For a state so large that 420 Rhode Islands can fit inside it, and so wide that both America’s westernmost and easternmost points are found within it (see if you can figure that one out), it’s awfully easy sometimes to forget the massive contribution that Alaska makes to continued health and economic well being of the United States.

Maybe it’s the fact that 30 percent of the state resides above the Arctic Circle, or that only 683,000 people occupy a land of 665,000 square miles. But for far too long, far too many Lower 48’ers have known far too little about the fundamental role that Alaska plays in heating our homes, fueling our cars, and more generally, enriching our lives. And the tragedy of it all? Thirty-two years and 15 billion barrels since the first shipments of Alaskan oil arrived on the U.S. mainland, the state and its people have so much more to give.

So much more, that is, if we let them. Unfortunately, even as the vast majority of Alaskans support the responsible exploration for and development of their homegrown energy resources, courts and congressmen in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere have acted forcefully and creatively to deny full and fair access to the billions of barrels of American oil and trillions of cubic feet of American natural gas that consumers need to raise their standards of living, and improve their quality of life.

The state flower of Alaska is the Forget-Me-Not, and on this site it’s a command we intend to follow with care. Along the way, we hope to educate our friends, foes, and casual onlookers alike about the critical link between responsibly developing Alaska’s natural resources, and the growing our economy in a way that puts Americans back to work, and stands as a bulwark against the encroachment of our reliance on foreign energy. All while protecting our environment and reducing our footprint.

To do that, we’ve included a library section capturing the latest and greatest studies, research papers and fact sheets on Alaska’s energy potential, along with a news and views section that brings together some of the perspectives on these issues that are informing the policy debate across the country. It’s a debate in which we hope you will participate, and one this new online platform seeks to facilitate.

Welcome to “What About Alaska?”. Welcome to the future of American energy.