Economy & Business
RSSAlaska News covers state economic issues including cannabis banking, state dividends, and business development opportunities.
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
Ouzinkie's tsunami shelter is zoned as a house. The borough is about to fix that.
Ouzinkie's tsunami shelter — on an island you can only reach by boat — is officially zoned as a single-family house, a leftover from a closed airstrip. The borough votes July 16 to fix 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
A zoning board overruled its own staff to green-light a Girdwood building
Anchorage's zoning board overruled its own staff to approve a Girdwood building — a setback from what's basically a parking lot made no sense to enforce. Girdwood itself said nothing.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 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 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
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
Stalled disaster funds are now building 48 homes in Anchorage and Cordova
Nearly $7M in disaster-recovery money that sat idle after a stalled Habitat project is finally building 48 senior and family homes in Anchorage and Cordova.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo 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
A Kodiak rezone pitched as conservation would also curb development
A Kodiak landowner wants to rezone oceanfront lots as "conservation" — bigger parcels, a salmon-creek buffer, and, not incidentally, a lot less development on the coast.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission to weigh shop-house and self-storage ordinances
Anchorage's Planning and Zoning Commission will vote on making homes easier to build in commercial zones while restricting large parking lots and self-storage facilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 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
Gavora Mall, two other Fairbanks properties seek grandfather rights at July 16 hearing
Gavora Mall and two other Fairbanks properties will seek grandfather rights on July 16, allowing uses built before current zoning rules to continue without permits.
by Maggie 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
Petersburg's cell tower rules advance, flaws and all
Petersburg advanced new cell-tower rules 5-0 — but a vice mayor called the 15-amendment process "deeply flawed," and residents are fighting cuts to safety setbacks.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 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
Wasilla moves to reject a 59-unit affordable housing project
Wasilla is set to formally deny a 59-unit affordable housing project — a clash between a real housing shortage and neighbors who want the site to stay commercial.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 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
Rural Alaska contract workers lost a federal wage floor; the state stepped in
Rural Alaska's federal contract workers lost their $17.75 floor last year. What's saving their paychecks now? Alaska's own $14 minimum wage.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Noatak Airport relocation triggers water quality review as river erodes toward runway
River erosion is forcing Noatak to relocate its airport, and the Army Corps of Engineers opened a water quality review that must clear before construction can start on a new site 1.5 miles west.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
State opens bids for Chenega Bay airport maintenance contract
Alaska is seeking a new maintenance contractor for Chenega Bay Rural Airport in Prince William Sound, with bids due July 16 and award expected by July 28.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska doubles bulk fuel loan cap to $1.5 million for rural communities
Alaska doubled the bulk fuel loan cap to $1.5 million for rural communities starting July 3, helping villages and fuel retailers cover winter heating oil purchases before customer payments arrive.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Northern Region roads return to full summer loads Friday
Alaska lifts spring weight limits on most Northern Region roads Friday, July 10, letting commercial haulers return to full legal loads, except Tofty Road into Tanana stays capped at 75 percent.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Deadhorse Airport paving set for mid-July after holiday pause
Deadhorse Airport paving is set for mid-July as crews work through the Arctic construction season to fix aging pavement and drainage that support North Slope oil and gas operations.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Homer sets policy framework for future water and sewer rate changes
Homer City Council adopted a policy framework Tuesday that will guide future water and sewer rate increases, though no specific rate changes take effect yet.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Federal settlement sends $180 million to Port of Alaska modernization
Federal settlement sends $180 million to the Port of Alaska's $2.7 billion modernization program, reducing pressure for tariff increases that could raise fuel and grocery prices statewide.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai Peninsula planners to weigh road and bridge over salmon creek in Anchor Point
Kenai Peninsula Borough planners will decide July 20 whether to allow a road and bridge over an anadromous creek in Anchor Point, a project that requires a conditional use permit under borough code.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
