| Here is our archive reference to the Resource Development Council's important, 36th ANNUAL ALASKA RESOURCES CONFERENCE |
Seeking Alpha: Enbridge and TransCanada seen as winners from Alberta's carbon policy
Governor Bill Walker's Response To Tesoro Alaska's Announcement
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Comment: "On Being Positive" This ADN piece (Left column) by Nathaniel Herz provides additional insight into the attitude and leadership style of Alaska's governor.
At times, we have lamented on how our work these days tends to fall on the negative side. We are, therefore, delighted that Al has produced such a positive piece, the blueprint for an Alaskan governor desiring to successfully run the large and complex State of Alaska – and provide the necessary leadership that could lead to construction of an Ak-LNG project. Meanwhile, we continue to look for positive signs that Alaska's investment climate is positively supported by both Alaska's elected leaders and the Washington D.C. players. While we are forced to note that ours is an investment climate long ignored or abused, and that may seem to some to reflect negativity on our part, there are rays of hope and Bolea has offered one of them.
…other rays of hope and light which we are quick to acknowledge. While we celebrate "hope" in approaching Thanksgiving Day, we are also reminded of the sage advice given by a longtime friend, energy analyst and utility manager To our American readers: Happy Thanksgiving Wishes for Thursday! (And…remember the reason for the season!) -dh |
Another occurred this weekend when a dear friend and former colleague, Tom Brennan (NGP Photo), 
Alaska energy executive Joe Marushack (NGP Photo).
Joe Griffith (NGP Photo) who gently reminds fellow Alaskans that, "Hope is not a strategy", a precept to which we believe Al Bolea and Joe Marushack would also subscribe.ADN by Nathaniel Herz. .jpg)
… Larry Persily (NGP Photo), the former federal gas pipeline coordinator who now serves as an oil and gas adviser to the Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor, said that a new executive with more technical expertise and experience seems to match Walker’s vision for an expanded role for Alaska in the pipeline project.
But the shakeup in the corporation’s board and management, he added, is creating turmoil for the project. So are other recent changes made by the Walker administration, including to the positions held by a pair of highly paid consultants who were heading Alaska’s efforts to negotiate the details of the project and sell the state’s gas.
“Markets (and) buyers don’t care for turmoil,” Persily said in a phone interview. “It needs to be settled; the market needs to be reassured that this isn’t going to happen on a frequent basis.”
One other source of uncertainty was a move by the state corporation’s board Saturday to postpone a vote on the pipeline project’s budget for next year.
A key meeting to approve that budget is scheduled with the oil companies for Dec. 4, and the board rescheduled its own vote to Dec. 3.
Walker said at his news conference that he is “very optimistic” that the board will approve the budget at its Dec. 3 meeting. But he said that he views the state’s authority over the budget as leverage to make sure the oil companies sign formal agreements making their gas available to the pipeline project if they decide not to continue as participants.
“By approving the work plan and budget today, there’s no incentive for us to receive those assurances,” he said. “We’ll see what we get. We’ll make that decision when we get to that point.” (Full story here)
Analysts are betting that renewable energy developers such as Enbridge (ENB+1.2%) and TransCanada (TRP +1.9%) will be among the best placed to make the shift to Alberta's new carbon policies, Bloomberg reports.
As the government boosts the province’s share of renewable electricity to 30% from 9% by 2030, "renewable power contracts are going to go to the bidder that needs the least amount of government support, developers with most financial flexibility and overall lowest cost of capital” such as ENB and TRP, says National Bank Financial's Patrick Kenny.
The two companies already are among Canada’s largest renewable power operators: ENB owns 2,065 MW of wind power across Canada, enough to power 650K homes, while TRP operates wind, hydro and nuclear plants as part of its 11.8K MW of power generation.
| Comment: Honestly, we do keep looking for good news, but in this case must temper the Governor's enthusiasm with a state senator's suspicions. Investment climates are not hurt when criminal acts are identified and prosecuted. But when politicians make allegations, stimulating investigations based on a 'desire' for lower prices, honest investors can be hurt and the investment climate is not helped. -dh
“One of the benefits of low oil prices should be a decrease in prices for gasoline and heating fuel. That’s the case around the country,” said Sen. Wielechowski. “With the closing of the Flint Hills refinery, we’ve been seeing a narrowing of the players in the refinery industry in Alaska allowing for less and less competition. Alaskans deserve to know if the near-monopoly in the refining business in Alaska is the cause for their pain at the pump.” Currently, Alaska has the highest gas prices in the country. These high prices coupled with the high cost of living in Alaska is hampering economic development and taking money out of the pockets of hard-working Alaskans. |
Today (Governor Bill Walker's Response To Tesoro Alaska's Announcement
ALASKA RESOURCES CONFERENCE
November 18-19, 2015
Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH
Eye-Opener Breakfast in Exhibit Area – Sponsored by Wells Fargo
Opening Remarks
Ralph Samuels, RDC President, Vice President, Government and Community Relations – Alaska, Holland America Group
State of Alaska Update: From Alaska LNG Project to State Fiscal Plan
Governor Bill Walker (video forthcoming)
Alaska Economic Trends: 2016 Outlook
Neal Fried, Economist, Alaska Department of Labor video
Alaska Industry 2015 Year in Review and 2016 Outlook
Oil & Gas: Kara Moriarty, President and CEO, Alaska Oil and Gas Association video
Fisheries: Ricky Gease, Executive Director, Kenai Sportfishing Association pdf video
Forestry: John Sturgeon, President, Koncor Forest Products video
Mining: Karen Matthias, Managing Consultant, Council of Alaska Producers pdf video
Tourism: Scott Habberstad, Director of Sales and Community Marketing, Alaska Airlines pdf video
Gourmet Break – Sponsored by ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. ConocoPhillips Alaska: Positioning for the Future
Joe Marushack, President, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. pdf video
Global LNG Market Update and Framing the Opportunity for Alaska
Damian Bilbao, Director, Business Development, Alaska LNG, BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc. pdf video
Networking Break
Keynote Luncheon: Sponsored by Northrim Bank
It’s Still North to the Future: Moving Ahead in the Arctic
Wayne Westlake, President and CEO, NANA Regional Corporation pdf video
Rex Rock Sr., Chairman and President, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation video
Alaska Can’t Quit Now: Why the Arctic Still Matters
Randall Luthi, President, National Ocean Industries Association video
Marine Freight Transportation: Safety and Environmental Stewardship
Lynn Muench, Senior Vice President for Regional Advocacy Pacific Region, American Waterways Operators pdf
video
What Alaskans Need to Know About Federal Overreach
William Kovacs, Senior Vice President, Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce pdf video
Gourmet Break – Sponsored by Colville, Inc.
Pebble vs. EPA: Finally Some Real Progress
Tom Collier, CEO, Pebble Partnership video
Point Thomson: Dawn of a New Era
Gina Dickerson, Point Thomson Project Manager, ExxonMobil pdf video
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH
Eye-Opener Breakfast in Exhibit Area – Sponsored by BP
Real Solutions to Alaska’s Budget Crunch
Moderator: Ralph Samuels, RDC President, Vice President, Government and Community Relations – Alaska, Holland America Group
Cheryl Frasca, Former Director State of Alaska Office of Management and Budget, 2002-2006 pdf video
Mike Navarre, Mayor, Kenai Peninsula Borough pdf video
Give the State Some Credit: How Oil Tax Credits Are Changing Alaska’s Investment Game
Moderator: Kara Moriarty, RDC Executive Committee, President and CEO, Alaska Oil and Gas Association Benjamin Johnson, President, BlueCrest Energy, Inc. pdf video
Casey Sullivan, Director, State Public Affairs, Caelus Energy Alaska, LLC pdf video
Hilcorp: Boosting Efficiency and Production in Alaska
Greg Lalicker, President, Hilcorp pdf video
Gourmet Break – Sponsored by Stoel Rives LLP
10:30 Communities and Mining: Why it Works
Moderator: Lorna Shaw, RDC Vice President, External Affairs Manager, Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo LLC
Eric Hill, General Manager, Kinross – Fort Knox Mine pdf video
Jan Trigg, Manager, Community Relations and Government Affairs, Coeur Alaska – Kensington Gold Minepdf video
Wayne Hall, Manager, Community and Public Relations, Teck pdf video
Rosie Barr, Vice President, Lands, NANA Regional Corporation pdf video
11:30 Networking Break
Noon Keynote Luncheon: Sponsored by Holland America Line Navigating Alaska’s Inside Passage and Policy
Moderator: Ralph Samuels, RDC President, Vice President, Government and Community Relations – Alaska, Holland America Group
Linda Springmann, Vice President, Deployment and Tour Marketing, Holland America Line pdf video
1:30 p.m. Progress Report on the Alaska LNG Project
Moderator: Jeanine St. John, RDC Executive Committee, Vice President, Lynden
Steve Butt, Senior Project Manager, Alaska LNG Project pdf video
Dan Fauske, President, Alaska Gasline Development Corporation pdf video
Mike Navarre, Mayor, Kenai Peninsula Borough video forthcoming
3:00 Grand Raffle Drawing Send-off Champagne Toast – Sponsored by CLIA Alaska
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