Monday, May 20, 2013

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New Gasline Legislation Introduced
Would merge smaller pipeline with AGIA terms
By KTVA CBS 11 News


State House leaders have come up with legislation they say will help with getting an in-state natural gas pipeline built.

House Speaker Mike Chenault and Anchorage Representative Mike Hawker rolled out their plan this morning.

The legislation combines existing laws with recommendations from the Alaska Gasline Development Authority.

Through the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), any in-state line must not compete with TransCanada’s efforts to build a large diameter pipe.

The bill presented today would not decide which project gets done, but it would get the in-state line to appoint where lawmakers could then decide how they want to handle its construction, and make it mesh with AGIA.

“Clearly there's a fork in the road, and that's whether we end up staying with the smaller diameter pipe that is constrained and constricted under the terms of AGIA, or whether it comes together with an AGIA project and becomes a much larger pipe,” said Representative Hawker.

Also today, Anchorage Senator Bill Wielechowski introduced a separate bill that would require two-thirds of all surplus oil money to be put into the Congressional Budget Reserve.

Since it is a constitutional amendment, the bill would require passage by the entire legislature with a super-majority, and need voter approval as well.