AK Legislators Introduce Bill To Dump Palin Pipeline Proposal

[hatrack]

JUNEAU -- Alaska lawmakers introduced legislation Friday to abandon a centerpiece of former Gov. Sarah Palin's administration: a state-sanctioned effort to advance a major natural gas pipeline.

The measure sponsored by at least five Republican representatives underscored the impatience and skepticism that many lawmakers have expressed about the current process and a belief the state is no closer than it was several years ago to realizing the long-hoped-for line.

It sets up a potential political battle with House Democrats and Palin's successor, Republican Gov. Sean Parnell. Both have expressed support for seeing the process now under way through.

If the legislation succeeds, it was not clear how Alaska would commercialize its prodigious North Slope gas. The pipeline had been seen as a way to help shore up revenue amid declining oil production, create jobs and provide more reliable, affordable energy to Alaskans. The measure Friday was the first such introduced by the Legislature. It was not immediately clear how lawmakers would vote.

EDIT

http://www.adn.com/2011/02/04/1684449/alaska-lawmakers-propose-ditching.html

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Republicans here never really cared for AGIA,

nor did some Democrats (including me). Sarah was not popular with her own party when she was governor.

A lot of Alaskans would prefer an in-state gas line which would take care of our own needs rather than shipping the gas down to Alberta for tar-sand oil extraction.

[leveymg]

2. Palin's "pipeline to nowhere" leads to China.

That is the ultimate export destination for most of the petroleum slurry that Alaskan natural gas was going to cook out of the ground in Alberta.

Sarah committed half a billion Alaskan taxpayer dollars to a scheme that was to primarily benefit Chinese companies that burn heavy oil in industrial boilers. Way to go Momma Bear - a real Patriot.