FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12th, 2011

Contact:

Randy Ruedrich

raraep@gci.net

Anchorage, Alaska—Anchorage, Alaska – The Alaska Republican Party’s executive committee passed a resolution supporting Governor Sean Parnell’s proposal to lower oil taxes by passing House Bill 110 this legislative session.

The resolution points out clear facts showing steady decline in oil throughput in the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline System (TAPS). The most disturbing statistic is an almost 9% decrease from overall through-put in TAPS from calendar year 2009 compared to 2010.

“Alaska’s economy depends on oil production,” said Randy Ruedrich, chairman of the Alaska Republican Party. “President Obama has done enough to destroy the potential for domestic energy production on federal lands, we need to step up and make state lands attractive to the oil industry for the future of our families and the life we love in Alaska.”

The most recent scare was testimony from Alyeska Pipeline Company’s CEO who described the temperature of the oil as the newest, and possibly unforeseen, problem. The January shutdown led to oil turning into a chapstick-like substance, which demands heating to be able to flow through the pipeline.

Without significant investment in heating oil at pump stations along the line, a permanent shutdown of TAPS may happen sooner than expected.

“We congratulate Governor Parnell for setting a reasonable goal of having one million barrels of oil flowing through TAPS in ten years,” Ruedrich said. “We are listening to the majority of Alaskans who share this goal and will work with the Governor to achieve economic prosperity for the residents of our great state.”

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Date: 4/12/2010