Senator Lesil McGuire explores the role of subnational jurisdictions in the exploration and development of energy resources in the U.S. and Canadian Arctic in a special keynote address given at the 2010 Arctic Gas Symposium.

Developing Locally Means Thinking Regionally: Exploring the Role of Subnational Jurisdictions in the Exploration and Development of Energy Resources in the U.S. and Canadian Arctic

Senator Lesil McGuire Alaska State Legislature United States

The development of the stranded natural gas reserves in the U.S. and Canadian arctic has been a regional policy priority for decades. Senator McGuire provides a general overview of state and territorial governments and the U.S. and Canadian development processes and a specific exploration of the role multilateral government-sponsored organizations play in facilitating the development of arctic energy resources.

LESIL MCGUIRE If a single word can reflect the public policy philosophy of Senator Lesil McGuire, it is “Energy.” She recently served as Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Energy, Co-Chair of the Senate Resources Committee and Chair of the Senate Special Committee on World Trade, Technology and Innovations. This legislative session, the Anchorage lawmaker is a member of the Senate Finance and Senate Resources Committees.  Senator McGuire has also served as Chair of the Council of State Governments-WEST (CSG-WEST) and as President of Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER). As President of PNWER, she worked to create the Arctic Caucus, which provides a forum for the Arctic jurisdictions of Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories to share information, discuss issues of mutual concern, identify planning and policy gaps, and identify areas for collaboration