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Lieutenant governor certifies ballot initiative for state gasline authority
Kristen Nelson
On Sept. 4, Lieutenant Governor Ulmer certified an application for an initiative petition that would create the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority as a public corporation of the state.
The state said that the bill would create the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority as a public corporation of the state. The authority would acquire and condition North Slope natural gas and construct a pipeline to transport the gas. Its powers would include buying property or taking it by eminent domain and the power to issue state tax-exempt revenue bonds.
The gasline route would be from Prudhoe Bay to tidewater on Prince William Sound with a spur line from Glennallen to the Southcentral gas distribution grid. The authority would operate and maintain the gas pipeline, ship the gas and market the gas.
If the petition is certified, it will appear on the 2002 general election ballot.
30,000 signatures needed Scott Heyworth, chair of Citizens for the All-Alaska Gasline Initiative, said in a Sept. 5 statement that the Division of Election decision to approve the initiative to put a state-owned all-Alaska gas pipeline on the ballot is an important step toward regaining control of North Slope natural gas.
Heyworth said that polls show Alaskans favor the Prudhoe Bay to Valdez option for commercializing North Slope gas. Of all the proposals, he said, it has the best economics, will provide the most revenues for Alaska and the most jobs for Alaskans.
“Now all we have to do is gather the signatures of about 30,000 registered voters in the next four months. Now is the time for Alaskans to take action and sign the petition,” Heyworth said.
“For some reason, the governor has never given serious consideration to the Valdez option, leaving us with no recourse but to put the issue directly before Alaska's voters,” Mike Macy, another of the initiative's sponsors, said in the group’s Sept. 5 statement.
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