A Citizen’s Guide

Vice President Dick Cheney is eager to help get Alaska’s gas flowing, according to Gov. Frank Murkowski.

Speaking with members of the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning in Fairbanks on a list of statewide topics, the governor said he spoke with Cheney on Monday and that the vice president asked what he could do to help bring about a natural gas pipeline.

The vice president said that building the pipeline is a U.S. national security interest, Murkowski said.

The governor said he told the vice president that the pipeline is now in the hands of the Legislature.

A Cheney spokesperson did not confirm or deny the conversation and wrote in an e-mail that it was not their practice to discuss the vice president’s talks with other leaders.

Murkowski stressed the urgency of moving forward on a proposed contract with BP, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil to develop North Slope gas, and said it explained why he was calling lawmakers back to Juneau in July.

A typical legislative session runs January to May. Legislators have already spent one extra month on the gas line issue this year, leaving the Capitol on June 8 instead of May 9.

“This is the time to make a decision,” he said.

He repeated his belief that the gas line issue needs to be resolved before November’s election because of a ballot initiative to tax undeveloped gas reserves.

“I’m convinced if it’s on the ballot, it will pass,” he said of the initiative.

The governor claimed that passage of the reserves tax would kill the gas pipeline and said he didn’t think waiting would ease the effort to get a pipeline. He also dismissed other ways of developing the gas resource.

Murkowski discussed the gas line after signing a bill that increases the fine schedule for overweight commercial vehicles.

Transportation Commissioner Mike Barton said overweight vehicles contribute to the degradation of state roads.

“This bill will go a long way to helping us maintain our sizable investment,” Barton said. The new law also prohibits insurers from raising a truck driver’s personal car insurance rates for violations relating to overweight commercial vehicles.

Murkowski touched on the construction of a new terminal at the Fairbanks International Airport, state spending on the Dalton Highway, and the state’s responsibility to develop infrastructure that provides access to natural resources, among other subjects.

The governor said a growing demand for electricity in the state was not being met by new generating facilities.

“We are developing, all over Alaska, a train wreck on power,” he said.

Murkowski stressed the need to restart the Healy Clean Coal Project and suggested creating a position to coordinate efforts by all Railbelt utilities to develop new generating facilities.

Staff writer Stefan Milkowski can be reached at smilkowski@newsminer.com or 459-7577.