Comment: Northern Economics and the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research have quantified the economic effects of Alaska OCS exploration and development programs.  In effect, the economists demonstrated the dangerous economic impacts of government permitting delays.  At a time when the Nation needs economic recovery and Alaska desperately needs predictable Trans Alaska Pipeline throughput, federal government permitting delays are inexcusable.  -dh

ADN by Richard Mauer.  Peter Slaiby (NGP Photo), Shell Alaska’s vice president, said at a news conference in Anchorage that the decision to forgo exploratory drilling off Alaska’s Arctic coast this summer means a loss of about 800 jobs.  Shell’s decision also sets back the day when the company’s offshore production could begin to help refill the trans-Alaska pipeline as output declines from aging North Slope oil fields, Slaiby said — assuming Shell’s exploratory program leads to development. … "In Shell’s global energy view, only urgent and timely action on the permitting and regulatory issues will preserve an offshore Alaska for 2012," Slaiby said.  … Shell’s announcement was followed with sharp rebukes to the EPA by elected Alaska officials, though none addressed the fact that the EPA initially approved the permits.  "This is just another delay resulting from the federal government dragging its feet, killing jobs and making us even more reliant on oil from the Middle East and elsewhere," said Gov. Sean Parnell (NGP Photo-r).  "Shell has spent more than $3 billion and been ready to put Alaskans to work for the last few years but because of an inefficient bureaucracy and an overabundance of unnecessary regulations, they still have not been able to drill a single hole," said U.S. Rep. Don Young (NPG Photo-l), R-Alaska. "Considering how any attempt at project development is shut down by the EPA, they sure aren’t interested in jobs for Alaskans."  

Fargo Valley News Live.  Sen. Mark Begich (NGP Photo-r), D-Alaska, blamed the Obama administration and the EPA.  "Their foot dragging means the loss of another exploration season in Alaska, the loss of nearly 800 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs," Begich said. "That doesn’t count the millions of dollars in contracting that won’t happen either at a time when our economy needs the investment."

The News Tribune.  Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (NGP Photo) said actions taken by the Obama administration will result in higher gasoline prices and a loss of jobs and revenue.  "We talk a lot about the economy, but rarely do our actions match our rhetoric," she said. "That’s unfortunate."