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Week of May 18
Alaska LNG Project Shifts Focus to In-State Gas, Delays Export Phase
Alaska LNG delays exports, focuses first on supplying in-state gas from North Slope to Cook Inlet. • Lawmakers debate tying tax breaks to a required gas line serving Fairbanks. • Company warns narrow financial window and limited pipeline capacity pose challenges. • Governor says tax breaks are needed to compete with cheaper energy projects elsewhere.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
King Salmon Fishing Closed Across Tanana Drainage Due to Yukon Forecast
Alaska closed all king salmon sport fishing in the Tanana River drainage on May 21 due to a below-average Yukon River forecast, affecting the Chena, Goodpaster, and Salcha Rivers.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Senate Republicans link Cook Inlet gas decline to rural power costs
Senate Republicans warn Cook Inlet gas decline will raise rural power costs through state subsidy program. • Caucus calls energy shortage an existential crisis and pushes Legislature to build gasline instead of importing liquefied gas. • Three priorities set for special session: cut energy costs, create jobs from pipeline, manage resources for public benefit.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska DOT imposes four-tier weight limits on Northern Region roads
Alaska DOT limits truck weights on Northern Region roads starting May 21 due to spring thaw. • Restrictions range from 50 to 100 percent of legal axle load depending on road condition. • Major highways like Parks Highway stay at full weight, while rural roads drop to 50 percent. • Elliot and Dalton highways exempt from seasonal limits.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readAlaska EMS Compact Folded Into Omnibus Bill, Passes Senate 13-7
Alaska Senate passed SB 256 on May 20, joining an interstate compact that lets EMTs and paramedics work across state lines without separate licenses in each state, while Alaska keeps full authority over discipline and scope of practice.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readOklo targets 2030 for Alaska's first small nuclear reactor at Eielson
Oklo builds Alaska's first small nuclear reactor at Eielson Air Force Base, starting 2027, operating 2030. • 5 megawatts electricity plus steam for base heating needs. • Over 300 construction jobs, 70 to 80 permanent positions. • Based on proven fast reactor design with 400 years global experience.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska raises wildfire alert as dry grass fuels 63 early-season fires
Alaska raised wildfire alert to Level 2 as 63 early-season fires burn 368 acres in dry grass. • Most fires are human-caused in Interior Alaska where snow melted but plants haven't greened. • Smokeyjumpers deployed to Sawmill Creek Fire near Delta Junction after campfire start. • Agency urges caution and debris clearing as fire season starts earlier due to climate change.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska's Off-Grid Communities Face Rising Diesel Costs as Governor Promotes Solar Alternative
Alaska Governor Dunleavy urged the state's 220-plus off-grid communities to adopt solar power paired with batteries and diesel backup to cut fuel costs as diesel prices rise for winter orders.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
More from Interior
National Lab, University of Alaska Fairbanks sign energy partnership
National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Alaska Fairbanks expanded their partnership Wednesday to focus on critical minerals, energy infrastructure, and workforce development for Alaska's energy sector.
by Melinda Communities.News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG project secures financing proposals, targets 2027 construction start
Alaska LNG secured private financing to build 800-mile pipeline from North Slope to Cook Inlet, targeting 2027 construction start and 2029 gas delivery. • Needs tax stabilization law and utility regulator approval to proceed. • Export facility would sell 20 million tonnes of LNG yearly, mostly to Asia. • Project addresses Cook Inlet gas shortage and aims to lower Alaska energy costs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption
Alaska House passed bill raising tobacco and vape purchase age from 19 to 21, matching federal law. • New statewide tax on vaping products will fund smoking education programs. • Bill includes exemption for premium cigar lounges meeting strict requirements. • Penalties for underage possession lowered to $100 with no court appearance required.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Alaska Senate panel hears gas line bill with $900M annual tax break
Alaska Senate reviewed gas pipeline bill cutting annual taxes from $1 billion to $74 million. • Developer could earn $5 billion yearly while consumers face gas prices more than double current rates. • Bill includes $50 million construction fund and requires Fairbanks spur line. • Senators questioned if impact funds adequately address community needs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska House Passes Baby Box Bill 35-5
Alaska House passed SB 9 on May 19 with a 35-to-5 vote, authorizing baby boxes at hospitals and fire stations where parents can anonymously surrender infants 21 days or younger without legal penalty.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readHouse panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans
A House panel heard testimony on a bill allowing wrongfully convicted Alaskans to reclaim Permanent Fund dividends lost during incarceration, affecting roughly five known cases worth about $107,852.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska deploys $272M rural health program through regional meetings
Alaska is holding regional planning meetings to decide how to spend a $272 million federal rural health program, with sessions scheduled in Mat-Su Valley on June 4 and Anchorage on Sept. 22.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readAlaska Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Itemized Student Fee Statements
Alaska Senate passed a bill requiring the University of Alaska to send students itemized fee statements showing exactly what they pay for, heading to the governor.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readAbout Interior
Interior Alaska is the region centered on Fairbanks and the Tanana Valley, spanning the land between the Alaska Range and the Brooks Range. It includes the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, North Pole, Delta Junction, Healy and Nenana, along with villages such as Fort Yukon, Manley Hot Springs and Lake Minchumina.
Its continental climate brings extreme temperature swings and winter storms, and the Parks, Steese, Elliott, Dalton and Tok Cutoff highways cross summits where winter weather makes driving difficult. The region is also seismically active, and earthquakes there are felt across the road system.
Rural villages rely on small utilities, federally subsidized air service and Tanana Chiefs Conference, the regional tribal organization, for services such as water, planning and grant writing. Golden Valley supplies electricity to the region, and federal land managers set trail and subsistence rules for areas such as the White Mountains, the Steese and Gates of the Arctic.
More from Interior
Deadhorse Airport fence project reaches 3,500 feet of installation
Crews installed 3,500 feet of fence at Deadhorse Airport. • Work continues on 24 Northern Region road and bridge projects. • Travelers should check 511 for ongoing construction delays.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min readKing Salmon Fishing Banned Across Tanana Drainage Due to Yukon Forecast
Alaska banned all king salmon sport fishing in the Tanana River drainage, including catch-and-release, due to a forecast for below-average Yukon River king salmon returns this year.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min readOne Spot Left in Denali Wildfire and Wildlife Workshop for Educators
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has one opening left in a June 1-3 wildfire and wildlife workshop for educators in Denali National Park.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readWeek of May 11
Gas line tax break delivers 20% savings, far less than competing states
Alaska's gas line tax break gives developers a 20% savings, far less than the 65% savings they'd get under a 10-year tax holiday like Texas and Louisiana offer, a consultant told lawmakers Saturday.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House Passes Paid Parental Leave, Exempts Seasonal Workers from Sick Leave
Alaska House passed the state's first paid parental leave program but exempted seasonal workers from a voter-approved paid sick leave mandate.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readSenate panel advances bill requiring humans in autonomous commercial vehicles
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill requiring human operators in autonomous commercial vehicles, despite industry warnings it would halt testing in the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Railbelt grid operator holds five subcommittee meetings in eight days
The Railbelt Transmission Organization held five subcommittee meetings in eight days this month to work on grid standards, rates, and transmission planning across Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Fairbanks.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readDNR receives 24 placer mining applications for Interior Alaska gold districts
Alaska's Department of Natural Resources is reviewing 24 placer mining applications for Interior gold districts, part of the typical 100 to 200 statewide applications the agency processes each year.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readSenate panel advances judicial nominee who sued judges over abortion questions
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Mike Miller to the Alaska Judicial Council despite his past lawsuit over judicial abortion views.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Autonomous vehicle bill advances despite state warnings on outdated standards
A bill requiring human drivers in autonomous vehicles stalled in the Alaska Senate after state officials warned it uses outdated standards and could block innovation.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases
Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases it says lack economic analysis and could deter future investment.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House panel hears gas line tax bill with 15-cent volumetric fee
House panel heard a bill replacing property taxes on the Alaska LNG pipeline with a 15-cent volumetric tax, projected to generate $10 million for the state in 2029.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Fairbanks council blocks mayor's cabin deal, demands open bidding
Fairbanks City Council rejected Mayor O'Neall's cabin lease deal on May 13 and ordered open bidding instead, likely delaying the downtown riverfront space's opening through summer tourism season.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readHouse rejects Galena school funding swap after dramatic rescind vote
The Alaska House rejected a plan to strip $5 million in school funding from Galena and redirect it to projects in Anchorage, the Mat-Su, and Fairbanks, voting 20-19 after a dramatic rescind sequence.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readYukon Chum Salmon Forecast Misses Escapement Goal, Triggers Fishery Closures
Alaska closed sport fishing for chum salmon in the Yukon River drainage after forecasting only 345,600 fish against a 500,000 minimum goal, with subsistence fishing closing June 1.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readPoint Thomson Gas Blowdown Could Cost Alaska 65M Barrels of Condensate
Switching Point Thomson from gas cycling to blowdown for the proposed gas pipeline would sacrifice roughly 65 million barrels of condensate, state regulators told lawmakers Wednesday.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Unorganized Borough Gains First Seat on Boundary Commission
Alaska Legislature passed a bill giving the Unorganized Borough its first seat on the commission that decides municipal boundaries and incorporations.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readFrom State partners with Skagway startup to sell Alaska-made goods online
Alaska's Made in Alaska program launches a free online marketplace with Skagway startup Voyij on June 1, giving permit holders access to 10 million cruise and airline customers at no upfront cost.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAlaska Gear Company wins 2024 Manufacturer of Year; 2025 nominations open
Alaska's Made in Alaska Program is accepting nominations through May 29, 2026 for its 2025 Manufacturer of the Year award, which recognizes Alaska-based manufacturers for growth and innovation.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readHouse panel adopts fiscal note for Alaska Native languages task force bill
Alaska House Education Committee approved funding details for a bill creating a task force to assess how the state supports its 23 Alaska Native languages.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Gas tax hike could net Alaska $590M over pipeline life, analysis shows
Raising Alaska's gas production tax by 1 percentage point could generate $590 million over 30 years once the Alaska LNG project exports begin in 2033, without raising in-state gas prices.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances bill barring felons from school boards
Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill Tuesday that would ban convicted felons from school boards statewide, prompted by a 2022 Tok election that left students concerned about safety.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Recognizing Gold, Silver as Legal Tender
Alaska Legislature passed a bill recognizing gold and silver as legal tender and exempting those transactions from local sales taxes, sending it to Governor Dunleavy for signature.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate Passes Right to Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate passed a right to repair bill May 11 requiring manufacturers to provide parts and tools so consumers can fix electronics instead of replacing them.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
