Report 

Submitted to the 

United States Congress 

by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Fourteenth Report to Congress on Progress Made in Licensing 

and Constructing the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline

August 2012
Fourteenth Report to Congress on the Alaska Pipeline

I. Executive Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) submits this 

report pursuant to section 1810 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005).1

 Section 

1810 of EPAct 2005 requires that the Commission submit to Congress semi-annual 

reports describing the progress made in licensing and constructing an Alaska natural gas 

pipeline and any impediments thereto. 

This report provides an update from the Commission’s Thirteenth Report, 

submitted on March 2, 2012. During the period covered by this report, TransCanada 

Alaska Company, LLC (TC Alaska) suspended development of the North Slope to 

Alberta option (Alberta option) of its planned Alaska Pipeline Project while it assesses

other alternatives to commercialize Alaska North Slope gas.

II. Status Report 

A. TC Alaska’s Proposal

On May 3, 2012, TC Alaska terminated its Open Season to transport Alaska North 

Slope gas through its Alaska Pipeline Project (APP) due to unsuccessful efforts to secure 

transportation agreements. TC Alaska notified the Commission on May 11, 2012, it was

curtailing interim work on the Alberta option while requesting to maintain the record in 

Docket No. PF09-11 for potential future use. Keeping the pre-filing docket open will 

enable the draft resource reports and other information in the public record to remain 

viable until TC Alaska moves forward on either the Alberta option or another alternative. 

TC Alaska will file quarterly reports to update the record on the status of its activities.

TC Alaska also indicated it was working with Alaska North Slope producers to 

explore the feasibility of developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project that 

would include constructing a pipeline from the North Slope to a LNG export terminal at 

an undetermined location in South Central Alaska (LNG option). TC Alaska estimates 

that it would file an application with the Commission for that project in October 2014.2

 

 1

 P.L. 109-58, 119 Stat. 594 (2005), 42 U.S.C § 15801 et seq.

2

 On July 30 2012, the Alaska Pipeline Project announced that it will conduct a 

non-binding public solicitation of interest in securing capacity on a potential new pipeline 

system to transport Alaska’s North Slope gas. The solicitation of interest will take place 

from August 31 through September 14, 2012.
- 2 -

B. The Commission’s Activities

The Commission continues to execute its responsibilities as the lead federal 

agency for conducting the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of the TC 

Alaska proposal. Since the last report, the Commission staff conducted public scoping 

meetings, government-to-government tribal consultation, and other activities throughout 

the project area in Alaska. In January 2012, TC Alaska filed with the FERC its draft 

resource reports containing the environmental information required for Natural Gas Act 

authorization. The Commission staff provided TC Alaska with the agency comments on 

the draft resource reports which TC Alaska must address before finalizing an application 

to the FERC. 

The federal permitting agencies are prepared to resume working under the 

Commission’s pre-filing process and to continue the preparation of an environmental 

impact statement once TC Alaska re-engages its project development and pre-filing 

activities and files an application with the FERC.

III. Related Activities 

Operations of the Federal Coordinator

The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation 

Projects (OFC) continues to coordinate the actions of federal agencies regarding Alaska 

natural gas transportation projects and to provide a liaison function to ensure 

communication with Congress, the State of Alaska, and federal U.S. and Canadian 

agencies. The OFC provides updates on its website (www.arcticgas.gov) regarding 

national and world-wide natural gas issues that may affect the ultimate distribution of 

Alaskan North Slope natural gas.

IV. Conclusion

The Commission will not move forward to the next step in its NEPA process until 

TC Alaska decides whether it will proceed with a pipeline to serve North American 

markets (Alberta option) or embarks on a project to liquefy and export natural gas to 

foreign markets (LNG option). The Commission will keep its Docket No. PF09-11 open

to maintain the existing record and accept filings of quarterly status reports and related 

items.