Fate of Alaska gas pipeline with state Senate

The fate of a multibillion dollar pipeline that could unlock 4.5 billion cubic feet of North Slope gas reserves daily and power North American homes and businesses for decades now rests in the hands of 20 Alaska state senators. On Wednesday, the Alaska House of Representatives reaffirmed its Tuesday night vote to award an exclusive license to TransCanada Corp., which must move forward on federal permitting applications for the 1,715-mile pipeline estimated to cost between $26 billion and $30 billion. This leaves the Senate to approve or reject the license by Aug. 2. Republican Senate President Lyda Green said her energy committee still has a few questions to pose, but she expects for the Senate to vote on Gov. Sarah Palin's license recommendation by late next week. While the license in no way guarantees construction, it calls... [read full story]