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Gov. Tony Knowles sharply criticized national energy legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate today saying the Democratic plan fails to meet the energy and job needs of the nation and Alaska. While claiming to back development of a natural gas pipeline to the lower 48, Knowles said the bill sponsored by Senators Tom Daschle and Jeff Bingaman fails to take necessary steps to ensure gasline development and ignores the nation's need for new domestic oil development. "Today's long-awaited energy bill contributes more to Washington's rhetoric than the nation's energy needs," Knowles said. "The bill fails to specify that the Alaska Highway project is the only environmentally sound route that will put America to work and supply American consumers with reliable, affordable energy." Knowles noted that the bill was drafted without consulting with Alaska and fails to include any of the specific recommendations developed by environmental, Native, business, and civic leaders that Knowles presented when he testified before the Senate Energy Committee in October. "With little more than a vague reference to the use of American labor and steel in the project, this legislation turns its back on American jobs at time when the nation is in recession," Knowles said. "By failing to be route specific, 30,000 high-paying jobs a year in steel mills, transportation, engineering, and construction are being delayed by at least a decade." The bill ignores previous Congressional action in 1977 that designated the Alaska Highway as the preferred route for the natural gas pipeline, Knowles said. It also ignores environmental concerns regarding the so-called "over the top" route and the strong concerns of Inupiat residents of the North Slope about use of the northern route beneath the Beaufort Sea. "The bill contains another major flaw - no provision for the environmentally responsible development of oil and gas beneath a small portion of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge designated by Congress to be studied for oil and gas development," Knowles added. "Alaska has proven we know how to do development right. All Americans deserve an honest up or down vote in the U.S. Senate on ANWR development." Knowles said that legislation is needed now to address critical energy needs in the nation and boost the economy. "The momentum behind construction of the Alaska Highway natural gas pipeline has picked up steam with strong interest by America's leading pipeline companies and their plans to propose a finance and construction package by year's end." Knowles said. "My administration will continue full speed ahead working with the producers, pipeline companies, and other potential private sector partners to make the Alaska Highway natural gas pipeline commercial."
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