I addressed the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. board as a member of the public for the second consecutive time the other week. Nice folks, though a rather smug bunch. The big news was that BP Alaska had just released its natural gas in a "binding" agreement. That's right, binding! No mention that the underpinning Alaska-China LNG deal is still non-binding. Go figure.
Optimism reigned at AGDC. They had no doubt the other two producers, after milking the state for all they can get, will soon release their gas and get on board. I felt their remarks were rather disingenuous, if not insulting.
Our natural gas does not have an expiration date. It will burn just as clean and warm 50 years from now. When economic and market conditions are right, we will not have to lobby, cajole or arm-twist the producers to join Alaska in developing this project. Reputable, free-world expertise, untainted by rampant human-rights abuses and corruption, will be ready to move. Meanwhile, why the governor allows this quixotic, compromising and embarrassing AGDC deal with China to play out is beyond me.
William M. Cox
Anchorage