Economy & Business
RSSEconomy & Business in Alaska is the mix of government decisions, contracts, grants and private projects that shape the state's economy. It covers municipal budgets, infrastructure and airport planning, federal grants and contracts, employment trends, and energy development across Alaska.
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Tuesday, Jul 21
Cordova's co-op wants a data center to soak up unsold hydropower
Cordova has more hydropower than buyers, and a weak fish season is pushing rates up. The co-op's fix: a data center in a warehouse storage bay.
by Melinda Communities.News3mo ago1 min read
State opens 30-day window on nearly 1,700 acres of Petersville mining leases
Alaska opened a 30-day window for objections to seven mining leases covering 1,680 acres near Petersville, with the deadline September 19.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readMonday, Jul 20
Juneau quarry seeks bigger blasts and longer hours through 2036
Juneau's Planning Commission will decide July 28 whether to let Stabler Point Quarry in Auke Bay blast bigger, run longer hours, and operate through 2036.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Juneau commission to review Chilkat Vistas Phase IV plat for seven Robbie Road lots
Juneau Planning Commission will review a proposal July 28 to create seven single-family lots on Robbie Road, completing a development cap set by a 2018 settlement agreement.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Seward Highway closed both directions at Mile 69 after collision
Seward Highway closed both directions at Mile 69 after a collision early Tuesday morning, with delays expected to last at least one hour.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kawerak extends RFP deadline for construction management services in Bering Strait Region
Kawerak extended its deadline to July 31 for construction management firms to bid on transportation projects across the Bering Strait Region.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage planning boundary dispute unresolved between Assembly and state
Anchorage and the state have not resolved a dispute over the Metropolitan Planning Area boundary, and they must agree by December 29, 2026, or the region loses federal transportation funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Platting Board approves Primrose Point Phase 4 preliminary plat despite unresolved driveway questions
Mat-Su Platting Board approved Primrose Point Phase 4 subdivision despite unresolved driveway access for five lots, deferring the question to a later engineering meeting.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
More from Economy & Business
Mat-Su Platting Board approves Starlight Subdivision master plan over neighbor objections
Mat-Su Platting Board approved the 184-lot Starlight Subdivision master plan Thursday despite neighbor complaints about traffic, mail delivery, and drainage on the roughly 200-acre Knik Fairview site.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks: Old Chena Ridge Road and Transfer Site access close July 27 for season
Old Chena Ridge Road and Transfer Site access close July 27 through the construction season for roundabout work at the Chena Pump Road intersection, part of a $3 million safety project.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
DEC issues proposed final APDES permit for Hilcorp's Prudhoe Bay discharge
DEC issued a proposed permit allowing Hilcorp to discharge 12.4 million gallons of treated seawater daily into Stefansson Sound near Nuiqsut, reviving an authorization that expired in late 2022.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Five Nome-area tribes sue Army Corps over Safety Sound gold dredge permit
Five Nome-area tribes sued the Army Corps of Engineers to block a gold dredge in Safety Sound, saying the agency approved the project without required environmental review.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Roald Amundsen brings 530 passengers to Kodiak on August 2
Cruise ship Roald Amundsen docks in Kodiak on August 2 with 530 passengers for a nine-hour port call.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Sunday, Jul 19
Anchorage Assembly set to approve $1.4M fire engine with 900-day wait
Anchorage Assembly votes July 21 on a $1.4 million fire engine that won't arrive for roughly 900 days due to nationwide manufacturing delays.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Landslide closes Ninilchik Beach Access Road near Mission Ave through July 28
A landslide closed Ninilchik Beach Access Road near Mission Avenue through July 28, blocking access to the beach.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
TCC seeks contractor for new Rampart health clinic, proposals due August 21
Tanana Chiefs Conference is seeking a general contractor to build a new health clinic in Rampart, with proposals due August 21 and construction expected to finish by the end of 2027.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
About Economy & Business
Economy and business in Alaska is the mix of government decisions, contracts, grants and private projects that shape the state's economy. It is the broad subject that holds narrower topics such as business, energy, oil and gas, mining, aviation and tourism.
Much of it runs through public bodies, with municipal assemblies approving contracts and planning decisions, state agencies leasing land and selling gravel and rock, and AIDEA lending to industry. Recurring questions concern infrastructure such as harbors, airports, roads and water and sewer lines, along with housing and zoning rules, energy supply, labor contracts, federal grants and military construction.
Its decisions reach every part of the state, from Anchorage and the Mat-Su to Kodiak, Cordova, Haines and the North Slope. Federal and military spending, resource development and Alaska Native corporation ventures all feed into the economy.
More from Economy & Business
Anchorage landfill contract hits $16M after starting at $30,004
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on a $983,510 amendment to its landfill contract, pushing the total to $16.1 million since the deal started at $30,004 in 2021.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Utqiaġvik gets a new credit union branch, the northernmost in the world
Global Credit Union opened the world's northernmost branch in Utqiaġvik on July 9, offering home and vehicle loans to residents who previously had limited in-person banking options.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Railbelt Transmission Organization schedules three subcommittee meetings
The Railbelt Transmission Organization scheduled three closed subcommittee meetings in late July to finalize a tariff that would standardize power-sharing charges among utilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly to vote July 21 on $351K for pedestrian and bike count program
Anchorage Assembly votes July 21 on $351,143 to count pedestrians and bikes on city roads and paths, combining federal money with local budget funds.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Saturday, Jul 18
Homer reverses Copper River Seafoods building plan, keeps December deadline
Homer City Council voted to scrap redesigned plans for a Copper River Seafoods facility and revert to the original 2019 building design, keeping the December construction deadline in place.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska House ties 19-19 on gas line bill, killing it for now
Alaska House deadlocked 19-19 on the Alaska LNG bill July 16, stalling gas supply plans as Cook Inlet production declines toward 2027 shortages.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly takes up $311,222 program to help mobile home residents displaced by park redevelopment
Anchorage Assembly is considering a $311,222 program to help mobile home residents displaced when their parks are redeveloped, part of a $2.57 million federal housing plan due to HUD by August 16.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage resolution would steer infrastructure to neighborhoods absorbing new housing
Anchorage Assembly will vote Tuesday on a resolution directing city infrastructure spending toward neighborhoods absorbing new housing under municipal growth plans.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage inventor patents passive dryer-fire alarm built into vent gasket
Anchorage inventor Ryan James Mulholland patented a power-free dryer-fire alarm that mounts on exhaust vents and sounds a 120-decibel whistle when heat exceeds 135 degrees.
by Melinda Communities.News3mo ago1 min read
APIA cuts heating assistance 20% for 10 Aleutian and Pribilof communities
APIA is cutting heating assistance 20 percent for Alaska Native households in ten Aleutian and Pribilof communities in 2027 to stretch limited funding.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
AWWU files new tariff revisions with Alaska regulators, opening public comment on Anchorage water and sewer rates
Anchorage water and sewer bills rose $5.46 per month in 2026 after the Assembly approved increases and AWWU filed tariffs with state regulators, opening public comment through July 31.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Friday, Jul 17
Juneau Assembly to take up ordinance making 5-ship cruise limit enforceable law
Juneau Assembly will introduce an ordinance July 27 to make the five-large-cruise-ship-per-day limit a binding municipal law instead of a voluntary agreement.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Fairview grant dispute heads to Assembly with two members urging no vote
Two Assembly members urge rejection of a $750,000 federal grant for a behavioral health center in Fairview, citing a 2018 city policy against concentrating social services there.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Peltola puts numbers on rural fuel crisis: $21 a gallon in Noatak, $15 coming for St. Mary's
Senate candidate Mary Peltola cited fuel prices of $21 a gallon in Noatak and $14 to $15 expected in St. Mary's, calling for Congress to investigate price gouging.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Senate bill would fast-track Army Corps engineering for Juneau's glacial flooding
A Senate bill would let the Army Corps of Engineers skip study steps and move straight to designing a permanent fix for Juneau's glacial lake flooding, which threatens nearly 1,900 homes each summer.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
DNR opens comment on mining camp proposed near Farewell Airport
Alaska Earth Sciences seeks state permission for a temporary mining support camp near Farewell Airport, with public comments due July 30.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to approve transfer of three marijuana licenses to sole ownership at one address
Anchorage Assembly votes Monday to transfer three marijuana licenses at one address to sole owner Yotam Levi, meeting a July 28 state protest deadline.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks rally targets data centers as Air Force pursues Eielson lease
Air Force is exploring AI data center leases at Eielson while a community group rallies Saturday against 15 proposed statewide data centers over power grid and revenue concerns.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage proposes tax break for mixed-use buildings with owner-occupied units
Anchorage proposes a 10-year property tax break for developers who build or convert mixed-use buildings with at least four owner-occupied units priced at or below $496,746 each.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly weighs 10-year tax break for first-time homebuyers of new starter homes
Anchorage Assembly is considering a 10-year property tax break for first-time buyers of newly built homes priced at or below $496,746, with a public hearing set for July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Kodiak plans September DC lobbying trip as defense program bid fails again
Kodiak's defense infrastructure program bid failed again, but the borough and city are planning a joint September lobbying trip to pursue $150 billion in federal energy and defense funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
NSF awards UAF $877,501 for mass spectrometer to support fisheries and minerals research
NSF awarded UAF $877,501 to buy a high-precision mass spectrometer for fisheries, minerals, and ocean research starting August 2026.
by Melinda Communities.News3mo ago1 min read
Senate panel advances water bill with Alaska Native village sanitation, Nome port, and Juneau flood provisions
Senate panel approved a water bill directing $60 million yearly to Alaska Native village sanitation and fast-tracking Juneau's glacial flood response.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Federal and state cuts erase Alaska private-sector job gains in June
Federal and state government cuts eliminated 1,900 jobs in June, nearly wiping out 1,000 private-sector gains and leaving Alaska with fewer jobs than a year ago.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
