the office closest to where the application for permit if to be granted. Possible political manipulation With the completion of the project initially set to occur just two months prior to Governor Fortuño's re-election bid in November 2012, National Public Radio has also wondered if the project may be politically motivated. Alternatives There have also been accusations that the government has not been forthcoming in its evaluations of alternatives to the gas pipeline. In February 2012, a marine engineer from Excelerate Energy stated that "there isn't a single impediment of significance, be it structural or economic, that would make it impossible for the electrical units on the north [shore of Puerto Rico] to connect to barges to receive natural gas...and anyone stating the opposite doesn't know what he is talking about." This is contrary to what government spokesmen Miguel Cordero López, ex-executive director of Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica, and Daniel Pagán Rosa, the government's lead advisor of the Vía Verde project, had been reporting "for the last 17 months." The fact that Excelerate Energy signed a contract to supply liquid-to-gas natural gas conversion barges to the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica's southern unit at Aguirre, says Casa Pueblo founder Alexis Massol González, defeats the government's efforts to sell this "absurd" Gasoducto idea to the people. The government had claimed that off-shore barges were not a viable alternative. In an article titled Barcazas pueden sustituir Gasoducto del Norte (Barges can substitute Gasoducto del Norte) it was reported that barges are a viable alternative to the Gasoducto. On 30 May 2012, the Puerto Rico Senate held hearings on the project and found that "the temporary transition to propane gas and the future delivery of natural gas via offshore vessels and submarine gas pipelines are viable alternatives, both from the technical as well as the financial perspectives", to the Gasoducto del Norte. Conflict of interests Congressman Luis Gutierrez has stated that the main contract for designing the pipeline has gone to a company which has admitted having no experience in designing gas pipelines and which is owned by "the skiing partner of the [sitting] governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño." See also Timeline of Gasoducto del Norte project. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. "Crónica de un proyecto manipulado." La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1490. Pages 6–7. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.) Video of Congressman Luis Gutierrez address before the