Natural gas pipeline project moves forward: Gas Pipeline adn.com
To hear tell from TCPL's Tony Palmer and Alaska Governor Sean Parnell, a "significant milestone" has been passed in the construction of an Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline, with the ending of TC's Open Season, where bids were solicited from potential shippers on the pipeline. According to Palmer, they've recieved bids for "significant volumes."
Mind you, the project remains something of a political football, with Parnell's political opponent Bill Walker taking shots at the announcement and further criticizing the parties for failing to release the bids to the public.
I seriously doubt that releasing those bids would change much anyway. Most are anticipated to be conditional on establishing more "fiscal certainty" with the State of Alaska on royalties and taxes, so that just opens a different political can of worms. However, the odds are pretty good that since bids are in, the government can quietly start discussing terms with the shippers in conjunction with the pipeline proponents.
Denali's Open Season closes on October 4, and it will be interesting to hear the announcements that come in the wake of THAT.
It seems like a delicate situation at this juncture. I'm all for transparency; I'm just afraid that over-politicization of this right now will kill it. Maybe I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Walker can bloviate all he wants, and it will go a long way to ingratiate him with those who can't stand the idea of building a pipeline into Canada. But trying to get a company to divulge trade secrets to satisy a political agenda is more than a little self-serving.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is, politicians will latch on to anything they think can help them stand out to the crowd, and I can understand why the pipeline project brings out the worst; there's serious money and jobs, so of COURSE it becomes an issue.