A Citizen’s Guide

Under AGIA, it’s ultimately up to the commissioners of revenue and natural resources to choose a winning pipeline proposal. But that doesn’t mean they won’t get some help along the way. Marty Rutherford explained last night that Palin’s gas line team would review the applications with the help of nearly a dozen consulting companies — some of the best, she said.

The following consultants will be working with the administration: Arcadis; Black & Veatch; Brown, Williams, Moorhead and Quinn; Energy Capital Advisors; Energy Project Consultants; Greenberg Traurig; Paragon/Amec; Petrotel; Pingo International; Westney Consulting; Wood Mackenzie.

I can’t imagine any of this advice comes cheap, but so far I haven’t heard any grumblings over the cost to the state. There was some when former Gov. Frank Murkowski hired Pedro van Meurs, whose hourly rate seemed to some to be, well, unreasonable.