Alaska task force to hold gas line hearings

Feb. 5, 2001
Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles has named a 28-person task force to consider construction of a gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay field to the Lower 48 states via the Alaska Highway route. The Governor's Alaska Highway Natural Gas Policy Council includes former and current state and municipal officials, civic leaders, and business leaders.


HOUSTON, Feb. 5�Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles has named a 28-person task force to consider construction of a gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay field to the Lower 48 states via the Alaska Highway route.

The Governor's Alaska Highway Natural Gas Policy Council includes former and current state and municipal officials, civic leaders, and business leaders.

Knowles created the council Jan. 26 with an administrative order. It will help him and the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline Cabinet determine how the state can promote the pipeline project.

Retired ARCO Alaska Inc. Senior Vice-Pres. Frank Brown, of Anchorage, and Jim Sampson, executive director of the AFL-CIO in Alaska and a former mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, will co-chair the panel.

Knowles said, "Commercialization of North Slope natural gas via the gas line project is the biggest economic opportunity to come to Alaska in years. Taking full advantage of this opportunity won't be easy, though, and that's why we need a broad-based, diverse group of Alaskans to work through the many issues that have to be addressed."

The governor asked the council to hold statewide meetings to obtain the views of Alaskans. It is due to make recommendations by Nov. 30 that the state could incorporate into gas line legislation and project development.

The council will consider how the line could benefit Alaska communities; how to attract investment for in-state gas processing; whether to take the state's royalty share of the gas or sell it in Lower 48 markets; options for gas-to-liquids, liquefied natural gas, and natural gas liquids projects; state demand for gas; environmental issues; the impact on the Alaskan labor market; and potential ownership by the state of some or all of a pipeline project.

Knowles recently created an Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline Cabinet and directed state agencies to develop one-stop permitting and right-of-way preparation.

He also proposed legislation that amends the "stranded gas" legislation passed in 1998 to facilitate an Alaska Highway gas pipeline or a gas-to-liquids project.