Alaska Stat. § 31.25.090 – Confidentiality; interagency cooperation

(a) The corporation shall have access to information of departments, agencies, and public corporations of the state that is directly related to the planning, financing, development, acquisition, maintenance, construction, or operation of an in-state natural gas pipeline. The corporation shall avoid duplicating studies, plans, and designs that have already been provided or obtained by other state entities. All departments, agencies, and public corporations of the state shall cooperate with and shall provide information, services, and facilities to the corporation upon its request and, except for requests from the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act coordinator appointed under AS 43.90.250, give priority to processing authorization applications and other requests of the corporation.
(b) Upon request by the corporation, a state entity shall provide water, sand and gravel, other nonhydrocarbon natural resources, and a permit or a lease to the corporation at the usual and customary rates, except as provided in (d) of this section. Review of and action on a request shall be conducted and taken as provided in AS 38.34.020. In this subsection, “state entity” means a state department, authority, or other administrative unit of the executive branch of state government, a public university, or a public corporation of the state.
(c) That part of the cost of providing, under (b) of this section, water, sand and gravel, or other nonhydrocarbon natural resources, or of entering into a lease or issuing a permit, that is borne by the corporation for an in-state natural gas pipeline project that is owned in whole or in part by the corporation may not be included in the rate base in a proceeding under AS 42 or before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
(d) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, the Department of Natural Resources shall grant the corporation a right-of-way lease under AS 38.35 for the gas pipeline transportation corridor at no appraisal or rental cost if
1. (1) a complete right-of-way lease application under AS 38.35.050 is submitted;
2. (2) the lease application is made the subject of notice and other reasonable and appropriate publication requirements under AS 38.35.070; and
3. (3) the corporation submits the application for the right-of-way lease and agrees to be bound by those right-of-way lease covenants set out in
  1. (A) AS 38.35.120 for an in-state natural gas pipeline that the corporation intends to be a common carrier; or
  2. (B) AS 38.35.121 for an in-state natural gas pipeline that the corporation intends to be a contract carrier.
(e) After approval by the commissioner of natural resources, a right-of-way lease received by the corporation under (d) of this section may be transferred to a successor in interest under the same terms and conditions applicable to the right-of-way lease granted to the corporation.
(f) The corporation may enter into confidentiality agreements necessary to acquire or provide information to carry out its functions. If a state agency determines that a law or provision of a contract to which the state agency is a party requires the state agency to preserve the confidentiality of the information and that delivering the information to the corporation would violate the confidentiality provision of that law or contract, the state agency shall
1. (1) identify the applicable law or contract provision to the corporation; and
2. (2) obtain the consent of the person who has the right to waive the confidentiality of the information under the applicable law or contract provision before the state agency transfers the information to the corporation.
(g) The portions of records containing information acquired or provided by the corporation under a confidentiality agreement are not subject to AS 40.25.100 — 40.25.295. The corporation may enter into confidentiality agreements with a public agency, as defined in AS 40.25.220, to allow release of confidential information. The portions of the records and files of a public agency bound by a confidentiality agreement that reflect, incorporate, or analyze information subject to a confidentiality agreement under this subsection are not public records. Confidentiality agreements entered into under this subsection are valid and binding against all parties in accordance with the terms of the confidentiality agreement.
(h) Information and trade secrets of the corporation are confidential and not subject to AS 40.25.100 — 40.25.295 if the corporation determines that disclosure would cause commercial or competitive harm or damage to the corporation. Information that discloses the particulars of a business or the affairs of a private enterprise, investor, advisor, consultant, counsel, or manager that is developed or obtained by the corporation and related to the development, financing, construction, or operation of an in-state natural gas pipeline project by the corporation is confidential and not subject to AS 40.25.100 — 40.25.295. The corporation may waive the confidentiality described in this subsection, except for information that is confidential under another provision of state law or under a federal law or regulation and except for information acquired from another person that is subject to a confidentiality agreement, if the waiver is consistent with the interests of the state and will facilitate the development, financing, or construction of an in-state natural gas pipeline. On the date that the in-state natural gas pipeline project becomes operational, the corporation shall make available, upon request under AS 40.25.100 — 40.25.295, records that were exempt from AS 40.25.100 — 40.25.295 under this subsection or (g) of this section, unless the corporation determines that
1. (1) maintaining the confidentiality of the information is necessary to protect the economic interests of the corporation or the state; or
2. (2) disclosure of the information will violate another provision of state law, a federal law or regulation, or the terms of a confidentiality agreement or other agreement to which the corporation is a party or that is binding on the corporation.
(i) Subject to limitations on the disclosure of confidential information in (g) and (h) of this section, the corporation shall provide to the commissioner of natural resources and the commissioner of revenue access to information that is related to the development of contracts under AS 38.05.020(b)(10) and (11).