WASHINGTON/ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Larry Persily, a veteran Alaska policy maker and former aide to former Governor Sarah Palin, to oversee plans for a massive, long-desired Alaska natural gas pipeline.
Persily, a former Alaska journalist, worked for more than a decade on oil and gas issues for three Alaska governors, including Palin, who was John McCain's running mate on the Republican ticket that lost to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the 2008 presidential election.
Persily, currently is a resource specialist for the Alaska legislature, became a vocal critic of Palin after leaving her office. He famously likened her to Argentine icon Eva Peron.
Pesily's appointment as federal coordinator of the Office of Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects was lauded by several Alaska officials.
"Larry is, in my opinion, the single most qualified person in America to take that position," said state Rep. Mike Hawker, co-chairman of the state House Finance Committee and Persily's current boss.
What Persily could do "is get the warring parties to the negotiating table and facilitate discussions, and he's entirely capable of that role," said Hawker, an Anchorage Republican.
Two groups are competing for rights and financing to build a pipeline carrying natural gas from Alaska's North Slope to domestic U.S. markets.
One sponsor, TransCanada Corp, has the endorsement of Palin and her successor, Republican Gov. Sean Parnell. TransCanada holds a state license under the Palin's 2007 Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA). Earlier this year, Exxon Mobil Corp, one of the three major North Slope producers, joined TransCanada's effort as a partner.
TransCanada and Exxon are entitled to up to $500 million in state subsidies and the state is prohibited from negotiating with other potential pipeline sponsors, under the AGIA terms.
The other sponsor is a joint venture created by BP and ConocoPhillips, the two other major North Slope producers. That venture, called Denali, is proceeding outside of the AGIA terms.
Sen. Mark Begich, the Alaska Democrat who recommended Persily to Obama, called him "is an excellent choice for this important position."
"His credentials are outstanding and I look forward to working with Larry to move an Alaska natural gas pipeline project to reality," Begich said in a statement.
Obama also nominated Patricia Hoffman as assistant secretary for electricity delivery and energy reliability in the Department of Energy. Hoffman had 14 years of experience at Energy.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Yereth Rosen, Editing by Marguerita Choy)
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