ADN/AP by Dan Joling.  The federal plan for designating more than 187,000 square miles as polar bear critical habitat is too large and will lead to huge, unnecessary costs for Alaska's petroleum industry, opponents of the proposal told the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday night. Your author is attending the last day of a meeting in Ojai of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners, returning tomorrow....

 On March 11, 2010, Governor Sean Parnell (NGP Photo-l) announced he had joined a bipartisan group of governors urging Congress to stop a plan that would give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gases.   This week, Mayor Dan Sullivan (NGP Photo-r) urged his predecessor mayor, Senator Mark Begich, to support Murkowski's resolution and obtained an Assembly resolution to that effect.   Sen. Lisa Murkowski (NGP Photo): Public Deserved Vote on EPA Climate Regulations; Senator Mark Begich (NGP Photo) Voted With Democrat Majority Against Senator Murkowski   WASHINGTON, D.C. – [...]

 ANWR.  1) Here is how to comment before COB today on this issue which is so important to Alaska's oil pipeline and a potential gas pipeline.  2)  Review earlier comments. Tim Bradner (NGP Photo), ADN.  A sense of gloom is spreading through the nation's energy industry from the Gulf of Mexico, and it's touching Alaska. Our confidence that advanced technology can handle any problem, even gushers gone wild at the bottom of the sea, is severely challenged.  ...  Shell's planned 2010 exploration for the Arctic offshore is an immediate casualty [...]

From our friend, Carl Portman (NGP Photo) at Resource Development Council for Alaska, comes this important notice.  Please vote on this important issue by commenting! RDC ACTION ALERT: A reminder that Monday, June 7th is the deadline for submitting comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the planned update of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge¹s (ANWR) Comprehensive Conservation Plan. RDC strongly urges its members to submit comments recommending ANWR's 1002 area be opened to oil and gas exploration and development and that the area not be designated Wilderness. If the area is designated Wilderness, America's most [...]

Commonwealth North Energy Committee Meeting by Dave Harbour On Friday, Commonwealth North’s held its energy meeting--chaired by Mary Ann Pease (NGP Photo-r)--in the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority Conference Room in downtown Anchorage to hear from House Energy Committee Co-Chairs Representative Bryce Edgmon (NGP Photo-l) and Representative Charisse Millett (NGP Photo-l) as well as Senate Energy Committee Chair Senator Lesil McGuire (NGP Photo-r). They reported, in general, on the 2010 Legislative session energy accomplishments along with upcoming energy challenges. Pease opened the meeting with a recollection of an early Commonwealth North [...]

Vancouver Sun by David Finlayson.  The economic benefits of the Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline will far outweigh the cost,and it must move ahead quickly or lose out to the rival Alaska project, Northwest Territories Premier Floyd Roland (Photo: Jimmy Jeong) said Wednesday.  The 1,220-kilometre pipeline from Inuvik to the Alberta border has as much potential to boost the economy as the railways that opened up Canada, and the Hibernia offshore gas field in the East, Roland told Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. ADN by Erika Bolstad.  As President Barack Obama announced [...]

President Obama conducted an effective press conference (at this writing) in that he was well studied on BP and federal government responsibilities and responses.  He was articulate and patiently answered probing questions.  He took on the role of, "the adult in the room".  He set forth a series of lease sale and exploration delays and access withdrawals to OCS areas that could later be viewed as a tragic and unjustified overreaction to the GOM events.  In particular, suspending Shell's Alaska program is illogical, infair and damaging to the state and [...]

 Commentary:  Anyone who has reviewed the University of Alaska and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners studies will realize that Barack Obama's expected action today--combined with other Moratoria actions earlier taken by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar--could further slow America's recovery and endanger national security!  This summer's Alaska exploratory program has successfully overcome huge obstacles...only by the dogged determination of Shell, the expenditure of billions of dollars, survival of a gauntlet of legal challenges and--finally--by the recent approval of federal regulators.  The Alaskan exploration would occur in about 150 feet of water, unlike the [...]

...the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission adopted a resolution, "Acknowledging The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' successful completion of its July 18. 2007 Moratoria Resolution research project." We hope to provide many photos and extended stories tomorrow, as we return to Anchorage.   -dh