The U.S. needs a better strategy to coordinate and prioritize its policies related to the Arctic region, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study out today that was released by Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), John Garamendi (CA-03) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK). The GAO study focused on U.S. participation in the Arctic Council, a voluntary body started… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, released the following statement after the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) voted to approve the final report on the 2010 Tesoro refinery explosion in Anacortes that killed seven employees. “Completing the investigation into the tragic refinery explosion is a critical step in providing the Anacortes community with needed closure and in allowing the industry… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, told a Congressional committee today that the renewal of the Columbia River Treaty should benefit Northwest Washington residents. In statement submitted to the House Natural Resources Committee for their field hearing on the treaty in Pasco, Larsen wrote, “The Columbia River does not reach my district, but it has far-reaching effects on my constituents. It… Read more »

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Warns the Energy Department that Decisions Affecting Northwest Energy Supplies Must be Made in the Northwest Every lawmaker representing Oregon, Washington and Idaho urged the U.S. Energy Department to maintain an independent Bonneville Power Administration that puts Northwest power users first, in a bipartisan letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz sent… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today announced a $38.4 million federal loan to modernize the electric grid in the San Juan Islands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture loan to Orcas Power and Light Cooperative includes more than $24 million in funding for smart grid projects which will increase efficiency and reliability of electricity service for San Juan Island residents. "This loan is a… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today hailed an agreement that will secure more than 600 jobs at Alcoa Intalco Works in Whatcom County. Larsen has worked closely for over a decade with negotiators between Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and Alcoa to secure the new 10-year power agreement for the Ferndale plant. “A decade’s worth of work has turned into another decade of job… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, and Rep. Frank LoBiondo, today called on the administration to protect American jobs in the event that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is tapped to alleviate pressure on oil prices. Larsen, the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, and LoBiondo, the chairman of that subcommittee, told top administration officials that… Read more »