Town passes ambitious wish list along to Stevens

• Senator gains earful visiting business, political and private sector citizens of Homer

By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune
Energy solutions, economic development and the town’s capital project wish list were all high priorities expressed by Homer residents when Alaska Sen. Gary Stevens called on several town groups Tuesday.
Stevens, whose District R seat oversees an area stretching from Homer to Nanwalek, Seward and Kodiak Island villages, is also the president of the Alaska Senate. He is visiting communities to solicit comments on what constituents feel he might focus on when the Alaska Legislature starts back up in January 2010.
“I have heard about the projects (Homer) would like to see funded this year, and if it were all funded, I think it would be something like $30 million in projects,” Stevens said.
On Homer’s Capital Improvement List is an alternative water source, a sewer treatment plant, port and harbor buildings, ramp and float improvements, the East Boat Harbor, the Skyline Fire Station and an aerial firefighting truck – to name eight out of a proposed 15.
As the community requests, legislators place a lot of weight on such lists because they are generally vetted through city council hearings and “tend to represent what a community agrees on,” he said. “It’s a very important document.”
As Stevens contemplates the work ahead in the next legislative session – set to begin Jan. 19 – he anticipates a more generous capital project spending plan than last year’s, which involved very little for Homer.
“I see a fairly good capital project list ahead. We were limited last year, but we did have the stimulus money to spend on projects,” Stevens said. “The revenue outlook (for next year) actually looks good.”
The state continues to gain 92 percent of its revenue from oil royalties, with a 5 to 6 percent loss per year due to dwindling “senior fields” – not because oil revenue hasn’t been stable. Given this year’s increase in price-per-barrel, Alaska should be in good shape, Stevens believes. The Legislature also socked away $7.5 billion in savings to use in the future when times get tough.
What needs to happen next, to ensure a stable revenue stream, is to get new developments online. The state’s work toward the $35 billion Trans-Canada Gasline seems stalled in its progress toward construction. But that is an expensive proposition right now at a time when natural gas is cheap and abundant on the world market. Alaska has much more gas than can serve just the state’s needs in developing a mere bullet-line, so a line to Chicago makes sense, Stevens said.
“I wish I could be more optimistic about the chances of a gasline. The price of gas is at its lowest levels and there’s a lot of it,” he said. “America has a lot of storage capacity, and that means natural gas prices will be low for a while.”
It bodes well that gas is also a cleaner energy form in a time when Congress is debating how to enact Cap and Trade agreements to limit emissions.
What may well happen prior to seeing a gasline constructed, Stevens believes, is development of the Outer Continental Shelf reserves in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. And while this would take federal approval, it may happen before a gasline is built. Any development of ANWR – which requires Congressional approval – won’t likely happen until “it grows cold enough and dark enough in New York City” to sway public opinion, Stevens said, quoting a friend.
At Captain’s Coffee, where Stevens met with the general public, he was asked questions about alternative energies. Why not, at a time when non-renewable energy is on the demise, develop alternative energies?
Stevens’ answer is that, during a transitional time to seeing those new developments, fossil fuels need to function as a bridge. A legislative priority, for him, is to help secure funding to “reduce Alaska’s carbon output.” He said that hydro, in particular, has promising and more-immediate potential.
Stevens said his position as president of the Senate, newly appointed last session, didn’t necessarily bring more power for gaining his district projects. What it did do is allow him to occupy a position of leadership as “president of the Committee on Committees,” he said. For the first time since Alaska statehood 50 years ago, bi-partisanship characterizes the Alaska Legislature’s interaction on bills and issues, he said. “The extremes are off the table. We must work across party lines.”
Other than having 19 people to now “father” through their assignments, Stevens said it has been a wonderful experience. It doesn‘t mean, however, that he has the power to wish any project into appearance in his district. The boat lift achieved for Kodiak Port and Harbor, for example, was accomplished largely through federal money. At the last minute, Stevens was able to secure $1 million in funding to help it along.

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