Arctic Power Sees Conflict With Saudi Arabia, Drops PR Firm

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Arctic Power, a lobbying organization that promotes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, has ended its $4-million account with Qorvis Communication reports PR trade publication O'Dwyer's PR Daily. Arctic Power says there is a conflict of interest since Qorvis also is working for Saudi Arabia. One of Arctic Power's key arguments for opening ANWR to oil drilling is that it would reduce US dependence on foreign oil, particularly Middle-Eastern oil. The US is Saudi Arabia's second top export market. Although Arctic Power calls itself a grassroots organization, it received $1.75 million from the state of Alaska last year for its ANWR lobbying work. The Alaska legislature allocated another $1 million for Arctic Power this year. The oil industry also funds Arctic Power. Anchorage Daily News reported last year that BP contributes $50,000 a year to Arctic Power. American Prospect writes that there is no guarantee that oil from ANWR would even stay in the US, since the oil industry managed in 1995 to remove a ban on selling Alaskan crude oil internationally.