The vote was 8-1, with Assemblywoman Natalie Howard the sole opponent of the plan.
A separate measure calling for a public vote on the plan narrowly failed.The vote was 5-4, with Mike Musick, Hank Bartos, Tim Beck, Kelly Brown and Matt Want opposing.
The $250 million project now goes before the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.
“People are waiting for energy relief,” Assemblywoman Kelly Brown said. “I don’t believe they need to wait anymore.”
Architects of the plan include municipal officials who belong to the Alaska Gasline Port Authority’s board of directors. The agency is backed by the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the city of Valdez.
They say the trucking operation will result in a 25 percent drop in natural gas prices in Fairbanks and a 6 percent drop in electric bills.
Supporters of the plan, including labor union officials, filled the assembly chambers. Some wore buttons that read: “We can’t wait for energy relief. Approve the plan.”
State Rep. Mike Kelly, former Rep. Hugh Fate and former Fairbanks Mayor Steve Thompson, a candidate for the state house, were among those to testify in favor of the plan.
“I hope you don’t shoot this in the head,” Kelly said.
Former trucker Tim Gunderson urged the assembly to approve the plan.
“I have been listening for 35 years that we are going to get some gas,” he said. “Give us a chance to get some gas.”
Lee DeSpain told the assembly he thinks the plan needs more review.
“Why not get an appraisal of the deal from one or more credible sources?” he said.
Howard offered amendments that would have required an appraisal of the gas company's value.
“Every single time you scratch into the details of this project, you come up with questions,” Howard said.
On the ordinance calling for a public vote on the port authority's involvement, the appraisal amendment failed 2-7. Only Howard and Assemblyman Guy Sattley favored the appraisal.
On the resolution approving the authority's development plan, the appraisal amendment failed 4-5. Assembly members Nadine Winters and Joe Blanchard joined Howard and Sattley in asking for the appraisal.
Up to 80 percent of the propane produced by the project will go to Valdez. The council there has approved the project.
The proposal would require gas treatment plants to be constructed on the North Slope and in North Pole. If the project succeeds, port authority officials say it will support about 75 long-term jobs.
The project is being financed with bonds at no liability to the municipal taxpayers, according to state law and port authority officials.
“My sense is that there are a lot of unresolved issues," Winters said. “I have doubts about this. I hope that I am wrong. I am going to support this simply because there is no public money. There is no liability.”
Contact staff writer Amanda Bohman at 459-7544.
Oh! Just for your information, hemp makes very poor rope [available from India, not legal for commercial tied downs or on boats because it is weak amongst other faults], cloth [pulls out of shape and stinks when wet] and biomass energy because of its high water content. But druggies are not going to adapt any other biomass plant other than hemp because it is not legal.
...pull my finger
Truer words were never spoken.
.
1) It is amazing to me that the folks in Fairbanks don't realize that the infrastructure to transport vast quantities of gas into the area already exists. It's called the railroad. One end is at tidewater in Whittier and provides easy access to world energy markets. The other end terminates literally a few feet from GVEA's North Pole facilities. A small investment in gas storage and GVEA could tap into nearly any gas market it might choose. Has anyone ever asked GVEA if they have considered bringing gas in via rail? Could this "bridge" project be established for less than $250,000,000?
And by the way, those tracks pass within spitting distance of the idle power plant in Healy that is being acquired by GVEA. Does anyone really think the current EPA regime will allow that plant to burn coal anytime soon? What if competitively priced gas was available via rail? I wonder how difficult it would be to convert that plant and avoid years of litigation? Hmmm...
2) Unless AGPA or FNG have the RCA certificates allowing them to operate a gas utility in Valdez, which they do not, they can truck all the propane in Alaska down there, but they can't set up and operate a utility. Is the big idea to compete with the retail propane businesses already established there? I'll bet those businesses won't be happy to hear that.
Submit Comments to Regulatory Commission of Alaska
where are my tea baggers?
will the baggers be protesting this this weekend at their gun sale?
poor poor public-CANs, hard to tell which way you are going these days. you're starting to look like SOCIALIST/NAZI/COMMIE/FASCITS. what would beck-ie or the drug addict say?!?
i guess maybe its not SOCIALISM when it benefits YOUR pocket.
sooooo confusing, the compass of these guys...
What fools! This kind of purchase price; a secret, unexamined contract for the gas; no assessment of the business being bought [at a very high price] that is independent of those pushing so hard and fast for the deal; no independent examination of the business plan; high interest [junk] bonding . . . .
I have to say, I'm really glad I'm not a GVEA or a FNG customer. I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck with paying off this boondoggle for the next 20yrs.
You vote for people that seem sound and reasonable, have a hx for honesty, and then they get in a group and allow themselves to be swayed by hucksters like Bartos, pressured into conforming with a power-push, hurried into ill-considered action . . . .
I wish I lived somewhere close enough to reasonably consider I could attend meetings, etc.
Can you imagine how much exhaust will be pumped into the air from these trucks driving back and forth all day?
If anything, maybe you should start listening to California FreeLiberTea. They could teach you something about saving our Mother Earth.
Better than the WasillaBilly Alaska put into office.