Alaska on notice for pipelines to nowhere.

• Author: McCorkle, Vern C.
• Position: From the Publisher

Time is of the essence when it' comes to building a natural gas pipeline, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission warned Alaska on Feb. 1. "Further delay could impede the economic and commercial feasibility of the project," the commission scolded. U.S. lawmakers have begun to push major producers to move quickly, but to no avail.

Time is of the essence, Alaska's Legislative Budget and Audit Committee was cautioned by independent energy-consulting experts who testified in Juneau last year. "Get about building your pipeline while there is still time and a market," they said.

Time is of the essence. Intelligent people know what that means: don't delay! But by now it is tragically obvious that Alaska's North Slope natural gas may not get to market during this generation. In the meantime, Alaska will continue to suffer shortages of enough money to provide for the general welfare and public safety of its citizens-youth, elders and everybody in between. It is petro politics at work!

In the meantime, the U.S. coastline is being ringed by applications from all over the world to build LNG receiving terminals; markets for Alaska gas are being snatched away by others. Meanwhile, the world price of iron has nearly doubled, changing the estimated $20 billion line cost to something nearer $35 billion. If there were mills to build the pipe-which there aren't-it might take three or more years just to gin up production in China or Korea where the pipe will no doubt be fabricated. Alaska loses all around. And the pathetic thing is this does not have to be the scenario.

Nowhere Land

Regular readers of this opinion column have seen it here before, and now other print and electronic media are joining in expressing outright astonishment at the indefensible lack of apparent progress in getting...