AGIA Critic Speaks - Denali Informs Minister Prentice and Alaska Legislature - Strandberg Presents GRETC View to IAEE

ADN.  The full AGIA analysis available.  I'm the author of the analysis that the Daily News critiqued in its Nov. 8 editorial, "Certain Failure?" The article, called "Why America May Not See Alaska Natural Gas Soon," a critical evaluation of AGIA's prospects for success, was published in the September 2009 Journal of Economic Issues.  Roger Marks (NGP Photo)

National Post by Carrie Tait.  U.S. officials hoping to build the Alaska gas pipeline, considered a rival project to Canada's long-delayed Mackenzie Valley pipeline, met with Jim Prentice (NGP Photo-r), the federal Environment Minister, last month to update him on their efforts and to discuss "the application of the Canadian regulatory process."      *      On Veterans Day, Denali President Bud Fackrell (NGP Photo-r) sent a progress report to the Legislature under cover of a letter to Senate President Gary Stevens (NGP Photo-l) and House Speaker Mike Chenault (NGP Photo-l).  Fackrell indicated that his company had spent $120 million to prepare the company for its 2010 'Open Season'.  Total number of employees and contractors working on the project, he said, is about 95m most of whom are Alaskans.  See Fackrell's cover letter here and download the complete report here.  Find Denali's webpage here.  Fackrell will be addressing the Resource Development Council for Alaska next week; see that link here.       *    Calgary Herald by Dina O'Meara.  "Third-quarter earnings were ahead of last year for our pipelines and natural-gas storage assets, while the economic downturn continues to impact power revenues," chief executive Hal Kvisle said during a conference call.

Here is Jim Strandberg's (NGP Photo) presentation of November 9 to the International Association of Energy Economists (Alaska).  Speaking to about 30 economists and interested citizens at the BP Energy Center over a noon hour, he discussed the economic uncertainty of electric utility generation and transmission facilities, along with the scarcity and expense of power generation fuels.  He said that these circumstances lead to a 'perfect storm', a time of 'looming uncertainty' requiring a solution that produces reliable power with stable and predictable prices.  The solution he proposes is the formation of a Greater Railbelt Energy and Transmission Company (GRETC).  Strandberg said the GRETC model is designed to protect ratepayers while providing effective checks and balances.  (Here's Rena Delbridge's thorough story for the Alaska Dispatch; and the PNA story is here)