I still believe in an all-Alaska natural gas pipeline.
Despite a lot of recent negative talk about a global recession, low natural gas prices, and a super abundance of natural gas prospects in the Lower 48 and elsewhere, an all-Alaska gas line route from the North Slope to Valdez still offers the best long-term opportunity to market our gas throughout the Pacific Rim and develop our own petrochemicals.
TransCanada Alaska's proposal for its Alaska Gasline Inducement Act license included an option to have a liquefied natural gas treatment plant in Valdez.
During last year's special session on that license, the Alaska Gasline Port Authority worked out of my office to gain assurance from the governor's AGIA team that a plan to build an all-Alaska gas pipeline to tidewater should be submitted during the 2010 open season, a chance for gas producers to place bids on shipping gas through a pipeline.
While TransCanada has lowered expectations lately about next year's open season, the Canadian company plans to proceed with it -- with the state's commitment to pay half the costs of doing so.
Rather than sit around, mope, and blame others, let's make the best of it.
The most effective way to move the all-Alaska project forward is for the port authority to follow through and submit a proposal next year. It should include letters of interest from the major companies with whom it has worked recently -- corporations such as Sempra and Mitsubishi.
The port authority has been around for 10 years now and has spent a great deal of time and millions of dollars. Although its key people weren't able to submit an AGIA proposal to Governor Sarah Palin, they still have a chance to show up at next year's open season and fulfill their voter-approved mandate.
Keeping in mind the costs and regulatory hurdles of a massive pipeline project extending thousands of miles from Alaska through Canada, we need to rally behind the port authority to keep an all-Alaska gas pipeline moving forward. And if the folks in that group can't get it done, then they should let us know now and move over so a force of can-do people can muster to assemble a winning proposal by next May's open season.
I still believe in an all-Alaska gas line, and this is the best way now to get one.
And another thing...
Folks may bellyache about summer tourists and RVs on the roads, but the tourism industry in this state needs help.
At the Alaska Travel Industry Association's conference last week in Fairbanks, public officials heard that the state needs to do more for this ailing sector. Business wasn't so brisk last season, according to those whose livelihoods depend on the steady flow of cruise ship passengers and independent travelers. The economy, of course, is in part to blame. But Alaska needs to do more to tout our great state as the best place on earth to visit.
For years, I've sponsored and supported legislation to do just that, be it in the way of getting more funds for marketing or helping the industry adapt to new laws and regulations. We need to step up such efforts in the legislature next January -- not just for the good of tourism, but also for the good of the entire state.
When one of our economic sectors thrives, they all thrive. The good of the many is linked to the good of the one.
John Harris is a Teamster, a fourth-generation Alaskan, and the Republican state representative from House District 12, which includes Chickaloon, Delta Junction, Glennallen, Salcha, Sutton, and Valdez.