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About The Study
Although municipalities affected by the development of a gas pipeline negotiated under the stranded gas act will likely benefit in the long term, in the short term they are faced with potential increased demand for public services without increased tax revenue to pay for those services. Thus, the need for an accurate assessment of the socio-economic impacts of a project becomes critical. In addition, municipalities have been told to forego tax income associated with construction of a gas project at a time when both the state and municipalities (and by association, school districts) are experiencing revenue shortfalls and are cutting budgets, further underscoring the need for a complete socio-economic impact study.
The affected municipalities need to first develop a broad understanding of the social and economic impacts as well as the revenue impacts that will most certainly arise as a result of proposed multi-billion dollar gas pipeline development. Mid-American has estimated the 745 mile long line would cost roughly 6.3 billion dollars. Whatever organization(s) ultimately builds the pipe and moves the gas, it will be a multi-billion dollar project directly impacting the North Slope Borough and Interior Alaska and indirectly impacting the entire state. Other areas of the state that will feel an increase in activity resulting from such a project are the Municipality of Anchorage and the port of Valdez, as they will both experience increased port activity, together with secondary impacts of project construction elsewhere in the state.
Information Insights proposes to gather information from a wide variety of sources to ensure a comprehensive and realistic picture of project impacts. A project of this magnitude and complexity will require that information be provided by a variety of entities including local, state and federal government agencies, project applicants, local service providers and community key informants just to name a few. Information Insights has experience working with and guarding sensitive data. All staff involved in the project will be required to sign data confidentiality agreements, and to ensure that data files will not be accessible to persons outside the project team. Everyone on the team recognizes that our professional reputations depend on absolute assurance of data confidentiality. Information will be gathered primarily through research and review of existing local, state and federal data, data requests and interviews of key informants and stakeholders.
Information Insights proposes to first provide an overview of potential project impacts followed by a rigorous assessment of areas that appear to have the highest degree of impact. By providing an overall view of the issues involved and then honing in on those issues that will have the most effect on the municipalities we will assure that we are providing the most useful product possible.