U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Larry Persily, a veteran Alaska policy maker and former aide to former Governor Sarah Palin, to oversee plans for a massive, long-desired Alaska natural gas pipeline.
Persily, a former Alaska journalist, worked for more than a decade on oil and gas issues for three Alaska governors, including Palin, who was John McCain’s running mate on the Republican ticket that lost to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the 2008 presidential election.
Persily, currently is a resource specialist for the Alaska legislature, became a vocal critic of Palin after leaving her office. He famously likened her to Argentine icon Eva Peron…
Two groups are competing for rights and financing to build a pipeline carrying natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to domestic U.S. markets…
TransCanada and Exxon are entitled to up to $500 million in state subsidies and the state is prohibited from negotiating with other potential pipeline sponsors, under the AGIA terms..
That’s the law passed by Palin which limits bidding to just those two corporations.
The other sponsor is a joint venture created by BP and ConocoPhillips, the two other major North Slope producers. That venture, called Denali, is proceeding outside of the AGIA terms.
As well as I recall, the Canadian portion of this hookup has been ready and waiting for years. If I’m wrong, surely someone will note the correction.
Regardless, time to stop flaring and start pumping southward – is overdue.