Commissioners Albro, Bowman, Bryant, Creighton and Gregoire,
As elected officials, business owners, community leaders, and Alaskan residents, the undersigned groups
represent a wide swath of the state of Alaska. We understand firsthand that Alaskan energy, and oil and
gas in particular, is critical to the well-being of every Alaskan resident and business. It contributes ~90% of
state revenue, represents 1/3 of Alaskan jobs, and constitutes roughly half of the state’s economy. Simply
put, the health of Alaska is intricately tied to development of the state’s energy resources.
It should therefore be no surprise that Alaskans overwhelmingly support energy development, including
offshore in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, which is home to an estimated 23.6 billion barrels of oil, enough
to provide every licensed driver in the West Coast states with nearly 14,000 gallons of gasoline.
Beyond Alaska and the West Coast region, in addition to fueling cars and trucks, this resource helps feed,
clothe, and house hundreds of millions of Americans all across the nation. It is thus also not surprising that,
as reflected in recent public polling, Americans in states as far away as New Hampshire, South Carolina,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Iowa strongly support development of Alaskan energy resources.
Indeed, as a federal advisory committee comprised of industry, academic, NGO, and government
representatives recently concluded in a report requested by U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, new
development of Alaskan energy in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas must begin ramping up now to ensure the
nation’s long-term energy security.
Importantly, Alaska is committed to working with the federal government, the energy industry, and others
to ensure that innovation drives environmental improvement and energy development. However, those
who present a false choice between energy development and a healthy environment and simply seek to
prohibit the ability to access our resources present a position that is as ill-founded as it is unwise. If acted
on, such a stance threatens to drive up energy prices for all Americans, negatively impacting jobs and
slowing our economy.
An 11th-hour effort organized by those opposed to Alaskan offshore development is now underway to force
the revocation of the terms of the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5 lease with Foss Maritime. The signed lease
provides a staging area for exploration equipment over the next two to four years. With the opportunity
associated with the 2015 exploration season just around the corner, and with the country still dependent
on foreign energy imports, Alaskans and citizens across the United States deserve far better than to be held
hostage by extremists’ viewpoints in the state of Washington.
Significantly, the situation at hand is about far more than just energy, with the Port of Seattle having played
a critical role in closely linking the economies of Alaska and Washington State. In that regard, many other
economic powerhouse sectors in the Alaska region that depend on operational certainty and predictability
in the Pacific Northwest, such as the tourism and seafood industries, are also closely monitoring the
ongoing developments and wondering whether their activities at the port might be next on the target list if
anti-development groups are successful in this instance.
We are thus at a critical juncture with regard to both U.S. Arctic exploration and the future state of
economic ties between Alaska and the Seattle area. The response of elected and public officials at all
levels, including state and local, will play a crucial role in determining whether Alaska, the Seattle region,
and the nation at large are able to realize the benefits associated with our abundant energy resources and
historically close ties between Alaska and the Puget Sound region. For the benefit of this and future
generations, it is our sincere hope that officials in Washington State respond with leadership and reason. To
that end, we thank you for your recent vote in support of Foss’ use of Terminal 5 and encourage your
continued support in honoring the terms of the lease agreement.
cc:
Governor Jay Inslee
Washington State House Leadership
Speaker Frank Chopp
Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Jim Moeller
Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Tina Orwall
Majority Leader Rep. Pat Sullivan
Majority Caucus Chair Rep. Eric Pettigrew
Majority Whip Rep. Kevin Van De Wege
Deputy Majority Whip Rep. Marcus Riccelli
Deputy Majority Whip Rep. Cindy Ryu
Majority Floor Leader Rep. Kristine Lytton
Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Larry Springer
Deputy Majority Floor Leader Rep. Steve Bergquist
Deputy Majority Floor Leader Rep. Gael Tarleton
Assistant Majority Whip Rep. Joan McBride
Minority Leader Rep. Dan Kristiansen
Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Joel Kretz
Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Shelly Short
Minority Whip Rep. Paul Harris
Minority Floor Leader Rep. J. T. Wilcox
Minority Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Joe Schmick
Assistant Minority Floor Leader Rep. Matt Shea
Assistant Minority Floor Leader Rep. Matt Manweller
Assistant Minority Whip Rep. Dan Griffey
Assistant Minority Whip Rep. Dave Hayes
Assistant Minority Whip Rep. Lynda Wilson
Washington State Senate Leadership
Lt. Governor Brad Owen, Senate President
Senator Pam Roach, President Pro Tempore
Sen. Sharon Brown, Vice President Pro Tempore
Hunter G. Goodman, Secretary of the Senate
Pablo G. (Paul) Campos, Dep. Senate Secretary
Majority Leader Mark Schoesler
Majority Caucus Chair Linda Evans Parlette
Majority Floor Leader Joe Fain
Majority Whip Ann Rivers
Majority Caucus Deputy Leader John Braun
Majority Caucus Vice Chair Jan Angel
Majority Assistant Floor Leader Jim Honeyford
Majority Assistant Whip Mark Miloscia
Democratic Leader Sharon Nelson
Democratic Caucus Chair Karen Fraser
Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Rosemary McAuliffe
Democratic Deputy Leader Andy Billig
Democratic Floor Leader Christine Rolfes
Democratic Asst. Floor Leader Annette Cleveland
Democratic Whip Cyrus Habib
Democratic Assistant Whip Mark Mullet