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Thursday, Jun 4
Four Alaska co-ops file community solar tariffs in two-day span
Four Alaska electric cooperatives filed community solar programs this week, letting members buy shares in shared arrays instead of installing rooftop panels.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open 10 wildfire investigations as Red Flag Warnings signal critical conditions
Alaska fire agencies opened investigations into at least 10 wildfires across the state between June 2 and June 5 as the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for critical fire conditions in multiple regions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
A House bill on NOAA workplace safety is built on data from Alaska — where a third of fisheries observers report harassment or assault
A House bill to strengthen sexual harassment protections at NOAA is built on data from Alaska's North Pacific Observer Program, where nearly one third of the roughly 400 annual observers report harassment or assault.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, Delta
Alaska suspended burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, and Delta from June 1-4 due to hot, dry, windy conditions that sparked multiple fires from escaped debris burns and unattended campfires.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
DEC opens comment on Trans Alaska Pipeline spill plan renewal
Alaska's environmental agency opened public comment on the Trans Alaska Pipeline's spill-response plan renewal through March 5, covering the 800-mile system from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Four Alaska utilities file community-energy tariffs in 72 hours
Four Alaska utilities filed tariff proposals this week to launch community-energy programs under 2024 state law, letting renters and homeowners buy shares in shared renewable projects without rooftop equipment.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska raises rural power subsidy floor, cutting support $3M
Alaska's Regulatory Commission proposed raising the Power Cost Equalization baseline rate nearly 10 percent, cutting rural electricity subsidies by about $3 million. • The subsidy shrinks when urban power costs rise because the baseline is tied to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau rates. • Chugach Electric and Fairbanks power costs are climbing, driven partly by diesel dependence and higher gas prices.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG developer says financing secured, eyes 2027 start
Alaska LNG developer says financing is secured and construction could start in early 2027, with gas flowing to Cook Inlet by late 2029, pending legislative approval of tax terms and regulatory sign-off on a gas supply deal.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min readMore from Southcentral
Alaska LNG nears Enstar supply deal as Cook Inlet gas declines
Alaska LNG is near a deal to supply North Slope gas to Southcentral Alaska homes and businesses through Enstar Natural Gas at prices below imported LNG, with pipeline construction set to start in early 2027 and gas delivery by late 2029.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Bronson files to run for Alaska governor
Dave Bronson, Anchorage mayor from 2021 to 2024, filed to run for Alaska governor as a Republican, pledging to cut bureaucracy and boost resource development. The primary is August 18, 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Trump says China agreed to buy 200 Boeing planes, up to 750 total
Trump said China agreed to buy at least 200 Boeing planes with a promise of up to 750 total, plus 400 to 450 General Electric engines, as part of trade deals made during his Beijing visit.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Wednesday, Jun 3
Southcentral utilities warn of steep rate hikes as Cook Inlet gas dwindles
MEA and ENSTAR told lawmakers Southcentral electricity and heating bills will jump $21 to $31 monthly starting in 2029 when Cook Inlet gas contracts expire and utilities switch to costlier imported liquefied natural gas.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Cook Inlet gas production drops 60% since 2010
Cook Inlet natural gas production has dropped 60% since 2010 to 200 million cubic feet per day, leaving winter demand unmet and forcing utilities to plan for costly LNG imports starting in 2033.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Five candidates file for Alaska governor in 2026 race
Five candidates filed to run for Alaska governor in 2026, including former senators Lesil McGuire and Tom Begich, former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, Mat-Su Borough mayor Edna DeVries, and author Henry Kroll. • Incumbent Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term. • The nonpartisan primary is August 18, 2026, with the general election November 3, 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min readKenai adopts $42.1M budget with swim team grant, airport upgrade
Kenai City Council adopted a $42.1 million budget for fiscal year 2027, approving $296,402 in amendments for a swim team grant, airport billing automation expected to recover $130,000 in missed revenue, and council chambers technology upgrades.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago1 min read
Kenai limits tent camping to 2 tents per property, defines 3+ as campground
Kenai allows up to two tents on private property indefinitely, but three or more tents now require conditional-use approval and are classified as a campground.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago2 min read
About Southcentral
Southcentral Alaska is the region of the state centered on Anchorage, its population center and transportation hub. It spans the Kenai Peninsula, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, and reaches communities such as Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Seward, Cordova, Palmer, Wasilla and Eagle River.
Much of the region's civic life runs through the Anchorage Assembly, the Kenai Peninsula and Matanuska-Susitna borough assemblies, and city councils. Questions of housing and zoning come up often, along with who pays to extend water and sewer lines to building sites. School budgets, road safety on its highways and oil and gas operations in Cook Inlet also return.
The Kenai River and Cook Inlet tie the region to fishing, and the Parks Highway and Seward Highway link its communities. Windstorms that cut power and trooper reports from the Matanuska-Susitna area are common subjects as well.
More from Southcentral
Cordova holds property tax rate flat at 11.44 mills for 2026
Cordova City Council voted 7-0 to keep the property tax mill rate at 11.44 mills for 2026, holding steady despite rising city costs after residents warned that higher taxes would force fishing families out of town.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Wasilla woman faces fentanyl, heroin charges after traffic stop
Alaska State Troopers arrested Wasilla resident Kristena Bannon, 42, on May 28 after finding fentanyl and heroin during a traffic stop, charging her with two counts of controlled-substance possession.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Alaska keeps veto power over LNG project despite 25% stake
Alaska keeps veto power over major Alaska LNG decisions despite owning only 25 percent of the joint venture with Glenfarne Group, including approval rights over contracts, capital requests, and rate structures that prioritize in-state gas use.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Federal highway chief commits to King Cove Road action
Federal Highway Administrator committed to finalize the Road, an 11-mile project connecting the community to Cold Bay's airport, and will visit Alaska in late June.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ConocoPhillips files amended Meltwater easement application
ConocoPhillips filed an amended application to renew a state easement for surface access to Meltwater infrastructure on the North Slope, with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources accepting public comment through its Permitting Section.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Earth Sciences ask DNR for fuel cache permit in western Alaska Range
Alaska Earth Sciences seeks a permit to place 11 fuel caches in the western Alaska Range this summer, storing up to 55 gallons of jet fuel at each site. Public comments are due June 3 to DNR.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Native Heritage Center collects traditional foods for typhoon relief
The Alaska Native Heritage Center is collecting traditional Native food donations for about 1,600 people displaced by Typhoon Halong in Western Alaska, with drop-off instructions available at its Anchorage campus.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska offers fast-track fall training for substance-abuse counselors
Alaska is offering fast-track fall certification courses for substance-abuse counselors to address critical shortages in rural communities hit hard by overdose deaths and fentanyl spread.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Petersburg Medical Center loses bids for facility, equipment grants
Petersburg Medical Center's two largest grant proposals for a new facility and medical equipment were deferred by the state Rural Health Transformation Program on Wednesday, though five smaller projects advanced to a second funding round.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Anchorage veteran preference splits on eligibility, contract scope
Anchorage Assembly weighs two veteran business preference plans with different eligibility and scope. • S-1: 5 percent preference up to $50,000 for any honorably discharged veteran, applies to all contracts. • S-2: limits to Alaska residents separated within five years, sliding scale, bids only, $500,000 lifetime cap. • Effective July 1, 2026 if passed.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Chitina dipnet fishery opens Friday for 60 hours
Alaska Fish and Game cut the Chitina dipnet salmon opening to 60 hours this weekend after sonar counts fell 30,412 salmon short of forecast, triggering an automatic reduction under state management rules.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open 11 wildfire investigations in four days
Alaska fire agencies opened investigations at 11 wildfire locations between June 1 and June 4, spanning the Kenai Peninsula to Interior and Western Alaska, as the National Weather Service issued Red Flag warnings for critical fire weather conditions.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Consultant warns Senate Finance that Alaska LNG faces megaproject risks
Consultant warns Senate Finance that Alaska LNG faces megaproject risks, citing data showing 67% of LNG projects exceed budgets by 70% on average.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday
Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday evening due to warm, dry, windy conditions that could spread fires rapidly. Residents must avoid open burning and spark-producing work like chainsaws and lawnmowers.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su, Kenai burn permits suspended as fire activity surges
Alaska Division of Forestry suspended burn permits across Mat-Su and Kenai-Kodiak starting Monday, June 1, after a surge in human-caused fires sparked by escaped debris burns and unattended campfires during hot, dry, windy conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
The Mat-Su Valley's king salmon fisheries are closed — Anchorage's closest king water joins the Kenai on the bench
Alaska closed all king salmon fishing in Mat-Su Valley drainages, shutting down Anchorage's closest king fishery as the first fish arrived. • The closures follow four years of declining runs and emergency restrictions nearly every season since 2022. • Mat-Su and Kenai rivers, Southcentral's two main king fisheries, are now both closed for 2026.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
The Kenai's kings are closed again — another summer without Alaska's most iconic salmon
Another year with King closures and no easy answer in sight
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ADF&G extends yelloweye rockfish closure in Resurrection Bay through June
Second year in a row Yelloweye Rockfish are down. Don't catch em
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Prince William Sound's spot shrimp are in decline — and harvesters have until Monday to pull gear
Small shrimp, small drop, quick pull, one stop
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ADF&G closes Eagle River to king salmon fishing
Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed king salmon sport fishing in Eagle River from May 1 through July 13 to protect returning fish, part of a broader pattern of emergency closures across Southcentral Alaska as king runs decline.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Soldotna fisherman files for governor on food-security platform
Soldotna commercial fisherman Hank Kroll filed to run for Alaska governor as a Republican. • He proposes acquiring 28 million federal acres and tying Permanent Fund Dividend payments to land transfers to boost food production. • Alaska imports 90 to 95 percent of its food from outside the state.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min readFormer Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson files for Alaska governor
Former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson filed Friday to run for Alaska governor as a Republican, pledging aggressive resource development and lower energy costs.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Nonpartisan files for Anchorage state Senate seat
Nicholas Danger, a 70-year-old health and safety manager, filed as a nonpartisan candidate for Alaska State Senate District G, running on budget cuts, full Permanent Fund dividends, and moving the state capital to Willow.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks wealth manager files for lieutenant governor
Josh Church, a Fairbanks wealth manager and Marine Corps veteran, filed Thursday to run for lieutenant governor in 2026 as a Republican.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
