Legislature forms gas committee; over-the-top ban signed

Petroleum News Alaska

The Legislature passed a resolution May 8 creating the Joint Committee on Natural Gas Pipelines. Sen. John Torgerson, chairman of Senate Resources, said the committee will study issues related to a proposed gas pipeline and consider what legislation should be proposed next session. The committee may hold hearings and hire consultants and experts as needed.

Members of the committee will be selected evenly by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President.

The governor signed Senate Bill 164 on May 16, “prohibiting leases under the Right-of-Way Leasing Act on state land in or adjacent to the Beaufort Sea.” The bill, representing the Legislature’s opposition to an “over-the-top” gas pipeline route, had all 20 senators as sponsors and had pretty universal support: aside from absent and excused votes, there were only two no votes, those in the House.