Palin invites Obama to Alaska - Democratic Underground

biopowertoday

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Feb-07-09 04:04 PM
Original message

Palin invites Obama to Alaska

My guess is that he will take her up on the invitation.

http://govweb.state.ak.us/pdf/GasPip...Obama_Feb6.pdf

Quote:
Dear Mr. President,

Recognizing that you will soon be meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada, I am writing to request that construction of an Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline from the North Slope of Alaska into Alberta and serving the North American market, particularly the U.S. Midwest, be included on the agenda for your meeting.

Alaskans have appreciated your strong support for the construction of such a pipeline. This project is now moving forward, and I believe that a discussion between you and Prime Minister Harper would greatly facilitate the process now under way.

I know that you are well aware of the important relationship between the United States and Canada with respect to the production and transmission of energy. Permit me to cite just a few relevant points.

In 2007, the two-way trade in energy between the U.S. and Canada totaled $100 billion. In this regard, Canada supplies 82 percent of U.S. natural gas imports, representing 16 percent of U.S. consumption. Further, Canada provides 18 percent of U.S. oil imports, making our northern neighbor our largest supplier of crude oil. It is also worth noting that Alaska is a large provider of North American energy supplies and will increase that role as Alaska gas becomes available to North American markets, hopefully by 2018.

Recently, the State of Alaska signed a license with TransCanada (TransCanada Alaska, LLC and Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd.), a Canadian company that operates over 36,000 miles of pipe in Canada and the U.S. and the largest pipeline company in North America. This license provides TransCanada Alaska up to $500 million in state matching funds in order to assist the company in holding an open season and obtaining a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and similar certification in Canada. As a consequence, TransCanada has commenced field work, and will hold its first binding open season in the summer of 2010.

These activities build upon a treaty negotiated between the United States and Canada in 1977. The treaty addresses how the two countries will deal with the Alaska Gas Pipeline Project. In particular, the treaty recognizes the right of TransCanada to build the Canadian portion of an Alaska Gas Pipeline Project and identifies the Northern Pipeline Act as the vehicle for permitting the Canadian portion of the project.

It is estimated that Alaska's North Slope contains at least 200 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas. The gas pipeline would commercialize this huge gas reserve to the benefit of both the United States and Canada. For both countries, this would mean the creation of thousands of jobs related to pipeline construction and operation. Further, the pipeline would supply a clean-burning, abundant and low-carbon footprint source of energy to the North American market. There would also be a corresponding reduction in the importation of foreign fuels from unstable sources elsewhere in the world, thereby saving consumers billions of dollars.

As you know, the U.S. and Canada have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship. This is particularly true in the production and transportation of energy resources. We believe that Alaska, with its common boundary and long-standing relationship with Canada and its local governments, can play an important role in promoting national energy interests to the benefit of the citizens of both countries.

The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline should be a significant component of North American energy policy in the years to come. Accordingly, I respectfully urge that this project be carefully considered during your meeting with Prime Minister Harper with a view toward doing everything possible at the national level of both countries to facilitate the commencement of pipeline construction.

In closing, I want to take this opportunity to invite you to Alaska. I recognize that you are extremely busy at this time. However, as your schedule permits later on, particularly as you travel to or from the Far East, I am hopeful that you will come to see our beautiful scenery, observe Alaska's vast energy and natural resource potential, and meet with the proud people of my state.

Thank you for considering my views.

Sincerely,
Sarah Palin
Governor