The 49th state in the Union is marked by its uniqueness. Alaska is the largest of all 50 states. It is the only state where the sun doesn't set in summer and doesn't rise far above the horizon in the winter. It contains some of America's largest oil and natural gas deposits, many of which remain untapped. And its residents could be more affected by the Waxman-Markey climate bill than many other U.S. citizens.

As I've mentioned numerous times in this blog, the Waxman-Markey bill could sharply raise energy costs and kill jobs, according to studies. In Alaska, it also could have a severe impact on the purchasing power of each household, lowering it by as much as $3,890 a year by 2030.

To put that into perspective, that's about $325 a month out of the pockets of hard-working Americans who are... more »

Did you know that the laws of supply and demand have a huge impact on energy costs?

As the Associated Press reported on Aug. 27, the price of natural gas fell to its lowest level in seven years last week after the Energy Information Administration reported that underground storage areas are filling up. In trading last Thursday, natural gas prices dropped to as low as $2.692 per 1,000 cubic feet--the lowest price since August 7, 2002.

The cause: Manufacturers have been cutting back their production and reducing their consumption of natural gas. It's Econ 101--ample supplies and low demand tend to put downward pressure on prices.

The recession has had a similar impact on gasoline prices. Last week the price of gasoline was more than $1.00 cheaper than at the same time last year.

If you ever want to see democracy in action, attend an Energy Citizens rally for jobs and affordable energy. Thursday, at the rally in Tampa, Florida, 175 people of all ages came together in hopes of sending a message to their elected officials in Tallahassee and Washington.

"Why are you here?" I asked several people as they entered the Old Ritz Theater in Tampa's Ybor City neighborhood.

The responses varied greatly from, "I'm here for my kids and grandkids," and "I'm a Marine and my father fought in World War II," to "We have to take action to save America." Some were members of Glen Beck's 9-12 organization that's planning a massive march in Washington.

Others were involved in the Tea Party movement. Some were hoping to convince Florida state officials to extend the state boundary fa... more »

Some online discussion has emerged from bloggers who recently toured the ConocoPhillips and Syncrude oil sands operations in Alberta, Canada.

In one post, Brian Westenhaus of New Energy and Fuel says:

The Oil Drum's Gail Tverberg provides some additional thoughts on Canadian oil:

And in a newsletter to readers, Byron King of Whiskey and Gunpowder talks about Syncrude's advanced production technology:

When she was asked why she decided to attend the Energy Citizens rally in Nashville, the woman in the white sweater said simply, "passion." And Tonya Jones' passion showed when she got onto the stage and explained that she is a small business owner who can't afford the provisions in the House-passed climate bill.

She wasn't alone. As the audience of 325 people listened respectfully, similar warnings were issued by speakers from the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau. They agreed that the U.S. Senate should scrap the Waxman-Markey bill and start over.

The sentiment was matched at rallies in Greeley, Colo., and Elkhart, Ind. About 700-800 people attended the rally in Greeley, and an estimated 200 people were at the Elkhart event where job retention and affordable ene... more »