Therriault to leave Alaska Senate for state energy job
Originally published Friday, August 21, 2009 at 2:54 p.m.
Updated Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 12:00 a.m.
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Republican Sen. Gene Therriault of North Pole is leaving his Senate seat in mid-September to become a senior policy adviser on Alaska energy issues to Gov. Sean Parnell.
Therriault said the decision was not one he made lightly and that he’s excited to focus completely on helping urge action on pressing energy issues.
“I look forward to working with Gov. Parnell as he evaluates alternative energy options that will restore predictability and affordability to the price Alaskans pay for energy,” Therriault said in a prepared statement announcing the move.
Parnell, who was sworn into office July 26, cited Therriault’s 17 years of experience in the Legislature and breadth of knowledge as reasons for the selection.
“I am pleased Sen. Therriault has agreed to take a new position to benefit the people of Alaska,” Parnell said in a statement. “Specifically, I am asking Sen. Therriault to help us achieve success in bringing more of Alaska’s energy resources — of all kinds — to Alaskan homes and businesses.”
Therriault will work out of Fairbanks, with frequent travel to Anchorage, visits to rural villages and much of the session spent in Juneau. He said he does not have plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2010 and his focus is on helping the administration succeed in energy matters.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the time in the Legislature,” he said. “This is just stepping across into the executive branch.”
Therriault spent 12 years on the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee. As its chairman in 2006, he led the Legislature in preparing sweeping changes to the state’s oil and gas tax. He has attended national and international energy conferences and was recently nominated to attend the Energy Horizon Institute, an 18-month program educating leaders about North American energy issues.
His focus will be on Alaska energy, including oil, gas and renewables. He said the job will largely be as a coordinator between state efforts, federal assistance and private sector commitment.
“We’ve got no shortage of efforts,” Therriault said. “We can’t necessarily advance them all at the same time.”
Therriault is a lifelong Alaskan. He and his wife Jo have raised two children in North Pole. Therriault received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1983.
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Therriault must think Parnell is getting "elected" soon . I bet not.
Quiting seems to catching among the R's.
I wonder who will be next, Don whats his name?
Does he have a Twitter account yet?
Dang, He will be hard to replace, I hope we don't get some Left wing socialist obamanista in there.
This is one huge loss and voice for Interior Alaska. Ouch. I wish Senator Therriault well...he is probably more well versed in Alaska energy than anyone so I'm confident he will do well in his new role.
He's there to figure out the TransCanada hurried mess........bet we've lost that 500 mil.
Congratulations Gene, good luck on the natural gas issue. You've inherited a mess.
The only incumbent I have voted for in probably 20 years. Very sad.
So what does Therriault know about energy? Big picture, that is. Stuff besides North Slope crude. Bending over for Flint Hills doesn't make him an expert on anything.
You'd be amazed what can be learned both by sitting through endless committee meetings, by meeting with, traveling and reading about the energy industry. It's a lot like a continual college education, but also there is travel to see industries close up. Combine it with a lump of common sense, which Gene has plenty of and you'd be astounded at the depth of understanding that can be acquired.
Furthermore with some ethical behavior and keeping some humility about you - you'd be amazed. Gene, I'm sure has empathy for minority opinions having lived and breathed it for a number of years- I count myself in the minority in terms of where the state has been headed on energy of all types. However, knowing Gene I'm hopeful for an open mind and good advice to our governor.
If Governor Parnell gets good advice, which moves the state forward instead of in the doldrums we've recently experienced, I'm certain that he'll have a good shot a remaining where he is. I wish them many blessings, because if they're blessed in make this state get moving - so are we.
I've watch folks as different as Brian Rogers and Pete Kelly bloom during and after their tenure in the legislature. They learned a lot while working there and it is demonstrable. My expectation for Gene is no less.
Weazelllllllll
Congratulations Gene!
You have the greatest knowledge of anyone I met in the senate about Alaskan Energy issues. The state will be well served by you.
One hopeful Alaskan.
Therriault and I never came close to agreeing on issues of individual libertty, but he was about the best we had where watching our nest egg of oil and gas reserves were concerned.
And Parnell's a former oily himself, allegedly with strong ties to his roots.
When the legislature was preparing to rubber-stamp Murkie's give-aways to the primary producers, Gene actually did his homework, and, from what I recall, correctly concluded that we were already getting taken for a ride, and about to be taken for an even longer one.
He dug his heels in, and applied noteworthy pressure to a couple of pro-Murkowski legislators from the Interior delegation, reportedly causing them to seriously reconsider their support for Murkie's 'resource buffet.'
It makes me nervous that he's not going to be voting on the floor, or applying common sense toward others lacking in it, even from behind the scenes, when these issues again surface. And they will resurface.
As a member of Parnell's staff, he can be ignored, patronized, or placated. As a voting legislator in these matters, he had direct influence. Moving him out of the 'game' makes the State's back-bone weaker in dealing with corporations that typically send -teams- of negotiators and lawyers to do their business. And they're not always the most forthright folks on the planet.
This doesn't smell good to me.
Yeah another bozo to keep Alaska from entering the 21st century by saying no to renewable energy.
Is this a "position" created for Therriault???? Where's the money coming from?? How much will he be paid????? ALL State employees salary is public information. Why did the News-Minus fail to mention this. Also, how about Pete Kelly and the "new" job he was offered? Seems like Parnell is planning some future "move". I have never liked Kelly and this could cost Parnell my vote in next election.
Here is a great Letter to the Editor regarding what Sean and Gene can do for us for a change. MY real feeling is that Gene needed more money that the Legislature paid and is preparing to be Lt. Governor. The last thing he wants to do is kill the Rich North Pole Refiney or JefF Cook of Kansas based Flint Hills:
Dear Editor,
Alaskans are rightly concerned about why our fuel prices remain the highest in the nation, even though we are the nation's largest oil producer. Three separate investigations have shown that our high prices are caused by abnormally high markups charged by Alaska's two major oil refineries. The attorney general concluded that there is no real competition between the two out-of-state owned refineries.
That is why I have introduced legislation to prohibit refineries from charging excessive or exorbitant prices, and create an objective threshold over which refiners would have to show their prices to be justified.
Jeff Cook of Kansas-based Flint Hills Resources, owner of the North Pole refinery, insinuates that outlawing excessive or exorbitant prices would threaten his employer's viability. My bill would only prohibit excessive or exorbitant prices. If, as Mr. Cook claims, Flint Hills' prices are reasonable then they would be perfectly legal under my bill, so any notion that banning excessive prices would put them out of business is simply absurd.
Alaska has a unique constitutional duty to ensure that our natural resources are used to the maximum benefit of the Alaskan people. I do not believe it is in the maximum benefit for Alaskans and Alaskan businesses to be charged the highest prices in the nation for fuel made from Alaskan oil, and I will continue to fight for lower fuel prices.
-- Rep. Pete Petersen
East Anchorage
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