Economy & Business
RSSAlaska News covers state economic issues including cannabis banking, state dividends, and business development opportunities.
Anchorage Assembly weighs veteran contracting preferences
Anchorage Assembly is deciding between two veteran contracting preference proposals that differ on preference size, eligibility windows, and whether preferences apply to qualifications-based bids or price-based bids only.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min readAI
Four Railbelt utilities file shared-solar tariffs in two days
All four major Railbelt utilities filed tariffs for shared-solar programs on June 2 and 3, letting Alaskans buy shares in renewable facilities without installing rooftop panels and receive credits on their monthly electric bills.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
North Slope pipeline company seeks to double metering capacity at TAPS
Kuparuk Transportation Company asked Alaska regulators to nearly double metering capacity at a key North Slope pipeline pump station, from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day, to handle crude from new oil fields coming online.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
North Slope pipeline seeks 76% metering boost at Pump Station 1
Kuparuk Transportation Company asked Alaska regulators to nearly double metering capacity at its North Slope pipeline connection, raising it from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Alyeska tears down Pump Station 8 near Salcha
Alyeska Pipeline is demolishing Pump Station 8 near Salcha, 30 miles south of Fairbanks, removing buildings and tanks that have sat idle since the station closed in 1996.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
SBA freeze threatens Alaska Native corporations' $9B federal footprint
An SBA freeze on new subsidiary applications threatens Alaska Native corporations' $9 billion annual federal contracting footprint, which supports 50,000 jobs worldwide and returns $300 to $350 million yearly to Alaska Native shareholders.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Trump administration stalls 8(a) applications for Alaska Native corporations
Trump administration stalls new 8(a) applications for Alaska Native corporations amid fraud review. • 2024 lawsuit challenges whether special contracting treatment for Alaska Native firms is constitutional. • Program generated 13.5 billion dollars in revenue in 2022 and employs roughly 50,000 people worldwide.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
North Slope oil production set to jump 76% as new fields come online
Kuparuk Pipeline seeks permits to boost North Slope oil capacity 76 percent, from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day, to handle new fields including the Pikka project. Public comment deadline is June 26.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min readAI
Hilcorp seeks Cook Inlet gas storage lease at Beluga River — part of how Southcentral plans to get through winter as gas production declines
Hilcorp seeks gas storage lease at Beluga River in Cook Inlet to manage Southcentral's winter demand surge. • The site overlaps critical habitat for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale, population around 300. • Alaska Department of Natural Resources is taking public comment on the application.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
ANWR lease sale draws $3.74m in winning bids from AIDEA, Hex Energy
The Arctic Refuge lease sale brought in $3.7 million from two bidders, a modest showing compared with the recent NPR-A sale’s 11 companies and $163 million-plus in receipts.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min readAI
Trump invokes Defense Production Act; makes way for new Alaska coal plant
Trump invoked the Defense Production Act and is trying to push $89m to help build a coal plant in Alaska
by Cale Green3mo ago3 min readAI
HEX Operating files to renew Cook Inlet spill plan
HEX Operating filed June 3 to renew its Cook Inlet oil spill response plan covering potential discharges up to 82,500 barrels. • The renewal comes as HEX expands drilling with state-backed financing, raising stakes for Cook Inlet salmon habitat and subsistence fishing. • Public comment period runs through July 6, with hearing requests due by June 22.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
Sitka's next step in a multi-year federal road safety push — RFQ goes out as SS4A program nears its authorized end
Sitka is hiring a consultant to move its federal road safety project forward before the Safe Streets and Roads for All program's authorization expires September 30, with qualifications due July 8.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min readAI
Hilcorp, ENSTAR seek leases for three Cook Inlet gas storage sites
Hilcorp and ENSTAR filed three applications to convert depleted Cook Inlet gas fields into storage facilities, a move the state says is critical as the inlet's aging reserves decline and supply reliability becomes a concern for Southcentral Alaska.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAIConocoPhillips seeks North Slope road upgrades for Willow haul
ConocoPhillips filed an amended permit Friday to upgrade a North Slope gravel road for hauling Willow oil project modules, expanding the easement footprint by 1.6 acres. Public comment closes June 30.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Bartlett Regional Hospital posts 39 job openings in one week
Bartlett Regional Hospital posted 40 job openings in one week, about half of all Juneau-area listings, spanning nurses, doctors, support staff, and administrative roles as the hospital works to fill vacancies and expand housing for employees.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min readAI
Peltola cites fuel costs as barrier to rural Alaska campaign stops
Democrat Mary Peltola wrapped a rural Alaska campaign tour by small plane and boat to reach villages where fuel costs exceed $6 a gallon, pressing affordability as her main message against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in the August primary.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
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 3mo ago1 min readAI
DNR approves North Slope easement for Hilcorp drilling expansion
Alaska DNR approved a 71.91-acre easement amendment Monday allowing Hilcorp to drill new wells from its North Slope onshore pad through existing leases to reach offshore oil reserves in the Beaufort Sea, with drilling to begin this month.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAICook 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 News3mo ago2 min readAI
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 News3mo ago3 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska LNG tax bill ties $26.5B in revenue to volume, not value
Senate bill would tax Alaska LNG by volume instead of property value, generating $26.5 billion in state and local revenue. • The shift trades potentially higher property tax income for tax certainty to attract the project developer. • Mayors oppose the bill, saying municipalities would lose hundreds of millions in annual property tax revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
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 3mo ago1 min readAI
RTO schedules closed subcommittee meetings for June 10–11
The Railbelt Transmission Organization will hold three closed subcommittee meetings June 10 and 11 to discuss technical standards, transmission tariffs, and financing for Alaska's 700-mile electric grid serving two-thirds of the state's population.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
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 3mo ago2 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
GVEA files 62% cost-of-power increase with regulators
Golden Valley Electric Association's cost-of-power surcharge rises 62 percent on June 1, going from $0.12779 to $0.20652 per kilowatt-hour. For a 600 kilowatt-hour household, the change adds about $47 to the monthly bill. State Representative Zack Fields told a legislative committee that Interior utilities have leaned more on diesel as gas supply tightens.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAIFour 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 3mo ago2 min readAI
Three years after Typhoon Merbok, Alaska's rebuild continues
Can we build it, yes we can!
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Alaskans' debt falls to lowest level in a decade
Alaska adults carried an average of $68,900 in household debt in 2024, down roughly $1,900 from 2023 and the lowest level in a decade, though Alaskans still owe about $7,300 more per person than the national average.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
ConocoPhillips is widening the last gravel road before Willow's modules hit ice
The Willow project takes another step forward
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
ENSTAR says it locked in a price for Alaska LNG
ENSTAR locked in $16 per thousand cubic feet for North Slope pipeline gas, undercutting LNG imports at $20 to $23 but raising costs 48% above current Cook Inlet supply before adding $4.50 to $6 in distribution and storage charges.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Senate Finance hears $18 billion revenue trade-off for Alaska LNG tax break
Senate Finance heard the proposed Alaska LNG tax break would cut state and municipal revenues by $18 billion over 30 years, but the estimate rests on construction costs that may range from $45 billion to $90 billion.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Labor department hosts Fairbanks skills event Wednesday
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development hosts a skills and employment event Wednesday, June 3, in Fairbanks through its Job Center Network.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska minimum wage rises to $14 in July, $15 in 2027
Alaska minimum wage rises to $14 per hour on July 1, then to $15 in 2027, with annual inflation adjustments after that under a voter-approved schedule.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
A year-round storefront for Alaska's seasonal makers
Voyij is launching a year-round e-commerce platform for Made in Alaska program permit holders on June 1. Listings are free; Voyij takes a per-sale commission whose rate has not been publicly disclosed.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Deadhorse Airport project halted by weather, nears drainage milestone
Deadhorse Airport's drainage and runway project pauses May 29 to June 4 for weather, with crews nearing completion of insulation board work before fill continues on the North Slope airfield serving Prudhoe Bay oil operations.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska Energy Authority lifts ban on consecutive chair terms
Alaska Energy Authority board voted January 31 to allow its chair and vice chair to serve consecutive terms, removing a two-year rotation rule to maintain leadership continuity during a $206.5 million Cook Inlet submarine cable project.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska tightens stormwater rules for industrial sites, with no more easy "too expensive" exits
Alaska's new stormwater permit for 350 industrial sites starting Monday requires DEC approval before operators can claim pollution fixes are too expensive, and cuts their inspection timeline from flexible to 28 days.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
