Economy & Business
RSSAlaska News covers state economic issues including cannabis banking, state dividends, and business development opportunities.
On Alaska's federal job sites, the highest-paid worker is a diver
New federal wage rules for Alaska construction show the pay hierarchy — underwater divers top it at $92.83/hour, earning more the deeper they go. Electricians make about $55.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Juneau may spend its last prime waterfront lot on a bathroom
Juneau's last prime chunk of downtown waterfront might become… a public restroom and a covered spot to stand. At least one Assembly member is asking if that's really the best use.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska LNG's cheap-gas promise hinges on exports — and on costs staying in line
New state numbers on Alaska LNG: exports are what make gas cheap for Alaskans (about $5/mcf vs. $12.65 without them), but a cost overrun could push the export price above what buyers pay.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska wants out of a diesel rule that shuts trucks down in the cold
A pollution-cutting fluid that freezes at 12°F can force Alaska diesels to shut down in deep cold — and the state wants an exemption before the federal rule tightens in 2027.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
A salmon hatchery wants to grow at Sitka's old pulp mill site
Sitka may lease a second lot at its old pulp mill site to the nonprofit behind much of Southeast's salmon hatchery production — room for the fish supply to grow.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kenai council grants Tidewater LLC 10-year first right of refusal on Denina Point Estate
Kenai City Council unanimously gave developer Tidewater LLC a 10-year first right to buy the city-owned Dena'ina Point Estates parcel and committed $54,219 toward subdivision costs.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Bethel lands $3.4M for water — and won't pay most of it back
Bethel's picking up $3.38M in state water loans that get fully forgiven once spent — a near-free upgrade for a town where plenty of people still haul their own water.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
On the North Slope, the oil field grows a few thousand cubic yards at a time
ConocoPhillips wants to lay gravel for two small Kuparuk expansions — the kind of routine, acre-at-a-time growth critics say is exactly how the North Slope's footprint quietly spreads.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Air Force opens bidding to lease 4,400 acres at Eielson for private development
Air Force is leasing 4,400 acres at Eielson to a private developer for up to 50 years, with proposals due August 10. The developer covers all costs and environmental cleanup on contaminated sites.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau's Áak'w Landing project shrinks to a third its size
Huna Totem cut its Áak'w Landing development to a third its planned size after costs jumped from $150M to $250M+ — though all the promised public features stay.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Whale watching incident in Coghlan Cut prompts operator inquiry at Juneau task force
A whale watching incident in Coghlan Cut prompted Juneau's Visitor Industry Task Force to request details on which operators use the waterway under voluntary oversight programs.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Eaglecrest interviews GM finalist, holds Goldbelt conversation amid $1.9M deficit
Eaglecrest interviewed its sole general manager finalist and met with potential partner Goldbelt as the ski area faces a $1.9 million deficit and pressure to balance its budget by November.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau airport board votes July 9 on $50,697 local match for tower roof grant
Juneau airport board votes July 9 on spending $50,697 from reserves to match a $963,247 federal grant for replacing the air traffic control tower roof.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau invites Goldbelt to partner on Eaglecrest with two firm conditions
Juneau invited Goldbelt to invest in Eaglecrest Ski Area if it keeps city ownership and the deal stays separate from Goldbelt's West Douglas cruise dock proposal.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau task force takes up cruise cap criteria Thursday, with dock pressure looming
Juneau's task force meets Thursday to draft criteria for future cruise passenger cap changes, with a potential dock expansion by Goldbelt poised to test those rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min readAI
Doyon wants to raise Fort Richardson water rates by nearly half
Doyon wants to hike Fort Richardson water rates by nearly 51 percent — and some JBER families would eat a wastewater increase on top of it. Comment by July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Juneau's only runway closes overnight, and the medevac plan matters
Juneau's only paved runway closes overnight this weekend for repairs — and since you can't drive to Juneau, there's a backup plan for emergency medevacs, though it wasn't spelled out.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Wasilla's sewer plan is 25 years old — and it's stalling development
Wasilla's sewer master plan hasn't been touched since 1999, and the gap is already slowing new housing — now the city may take $75K in state money to finally update it.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Oliktok Pipeline seeks 160% rate hike on North Slope gas segments
Oliktok Pipeline is seeking to nearly triple gas transportation rates on three North Slope segments, with new rates set to take effect Aug. 1, 2026, pending Regulatory Commission of Alaska approval.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau's tower grant comes with a catch: it drains the airport's savings
The FAA will cover most of the $1M fix for Juneau's 1987-era control tower — but the airport's small share would drain nearly half its already-thin savings.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Juneau's dangerous Egan Drive left turn is finally getting a signal
A $12.15M federal grant will finally put a signal at Juneau's Egan-Yandukin intersection, where left-turners cross highway traffic blind and pedestrians can't cross safely.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Juneau Commission on Aging hears Capital AKcess ridership is rising as ADA approvals grow
Capital AKcess ridership is rising in Juneau as more seniors get ADA approvals, and transit staff told the Commission on Aging they are improving the application process and dispatch system.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau tourism task force faces a fork: which planning model fits the capital?
Juneau's Visitor Industry Task Force will choose July 16 among three tourism planning models, each with different timelines and budgets ranging from seven to 18 months.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
One fuel supplier, no backup: Juneau pilots want an alternative
Juneau's airport has one aviation-gas supplier, a markup pilots peg near 33%, and no backup. So 50+ pilots want a fuel farm — and dispute a plan claiming there's no problem.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
A slowdown on the Seward Highway this week
A 45 mph limit is on between mileposts 14 and 16 on the Seward Highway for roadside cleanup through July 15 — a stretch that's part of the road's crash-prone Safety Corridor.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
For a roadless village, an airport lease is really about the lifeline
For roadless Chefornak, the airport is the only way in or out — so a routine state lease keeping the FAA's weather and navigation gear running matters more than it sounds.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
King Cove finally gets its road, and the lawsuits are still coming
King Cove's long-fought road to the Cold Bay airport has its final federal permit, with construction due in 30 days. Three lawsuits over the refuge land swap are still pending.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Anchorage wetlands plan gets first update in over a decade as federal rules shift
Anchorage's wetlands permit rules changed in 2021 when federal oversight shifted, and the city's 2014 management plan is finally getting its first update to reflect that reality.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
A tribal housing authority wants to build 40 affordable homes on wetlands
A tribal housing authority wants to build 40 affordable homes in Southeast — but first it has to fill 4 acres of wetlands, and the state review of that just opened for comment.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Mat-Su power bills climb as Alaska's energy squeeze bites
Mat-Su electric bills are rising about $14.53 a month — driven by a cold spring, low hydro, and new Hilcorp gas-storage fees, a snapshot of Southcentral's tight energy supply.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Justice Department concedes Biden-era Arctic Refuge leasing program violated the law
The Justice Department conceded Alaska was right that the 2024 Arctic Refuge leasing program violated federal law by capping development below what Congress allowed.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
State agency warns Girdwood Parks Plan shows unauthorized trails on airport land
Alaska DOT&PF told Anchorage the Girdwood Parks Master Plan maps four trail segments across state airport property without permission, risking public access conflicts with aviation uses.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska's investment arm hands its director more power over public money
AIDEA gave its director a standing $4.5M fund and the power to pick which projects get vetted with public money — faster, but with less board and public visibility.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago2 min readAI
Trump declares Iran ceasefire over after U.S. strikes on Iranian targets
Trump declared a ceasefire with Iran over after U.S. strikes on Iranian targets overnight, saying he no longer wants to negotiate with the country.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai council funds $110K roof shortfall, sets Oct. 31 deadline for Senior Center and shelter work
Kenai City Council approved $110,000 Tuesday to fix roofs at the senior center and animal shelter by Oct. 31 after a bid came in higher than expected.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Four ferries in the shop make for a lean Alaska winter
Four Alaska ferries will be down for repairs this winter — one for five months after crews found corroded steel — thinning service for roadless towns that depend on it.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Anchorage won $191 million for the port that feeds Alaska
Anchorage won a record $191M from the federal government, all of it going to rebuild the port that brings in 90% of Alaska's food and fuel — and to keep those costs off Alaskans' bills.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Tessera hiring event comes to Mat-Su Job Center July 29
Tessera is hiring veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities at the Mat-Su Job Center on July 29 for facility management, manufacturing, and warehousing roles.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
USDA expands disaster pay for Alaska fish farms, livestock, and beekeepers
Fish farms now qualify for federal disaster pay covering bird predation losses at $600 per acre. • Livestock owners get full market value for animals killed by protected predators, up from 75%. • Beekeepers and tree growers also see expanded coverage under USDA policy changes effective Wednesday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min readAI
The company behind Fort Knox is prospecting for gold near Delta Junction
The Kinross subsidiary that runs Fort Knox, Alaska's biggest gold mine, wants to drill for a new deposit near Delta Junction, in a salmon-bearing river drainage. It's exploration, not a mine yet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
