John Sims
President, ENSTAR
29 articles · 9 transcripts · 24 clips
Affiliations
Golden Valley Electric moves to settle rate case as high power costs strain its cash
“A utility is not allowed to charge any rates or any fees on its bill without the approval of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.”
Regulators approve ENSTAR plan to borrow MEA's gas to shore up winter storage
“So we're purchasing gas from the producers, injecting it so that we can pull it out during those colder times when the demand increases in the wintertime.”
Regulators won't decide Hilcorp's gas storage rates for Southcentral until late 2027
“storage is a critical component to how we serve customers and also one of the most valuable services that Hilcorp provides as well”
ENSTAR asks regulators to fast-track a deal to borrow MEA's gas for this winter
ENSTAR wants to borrow 1.2 billion cubic feet of MEA's gas for this winter and return it by 2028. Customers would pay the costs, minus a credit on return.
Cook Inlet gas storage at 69.5% as winter nears, with one field shut in for maintenance
“So significantly more, 1.5 BCF almost was withdrawn from storage in the month of December alone. If you look at the month of March, uh, you can see almost another 1.5 BCF in the month of March alone”
HEX plans to triple its gas deliveries, enough to cover a tenth of demand
HEX plans to triple its contracted gas to ENSTAR by 2027. Even so, it would cover roughly a tenth of Southcentral demand as Cook Inlet keeps declining.
Enstar tells legislators it's 18 days short of gas for winter
“at this point today, NSTAR is 18 days short of gas, which is the equivalent of 3 BCF. And that's for normal temperatures.”
Three Cook Inlet gas storage plans pending for winter demand
“We have to have more storage to be able to store gas so that when we get into those colder temperatures, we can pull it from there because the production in the Cook Inlet isn't high enough to meet the demands of everyone.”
More Mat-Su families are paying at the door to keep their power on, as their co-op runs ahead of budget
More Mat-Su families are paying at the door to keep their power on — nearly $472,000 this year — even as their co-op runs $4.9 million ahead of budget.
Dunleavy says he is ending gas line special session, blames legislative leaders
“Now, if deliveries come as expected from the Cook Inlet for the remainder of the year, we will be 1 BCF short, which means I'll need 6 days of gas in the middle of winter for folks.”
Hilcorp says opposing the tax isn't opposing the gas line
Hilcorp told the gas-line caucus that opposing a targeted tax on the company isn't opposing the pipeline, even as that tax deadlocks the bill in Juneau.
Enstar tells Alaska Gas Line Caucus it could be 18 days short of gas this winter
“if deliveries maintain at the same rate we're getting them, We will be 3 BCF short for this upcoming winter.”
Legislators to hear the case for a gas line as the effort stalls
A minority caucus will host an Anchorage gasline listening session with only supporters, as the effort sits stalled in a third special session with no bill.
Utility warns of rolling blackouts in Southcentral as soon as this winter
At a Municipality of Anchorage press conference last week, MEA's CEO warned that Southcentral could see rolling blackouts as soon as November if Cook Inlet gas falls short — the first time in 45 years he says he can't guarantee power.
Where Alaska's gas-line tax deal stands, and what's still stuck
“the fixed price at $16 per MMBtu, not subject to cost overruns, but it is subject to an annual inflation factor”
NMFS issues renewal IHA to HEX Operating for Cook Inlet natural gas activities
“Hopping into HEX. So, this is kind of an important point. HEX is the second largest producer in the Cook Inlet.”
Cook Inlet gas production falls to 61 Bcf in 2025
Cook Inlet gas production fell to 61 billion cubic feet in 2025, matching annual regional demand with no winter cushion. • Daily output of 200 million cubic feet falls short of peak winter demand of 320 million cubic feet per day. • Hilcorp has drilled 192 wells since 2012 and spent $1.5 billion just to hold production steady as individual wells decline 30 to 40 percent annually. • Utilities are developing LNG import terminals to fill the gap, targeting first imports in 2027 to 2029.
MEA seeks RCA approval to pass gas storage costs to ratepayers
“storage is a critical component to how we serve customers and also one of the most valuable services that Hilcorp provides”
Enstar faces 2033 supply gap as Hilcorp contract expires, no Cook Inlet producer can match drilling scale
“there's no one else in Cook Inlet that has the balance sheet to be drilling 192 wells over a 10-year period.”
ENSTAR Caps the Price. Stedman Eyes the Debt.
“That is not subject to cost overruns. One of the biggest differences between, you know, a lot of people say, well why, why wouldn't you just pay $16 for Cook Inlet, Cook Inlet gas? Well, the biggest difference is this is firm.”
ENSTAR says Cook Inlet output has fallen to a fifth of its 1990s peak, with its firm contract ending in 2033
“This is the last contract like this you will ever see in the Cook Inlet. We cannot contract for firm supplies of this nature. We've tried for a number of years. No one is willing to provide it.”
Two firms seek competing gas-storage leases at Kenai Loop field
“the long term plan for nstar additional storage is critical”
Alaska LNG seeks 90% property tax cut; Kenai Peninsula pushes back
Alaska LNG is seeking a 90 percent property tax cut to proceed, but Kenai Peninsula Borough says the cut would cost local governments about $30 million annually needed to cover project impacts.
Hilcorp seeks Cook Inlet gas storage lease at Beluga River — part of how Southcentral plans to get through winter as gas production declines
“How do we get to that 320? We supplant that with storage that we've procured, whether it's Cook Inlet, Natural Gas Storage, Alaska.”
Southcentral utilities warn of steep rate hikes as Cook Inlet gas dwindles
“If you look at the rates that were charged to the Anchorage school district in 2025, add a 30% increase onto that, it equates to about 1.5 million additional dollars per year that the school has to pay for”
Cook Inlet gas production drops 60% since 2010
“We've dropped from about 350 million a day down to around 200 million a day”
ENSTAR says it locked in a price for Alaska LNG
“This contract expires in 2033 and we have to find a replacement for 162 million a day. And there's no one in the cooking that can provide that today.”
Oklo 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.
Record cold pushed Anchorage's gas demand to an all-time high, just as the supply is running out
“Now, that would be a 40-year, 50-year weather event where it's sustained 25 below here in Anchorage.”
