Palin and Obama: Different Approaches on Energy

Governor Sarah Palin has an Op-Ed today at Newsminer which gives a very basic overview of the process by which her administration and the Legislature are searching for a way to bring affordable energy to as many Alaskans as possible. The op-ed mainly addresses the issue of an in-state gasline to help Alaskans see lower energy costs and offers information on the current step in the process, the review stage, which was funded by the Legislature per her request. The governor is also working toward an interstate gasline as well as development of the infrastructure necessary for gas liquefaction for purposes of export via shipping ports.

The issue of energy is both critical and complex. It's refreshing to see that Governor Palin and the Alaska Legislature seem committed to making determinations about energy that are based on energy itself, actual data and the overall impact for Alaskan businesses and consumers, not politics, ideology and entangling interests as we see in Washington with Obama's "cap and trade".

While Obama promises skyrocketing electricity rates and creates a government slush fund that will result in government actually becoming dependent on pollution for the tax relief he promises to voters (I often wonder why so many voters bought that promise on tax cuts but ignored the promise on skyrocketing electricity), Sarah Palin and the Alaska Legislature are keeping it practical. The gasline agenda in Alaska will be implemented only after thorough review and in consideration of the long-term impact for Alaska's citizens and businesses. These projects will stand or fall on their own merits, even independently of each other in terms of policy.

Thanks for keeping it real, Alaska.