Sarah's pipeline deal : why is Alaska paying a private firm to build the

[hedgehog]

pipeline? I'm assuming that the pipeline will be privately owned, so why is Alaska paying for it. Shouldn't the pipeline consortium be paying Alaska for the privilege?

FACT: That infrastructure project has not yet been approved by Federal regulators. The proposed pipeline would ship natural gas from the Alaska's North Slope to homes and businesses across the U.S. In June, the Alaskan legislature, with Palin's prodding, agreed to pay Canadian energy company TransCanada $500 million as an incentive to build the pipeline.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Conventions/Story?id=5726571&page=2