The publisher that released “Sarah takes on Big Oil” is offering purchasers of the hardcover book a free online subscription to its weekly newspaper, Petroleum News, so that readers can monitor Gov. Sarah Palin’s performance in her next two years as Alaska’s chief executive.
“Gov. Palin has indicated she plans to return to the national political stage. One critical national issue that she will continue to face as governor of Alaska is getting a pipeline built to carry natural gas to the lower 48 states,” said Kay Cashman, publisher and executive editor of Petroleum News.
Cashman, who co-authored “Sarah takes on Big Oil” with the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Kristen Nelson, said if Palin runs for national office again, her performance as governor of Alaska on energy issues will be “a critical factor for many Americans” in assessing her competency to lead, or help lead, the nation.
“In our book we provided people with a factual account of Palin’s efforts on the gas pipeline through early October 2008. Much of that information came from our coverage in Petroleum News. The gas pipeline project has progressed further under the Palin administration than under any previous governor,” Cashman said.
If a pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope is built, “it won’t be strictly because of what Gov. Palin does. The price of gas will be a major factor. But Palin understands how important Alaska’s gas is to U.S. energy security, and as governor she plays a pivotal role in what happens with a gas line.”
Will she increase Alaska’s energy production?
Cashman said the other question that people assessing Palin for national office will have is: Will her policies increase the amount of energy Alaska produces?
“I’m not talking about just conventional oil and gas for national consumption. I’m also talking about alternative energy for local consumption because, if she can do it in Alaska, she can help do it in the entire country,” Cashman said.
The Palin administration’s new production tax will play a part in the governor’s effort to encourage more oil and gas production in Alaska.
“Her new tax regime was signed into law a year ago. Exploration and development budgets for 2008 were already in place; so its success remains to be tested. The question is: Will it result in more exploration in 2009 and 2010? Again, as with the gas pipeline, commodity prices will play a role in determining how much exploration occurs, as will the current worldwide financial crisis, but as long as petroleum prices average above $70 per barrel, the incentives in the governor’s new tax regime should be able to be judged largely on their merits,” Cashman said.
Alaska’s role in the Arctic offshore
Another area that will test Palin’s executive skills is her ability to get the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to rule on an appeal that is holding up Arctic drilling in federal waters off Alaska’s North Slope in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
That drilling is key to increasing domestic supplies of energy from Alaska, Cashman said.
In the past, on other cases, local opinions appear to have mattered to the court, she said.
Palin drew crowds as campaigner
The charismatic Palin was a popular figure on the campaign trail for the McCain ticket, drawing record attendance, which is something the Republican Party cannot ignore, Cashman said.
“Americans outside Alaska had two months to get to know Sarah Palin. If she is a contender in the 2012 presidential election, people are going to want to know how she performed on national and state energy issues as Alaska’s chief executive,” she said.
“Kristen Nelson and I have no plans to write a second book, so providing people who have bought ‘Sarah takes on Big Oil’ with a free online subscription to Petroleum News is a perfect solution,” Cashman said.
To claim their subscription people who purchased books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers should e-mail Cashman at [email protected] with their proof of purchase.
If they have not already purchased a book, visit this Web site: www.sarahtakesonbigoil.com to order.
The book’s publisher, PNA Publishing, is a division of Petroleum Newspapers of Alaska LLC, which owns Petroleum News, North of 60 Mining News, and several oil and gas magazines. To learn more about the Anchorage, Alaska-based company and its publications visit: www.petroleumnews.com.
