HCR 8: Expressing the legislature's opposition to the proposed "northern" or "over-the-top" route for a natural gas pipeline to transport North Slope natural gas reserves to the domestic North American market, and expressing the legislature's support of commercialization of North Slope natural gas for the maximum benefit of the people of the state.
00 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8 01 Expressing the legislature's opposition to the proposed "northern" or "over-the-top" 02 route for a natural gas pipeline to transport North Slope natural gas reserves to the 03 domestic North American market, and expressing the legislature's support of 04 commercialization of North Slope natural gas for the maximum benefit of the people of 05 the state. 06 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 07 WHEREAS 35 trillion cubic feet of known natural gas reserves are acknowledged to 08 be adherent to oil and gas leases on the North Slope of Alaska, and, additionally, realistic 09 estimates of total recoverable gas from the reserves exceed 100 trillion cubic feet; and 10 WHEREAS demand for new sources of natural gas supply in North American and 11 Asian markets places Alaska's North Slope natural gas in the unique position of being 12 attractive to both markets; and 13 WHEREAS improved economics, technological advances, and the possibility of 14 public financing of a natural gas pipeline have removed previously perceived barriers to the 15 commercialization of Alaska's North Slope natural gas; and
01 WHEREAS oil and gas leaseholders on Alaska's North Slope continue to develop 02 competing gas projects elsewhere in the world while Alaska gas remains warehoused; and 03 WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the State of Alaska, provides that it is the 04 policy of the state to encourage the settlement of its land and the development of its resources 05 by making them available for maximum use consistent with the public interest; and 06 WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 2, Constitution of the State of Alaska, requires the 07 legislature to provide for the utilization, development, and conservation of all natural 08 resources belonging to the state, including land and waters, for the maximum benefit of its 09 people; and 10 WHEREAS it is widely recognized that maximum benefit to Alaska from the 11 commercialization of North Slope natural gas lies in maximum market exposure for Alaska 12 North Slope gas reserves, maximum opportunities for in-state use of the natural gas, 13 maximum opportunities for participation by Alaskans in construction, maintenance, and 14 operation of the gas line transportation project, and maximum revenue to the state from the 15 development, transport, and sale of Alaska North Slope gas reserves; and 16 WHEREAS the "northern" or "over-the-top" route for the proposed pipeline, running 17 east from the North Slope to Canada's Mackenzie River Valley, then south through that valley 18 to link to existing pipeline networks, under consideration by the North American Gas Pipeline 19 Group, offers none of these benefits; 20 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the commercialization 21 of Alaska North Slope natural gas for the maximum benefit of the people of the state; and be 22 it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature will exercise every power within its 24 constitutionally required authority to guarantee commercialization of Alaska North Slope 25 natural gas for the maximum benefit of the people of the state; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature opposes construction of a "northern" or 27 "over-the-top" route for a natural gas pipeline; and be it 28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature will exercise every power within its 29 authority to prevent the routing of a North Slope natural gas pipeline that bypasses Alaska.