Anchorage readers can attend a rally-luncheon today aimed at improvement of Alaska’s investment climate. Almost 1,000 citizens are already registered Information here! Scroll down to read our stories over the last few days.
Calgary Herald by Dave Cooper. …it is no secret the oilsands are a growing contributor to provincial coffers…CERI paints a picture of declining production and royalties from Alberta’s natural gas industry for the rest of the decade, but sharply rising oilsands royalties…. (Alaska State Officials Take Note: When Alberta increased its royalty take, revenue declined; when it reduced its royalty take, the investment climate improved and revenues increased. -dh)
Commentary. While the Alaska House of Representatives is poised to pass investment climate improvement legislation, Alaska’s State Senate is like a doubting Thomas who can only learn from hard-won personal experience–a doubting Thomas who has no faith in the free market, who only believes in government controls. -dh * ADN by Sean Cockerham. Senate leaders said Tuesday the governor has failed to sell his plan to cut oil taxes by billions of dollars, and they’re not interested in taking the gamble that it’s going to lead to more drilling. "It does seem to me like the administration has not done a particularly good job of defending its bill. They have not explained the repercussions of the bill. They have not been able to delineate specifically the advantages that we get if we do away with those taxes," said Senate President Gary Stevens (NGP Photo).
On the Federal Investment Climate Front:
The feds have placed a deadline of March 31 on commenting about its proposed 2012-2017 leasing program. Readers may click here to the Consumer Energy Alliance website for a 10 second, painless way to comment. * Our good reader, Richard Berkowitz, sent us this NYT link, by William Yardley. Yet nothing seems to generate more legal work here than Alaska’s wildlife. The more federal protections for wildlife there are, the harder it can be for the state to develop natural resources. And while the Parnell administration has attacked the growth of the federal government, it has grown a bit itself in fighting back. It recently created a new position for a lawyer who deals specifically with issues involving the Endangered Species Act.
drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and open new areas for future leasing and development drew praise from industry groups but garnered early jeers from Democrats and environmental groups. * Los Angeles Times Blog: Gas prices spur move to open offshore drilling in California, Alaska, East Coast. With high gas prices once again becoming a high-octane political issue, House Republicans on Tuesday launched a drive to open up more coastal areas to oil drilling, including a stretch off Southern California. * Commentary: Our U.S. House of Representatives hero is Eastern Washington State’s Doc Hastings (NGP Photo). Hastings is Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and held a press conference yesterday to announce the introduction of 3 bills related to offshore energy. 
Leave A Comment