When he takes office, President-elect Barack Obama will face numerous difficult challenges as he formulates the nation’s energy policy. He not only has to figure out how to increase domestic energy production while reducing emissions, he has to do so in a way that does not cripple the economy. Ironically, Obama’s harshest critic on the campaign trail may turn out to be his best ally in this effort: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The North Slope of our 49th state has an abundance of frozen natural gas that could be recovered using existing technology and that could heat 100 million American homes for a decade, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Palin says she would be happy to work with the Obama administration to develop this resource to meet the estimated 20 percent increase in demand for natural gas. Palin has already negotiated a $40 billion, 1,715-mile pipeline to deliver the gas to the lower 48 states. That means Democrats in the White House and Congress will be the lone obstacle between American consumers and 84.5 trillion cubic feet of cheap, clean-burning natural gas that can also buy the nation critical time to develop more renewable energy sources.