Is Alaska Flirting With The Last Gas Pipe Straw?

Competition Perspectives: Part IV (Part IPart IIPart III)

by 

Dave Harbour

​(Read More)


John Hofmeister, energy policy, Shell, Oxford Club, Photo by Dave Harbour

Our friend, John Hofmeister (NGP Photo), former Shell President, offered this "quotable quote" on the energy situation during his interview with the Oxford Club's Energy and Infrastructure Strategist Dave Fessler:

 

Please Consider Testifying TodayFriday, March 14 on HB 77: Improve Alaska's Permitting Efficiency (We at NGP believe this is one rather small but important way citizens can improve Alaska's investment climate–rather than our usual challenge to fight off additional investment climate attacks!  -dh)

Our friends at the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce are encouraging citizens to testify in support of  House Bill 77 during the Senate Resources Committee meeting tomorrow. The Chamber's Board of Directors has adopted, as one of the Chamber's 2014 legislative priorities, to increase responsible resource development through the permitting process.  (Read More Here)

"…if we keep the current level of government, where we have the executive branch with 13 agencies governing energy, plus the White House, 26 Congressional committees and subcommittees in Congress, both the Senate and the House, 800 federal judges, 50 states, 50 state governors, 50 state legislatures, 50 state court systems. Then you get to the municipalities and the counties of the country. You have thousands and thousands of governmental units that are fragmenting what it is that the energy industry is trying to do to bring molecules and electrons to the American people for their use. And that governance is so fragmented it can't work."


Is Alaska Flirting With The Last Gas Pipe Straw?

Competition Perspectives: Part IV (Part IPart IIPart III)

by 

Dave Harbour

Earlier this week, the folks at Alaska Public Media reminded us that the republican-led Legislature is dealing with another dimension of gas pipeline competition, an added cost: legislated labor rates.

More coming…!

 


Please Consider Testifying TODAY, Friday, March 14 on HB 77: Improve Alaska's Permitting Efficiency (We at NGP believe this is one rather small but important way citizens can improve Alaska's investment climate–rather than our usual challenge to fight off additional investment climate attacks!  -dh)

Our friends at the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce are encouraging citizens to testify in support of  House Bill 77 during the Senate Resources Committee meeting tomorrow. The Chamber's Board of Directors has adopted, as one of the Chamber's 2014 legislative priorities, to increase responsible resource development through the permitting process.

Friday, March 14

Senate Resources – 3:30pm

CSHB 77 – Land Use/Disp/Exchanges; Water Rights 

PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Fairbanks Legislative Information Office
1292 Sadler Way, Suite 308
*You must go to your local LIO to testify
 
Comments will be limited to 2 minutes. 
 
You can also send your comments to Senator Cathy Giessel, Chair of the Senate Resources Committee. 
 
OVERVIEW: CSHB 77 is an omnibus bill that seeks to improve the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) timeliness and efficiency in issuing land and water use authorizations. The bill focuses on agency process and does not seek changes in environmental standards or laws protecting fish and wildlife habitat. Nor does the bill make changes to the law governing water rights.

The CS includes changes that limit DNR's authority to issue a general permit, define the process for issuing a general permit to include public comment, allows individuals, tribes and others to be able to apply for water reservations, but clarifies that the certificate will be issued to an appropriate state agency rather than a person. In times of declining budgets, general permits are an appropriate tool to efficiently authorize routine activities such as mooring buoys. 

The bill allows "persons" to apply for instream flow reservations, but if granted the in stream flow certificates are held by a State agency. CSHB 77 solves the problems with the current system, which focuses on who gets paperwork in first. For large projects that are multiple years in the planning, the decision on how to withdraw water, protect the fish, and promote economic development should be made with all the data, and with an understanding of all the environmental and social effects. It should not be based on who gets their paperwork in first. But, recent court decisions and environmental groups' legal claims are making it a paperwork race.

DNR has received over 300 applications for an instream flow reservation. The vast majority are from public agencies. In contrast to the almost 300 agency applications, the state has received 34 applications from other groups. Of the 34 applications, over 85% were from groups opposed to a development project. Their purpose is at least partially to use the application to change or stop the agency permitting process.

Decisions about these projects should be made by Alaskans through their government – not by environmental groups, nor even by individual Alaskans. CSHB 77 solves the problem with the current instream flow permitting system with minimal changes, and does not affect public notice or any other part of the process.

Talking Points to Consider in your Testimony: 

  • This bill will help cut the red tape and put Alaskans back to work.    
  • The bill improves efficiencies in the issuance of General Permits, diminishes the chronic backlog in permitting, results in cost savings to the state, while protecting the environment.    
  • CSHB77 diminishes the ability of ENGOs to abuse the system and stop projects.  
  • This bill will help cut the red tape and put Alaskans back to work.   
  • CSHB77 implements changes that will provide certainty and timely response to Alaskans that obtain permits, while maintaining efficiently run state agencies.  In these times of trimming the state budget, ensuring that state agencies are able to efficiently issue and manage permits, thus keeping down the cost and time expended, is crucial    
  • CSHB77 provides for the issuance of general permits, so that minor projects can be permitted practically.  Section 1 of HB77 makes it clear there is a requirement for public notice and provides opportunity for public input on any general permit.  General permits would cover activities that are already authorized for permit under existing statute.  General permits are not unprecedented; in fact, they are widely used by federal agencies.    
  • CSHB77 requires that appeals to sales, leases, and land disposals can be done only by those who are directly and negatively impacted by the decision.  This brings accountability to the appeals process, ensuring that appeals must be brought only when a directly involved stakeholder is adversely affected by a decision, rather than a special interest attempting to block permits    
  • Thanks to special appropriations by the legislature, DNR is making positive progress on a tremendous permit application backlog.  Extra funding helps address the backlog symptom, but efficiency measures in CSHB77 help address the cause of the backlog.
  • CSHB77 ensures that Alaska's water resources are managed by those who are best equipped to do so – agency staff with science-based expertise.

Additional Information & Talking Points: