Sarah Palin, like all politicians, made many campaign promises when she ran for Governor in Alaska. Unlike many politicians, Sarah made good on all of hers. And while that is remarkable unto itself, no campaign promise made was more important to the Alaskan people than building a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to the lower 48.
So important, and so desired by the people, is the construction of this pipeline that promising to get it built was a staple on the Alaskan campaign trail for over 30 years! On her very first day on the job as Governor, Sarah set the wheels in motion to get this project rolling. From page 125 of Going Rogue:
“Ethics reform was already underway, with some lawmakers already under arrest, so to kick off the Palin-Parnell agenda, we started with the natural gas pipeline on our first day in office.
“For Alaskans, the term ‘gasline’ is as familiar as ‘irrigation’ is to Californians or ‘Wall Street’ is to New Yorkers. Except that Californians and New Yorkers already reap the benefits of these economic lifelines, while Alaskans have been waiting for more than fifty years to realize the benefits of the state’s vast reserves of natural gas. At least 35 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves lie untapped on the North Slope, and geologists say there are hundreds of trillions more both on- and offshore. Our oil and gas supplies would be enough to provide 10 years of total energy independence for the entire country.” [...]
Sarah Palin Interview Discussing AK Pipeline & Obama Dec-2009
Anchorage, AK – January 29, 2010 – The Alaska Pipeline Project announced today that it filed its plan with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to obtain approval to conduct the first natural gas pipeline open season to develop Alaska’s vast natural gas resources. The project is a joint effort between TransCanada Corporation (TSX, NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) to develop a natural gas pipeline under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA).
“The open season plan filing is an important step in the development of Alaska natural gas resources and we have worked diligently to advance the project,” said Hal Kvisle, TransCanada president and chief executive officer. “This significant milestone demonstrates that we are meeting the AGIA commitments on-schedule and in-line with the required process, effectively aligning the interests of the State of Alaska, the project, shippers and other interested parties.”
The open season plan is posted and can be reviewed on the FERC and Alaska Pipeline Project websites, and members of the public can provide comment through the month of February. If FERC approves the plan, the Alaska Pipeline Project will finalize its open season offering and provide it to potential shippers at the end of April for their assessment during the 90-day period through July 2010.
“The work of the Alaska Pipeline Project in preparing a comprehensive and competitive open season package reflects the combined technical, planning, commercial and project management expertise of both ExxonMobil and TransCanada,” said Neil Duffin, president of ExxonMobil Development Company. more......
Once again Sarah Palin proves to be a visionary leader who uses common sense solutions to complex issues. Energy independence is both an economic and a national security issue. With the economy in a slump, and wages stagnant, a good reliable supply of cheap, clean, and green natural gas is essential. Using our own resources, rather than enriching nations, and leaders who may not like us very much, is vital.
This is something Sarah Palin has been talking about for years, and unlike most, has used her leadership qualities and negotiation skills to actually make something happen. This is what true leadership is all about.
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Anonymous Said,
This is most impressive! Real results as opposed to hype. Mentioning no names.
Posted on February 2, 2010 at 5:34 PM