FERC Approves TransCanada's Open Season Plan (See Edmonton Journal) Text of President Obama's OCS Speech Commentary: We have provided an editorial on this subject to a national publication and will either display it here if it is not printed or reprint it after publication.  The bottom line is that the President's announcement yesterday has the effect of re-establishing moratoria areas that burden the economy, society and even the environment (as the recent moratoria study demonstrated).  Some areas he purports to include in leasing plans, will really just be put through a [...]

Comment:  Yesterday we appeared on the Dan Fagan (NGP Photo, w/author) radio program (Link coming) to discuss current coastal management, tax, and regulatory issues affecting the survival of Alaska's economy.  While we focused on a number of immediate threats to the economy, I wish we could have had time to throw KUDOS to several legislators who battled for improvement of Alaska's tax structure (like Rep. Craig Johnson) and incentives for providing more gas exploration and storage in Cook Inlet (like Rep. Mike Hawker) and to Governor Sean Parnell NGP (Photo-l) for his leadership [...]

In-State Allies Support Federal Efforts to Impose on Alaska's Economy a "Death by a Thousand Cuts" by Dave Harbour PNA.  Mads Christensen, Nordic executive director for Greenpeace International, called for a moratorium on human activity--except subsistence--throughout vast expanses of the Arctic at a conference in Tromso last month.  He said this restriction would fill a current 'governance gap' in Arctic policy.      Earlier this month we reported that Governor Sean Parnell (NGP Photo) said miners face an uphill battle against federal regulators, and his office is "fighting with everything we've got" against [...]

More Inducements for Alaska Gasline Inducement Act Participants by  Dave Harbour   Article in progress....   Financial Post by Diane Francis.  Imperial Oil and its Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline partners announced last week a postponement of the project for five more years. That gas, and Alaska's, may never be shipped in North America but more likely be bought by Asians then converted into LNG for shipment home. Calgary Herald by Deborah Yedlin.  "One of the lessons from the Mackenzie Valley pipeline is to make sure that the environmental reviews work [...]

Could A Government Sponsored ANS Bullet Line Kill Cook Inlet Private Investment in Gas Exploration and Storage? Alaska Railroad Testimony, 3-25-10 Commentary By Dave Harbour Juneau Empire by Pat Forgery.  Some Alaska legislators are promising big things by developing Alaska's natural gas for use by its citizens, but Gov. Sean Parnell and others are warning that such hopes may be overblown.   Day before yesterday, the Alaska House of Representatives passed two well-intended pieces of natural gas related legislation which could both affect the Alaska Railroad's (ARR) mission and operations.  The [...]

 One asks: If "Tax Certainty" is the most important issue in encouraging construction of a gas pipeline, then what good are all the meetings and all the legislation if tax certainty is not provided?  See stories and David MacDowell video below...and our earlier commentary.  -dh Yesterday, Commonwealth North's president, Joe Beedle introduced Mary Ann Pease (NGP Photo) to brief members on results of its recently published energy report," with help from committee member, Brian Davies.  The report focused greatest attention on residential, business and commercial energy supply and deliverability issues affecting the most populous [...]

Find Full Energy Report Here Commonwealth North will present its recently published energy report, Energy for a Sustainable Alaska: The Railbelt Predicament, this morning from 7-8am in the Hilton Hotel Ballroom in Anchorage. This report addresses the serious concerns over deliverability and production in Southcentral Alaska and the not so convenient truth that our energy security is at great risk. Mary Ann Pease (NGP Photo), Co-chair of the Energy Study Group, will present Commonwealth North's findings and address some of the steps that need to be taken immediately to prepare [...]

ADN by AP.  Gov. Sean Parnell (NGP Photo) says a bill aimed at building an in-state natural gas pipeline quickly is heading in the right direction.  Parnell says he wants to work with Republican Sen. Lesil McGuire (NGP Photo) on her bill to give responsibility for an in-state line to the Alaska Railroad Corp. Alaska Dispatch by Rena Delbridge.  ... there are as many plans as there are people with platforms, especially in an election year, and each leader is as passionate as ever that his or her way is The Way.  ... Former Gov. Bill Sheffield [...]

Commentary: To Solve It's Own Energy Challenges, Anchorage Will End Up Thinking Through Alaska's Overall Energy Challenges by Dave Harbour Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan's (NGP Photo-l) Energy Task Force met yesterday at City Hall to hear an update on a plethora of energy issues competing for attention in the waining weeks of the Alaska Legislature's 2010 session in Juneau. Larry Persily (NGP Photo-r), currently a staff advisor to Representative Mike Hawker (NGP Photo-r, below) briefed Sullivan, Task Force Chairman Judy Brady (NGP Photo-l) and members on a variety of bills, including [...]

Yesterday's Report On Mackenzie Delay. Representative Charisse Millett and Paul Seaton Outline Energy Alternatives Fairbanks News Miner by Joshua Armstrong.  Presentations for state and commercial natural gas pipeline projects were met with concern Monday at the Tanana Chiefs Conference convention.  After state energy adviser Gene Therriault (NGP Photo) and Denali Pipeline representative Rick Solie spoke about their respective projects, they were peppered with questions and strong feelings from Native leaders and convention attendees.  “There’s a lot of promises across the country and across the state about how well (a pipeline) is going to have an effect on [...]