Entries in Capital Focus for June, 2008
Cards on the table
Want to know more about the Denali gas line plan? So do some Anchorage lawmakers.
In-state gas
One of the side-stories to Wednesday’s Judiciary committee was the suggestion that the state’s reduced production tax rate for in-state gas is illegal. Losing it could make “cheap gas” even less likely, so here’s a closer look.
Hickel and NPV
Bit of a surprise this morning with the arrival of former Gov. Wally Hickel. He wasn’t on the schedule, but was given a chance to make his case. His case? Forget TransCanada.
Point Thomson
Today’s talk in Anchorage is all about Point Thomson, the big North Slope unit that holds a bunch of oil and natural gas.
Hearings at HoJo’s and Denali prefiling
Lawmakers are in Anchorage this morning to study the TransCanada proposal. We’re all at a conference room in the downtown Howard Johnson’s, which isn’t bad but isn’t the most glamorous either. The floor shakes whenever anyone walks through.
Cheap gas, part 2
A few days ago, I questioned whether Fairbanks would ever see “cheap gas.” Here’s an update.
Gas line briefings
Gov. Palin is restarting her weekly gas line briefings and will continue them through the rest of the special session on TransCanada’s proposal.
Vice President Palin?
Is Gov. Palin trying to get herself on the national ticket with Republican candidate John McCain? No, but others sure are.
Not just NPV and BCF
Rep. Sharon Cissna is hosting a discussion tomorrow in Fairbanks about some of the other hurdles of building the natural gas pipeline, specifically, the social, health and economic impacts of it.
AGPA takes new tack
The port authority’s project manager, Bill Walker, just spent the morning in Fairbanks talking up the “all-Alaska” project before state lawmakers. It wasn’t clear if he was protesting the administration’s analysis of LNG, trying to pull down TransCanada’s application, or something else.
Carlson Center hearings begin
By this reporter's count, 43 residents were attending a hearing at the Carlson Center late Thursday morning on natural gas pipeline options. That number matched, almost exactly, the number of state lawmakers there.
(For comparison, there were over 70 real estate agents and housing professionals in the conference room ...
BP and Conoco appoint pipeline head
While TransCanada waits for a green light from state lawmakers, North Slope producers BP and ConocoPhillips are moving ahead with their own, competing natural gas pipeline.
Sleeping through the hearings
The youngest person keeping track of the TransCanada hearings is probably Trig Paxson Van Palin.
Producers, independents, and the FERC
This one’s kind of complex, but really important, so here goes.
The jobs issue
One of the subjects that came up yesterday was one near and dear to Alaskans -- jobs.
Making a deal
The idea isn’t new, but Dan Dickinson probably explained for the first time in real lay terms how TransCanada and the producers might work out a deal.
Dickinson urges yes vote
Dan Dickinson, a consultant hired by the Legislature, just surprised a few of us here in Juneau by urging a yes vote on TransCanada.
Samuels announces retirement
Rep. Ralph Samuels, a Republican from Anchorage and the current majority leader, announced Thursday he will not seek reelection to the Alaska Legislature.
A look at the numbers
Want to know how the Alaska pipeline project would affect TransCanada's balance books? Ask Lesa Adair.
Can TransCanada pull it off?
Another legislative consultant tackles the question.
Kicking it off
Dozens of lawmakers, a handful of consultants, and a giant projection screen.