Alaska’s House is asking for clarification on the TransCanada buyout during the special session while the Senate sees a new joint resolution fighting the recent decision to pause future Arctic Ocean lease sales.
Representatives are questioning who’s making decisions for the state in the governor’s proposed $158 million buyout of TransCanada in the Alaska LNG Project.
Nikiski’s House Speaker Mike Chenault says he thinks many legislators are comfortable with the buyout but the lack of details of what follows that action concerns him and others.
Governor Bill Walker’s spokeswoman Katie Marquette says the state is working to answer legislators’ questions.
Also today, Mat-Su Senator Bill Stoltze introduced a joint resolution opposing the Obama administrations’s recent decision to cancel future lease sales in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf.
SJR No. 301 also urges the U.S. Deparment of the Interior to reconsider its actions and promote ongoing efforts to develop offshore oil and gas along Alaska’s northernmost coast.
Stoltze says in a release, “It’s an issue especially relevant to this special session as the Alaska LNG team is counting on gas reserves for pipeline supply. While we’re here in Juneau working on issues regarding Alaska’s economic future, it’s imperative that we weigh in on this disappointing announcement at this particular time.”
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently estimated the existence of 4.3 billion barrels of oil in the Chukchi Sea