E&E News (2/26, subs. req’d) reports, “Sen. Lisa Murkowski (NGP Photo) will introduce legislation next week barring the president from creating or expanding any national monuments in Alaska without first obtaining congressional approval. … "Sixty percent of land in Alaska — some 220 million acres — is already under federal control, large swaths of which are protected as monuments, parks and wilderness," said Murkowski spokesman Robert Dillon. "That makes it exceedingly difficult for the state to realize its full economic potential."

ADN by Lisa Demer.   Twenty-one Alaska lawmakers, including half the state Senate, are heading to Washington, D.C., this week for an energy conference that some go to year after year.  …  Five Canadian provinces and the nation of Venezuela also belong to The Energy Council. The 35-year-old organization is based in Dallas….  A 12th state, North Dakota, is joining this year.  Texas, the most populous state in the group, probably is sending about a half dozen lawmakers, Executive Director Lori Cameron said.  Alaska lawmakers who go to Washington say the trip is well worth it because of the chance to learn about new technologies and trends, and to air Alaska issues face-to-face with top federal energy officials and members of Congress.  "They told us three years ago that Arctic gas projects were in trouble," said state Rep. Jay Ramras (NGP Photo)….

National Post by Scott Haggart.  TransCanada Corp. posted a fourth-quarter profit that was up 38% but missed market expectations as it spent more to advance its Alaska pipeline project and power prices dropped.  …  The company said its profit rose on higher earnings from its gas storage business and improved prices for Bruce’s electricity, offsetting increased spending to push its Alaska pipeline project forward and lower power prices in Western Canada and the United States.  It also had 14% more shares out in the quarter, compared with the year-prior period, after issuing stock to pay for its slate of new projects.  Fourth-quarter revenue fell 5% to $2.21-billion.  TransCanada this year filed an open-season plan with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its Alaska pipeline project in partnership with Exxon Mobil Corp. The open season is a period when would-be customers can commit to shipping gas on the line, which would cost between US$32-billion and US$41-billion.  (See our TransCanada story of last Friday. -dh)