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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Wednesday, May 20
Begich cites $163M Alaska oil lease sale as proof federal certainty drives investment
Rep. Nick Begich cited a record $163 million Alaska oil lease sale as evidence that federal policy certainty drives energy investment, and called for faster permitting to unlock Alaska's oil, gas, and geothermal resources for national security.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska's environmental chief calls EPA partnership under Trump the best of his career
Alaska's environmental chief says the Trump administration EPA is the most collaborative federal partner he has seen in 25 years, citing streamlined permitting and respect for state expertise over federal review.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Tuesday, May 19
Alaska House passes commercial-code update for digital assets
Alaska House passed SB 252 unanimously Wednesday, updating state commercial law to cover digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs with clearer rules on ownership and collateral.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min readConstituent complaint drives classic car import law through Legislature
Alaska House passed a bill updating classic car import rules to match federal standards, allowing cars 25 years old or older to be registered instead of only pre-1981 models, after a constituent could not register a federally legal vehicle.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Officials Hail 'Night and Day' Shift Under Trump Energy Policies
Governor Dunleavy and Senator Sullivan said Trump reversed Biden restrictions on Alaska resource projects. • Willow and Pitcairn oil fields are now producing, generating 80,000 barrels per day. • State legislature must act on a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes proposal for the natural gas pipeline. • Federal government created a Western Alaska energy task force for rural diesel supply issues.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago5 min read
Alaska Senate panel hears gas line bill with $900M annual tax break
Alaska Senate reviewed gas pipeline bill cutting annual taxes from $1 billion to $74 million. • Developer could earn $5 billion yearly while consumers face gas prices more than double current rates. • Bill includes $50 million construction fund and requires Fairbanks spur line. • Senators questioned if impact funds adequately address community needs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Dunleavy to Call Special Session on Gas Line Property Tax Within Hour of Adjournment
Dunleavy calls special session within one hour of adjournment to cut property taxes on Alaska's gas pipeline project. • Current law imposes roughly one billion dollars in annual taxes, making the project uncompetitive. • Federal support depends on Alaska restructuring its tax system to make the project viable. • Municipalities must accept lower taxes to help finance the project.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference explores future of statewide energy systems
Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference opened May 19 in Anchorage with nearly 1,000 energy leaders from 35 states and 10 countries. • Alaska signed a memorandum with National Laboratory of the Rockies on mineral supply and remote energy reliability. • Alaska and Yukon renewed an accord creating working groups on Arctic dialogue and transportation.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
More from Economy & Business
Interior Secretary urges Alaska to build LNG project quickly amid Asian demand
Interior Secretary Burgum urged Alaska to build the 50 billion dollar LNG project quickly, citing strong Asian demand and geopolitical advantage over Middle Eastern suppliers.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Alaska LNG Pipeline Gains Momentum with Federal Support, Asian Demand
Alaska LNG pipeline gains federal backing and strong Asian demand, with officials calling it the state's best chance to move forward on a $50 billion project.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Lake Hood tenant secures 55-year lease at 12 cents per square foot
The state proposes a 55-year lease for Lake Hood Air Harbor at 12 cents per square foot. Public comments are due by June 18.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readAlaska Positioned as Prime Location for AI Data Center Growth
Energy experts told an Alaska conference Tuesday that the state has space and power to become a major AI data center hub, potentially modernizing aging electrical infrastructure.
by Melinda Communities.News5mo ago2 min read
Former Senator Kyrsten Sinema Identifies Alaska as Prime AI Data Center Location
Former Senator Kyrsten Sinema told an Alaska energy conference the state is positioned to become a major AI data center hub, citing natural resources and cool climate as advantages.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska LNG Project Targets 2029 Gas Delivery as Developer Reports Major Contract Awards
Alaska LNG project targets 2029 gas delivery after awarding major construction contracts, but needs legislative approval of a 6 cent per MCF tax rate within three weeks to reach final financing.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Federal Officials Push Permitting Reform to Unlock Alaska's Critical Minerals
Federal officials said Alaska holds 95 percent of U.S. critical minerals but permitting timelines of 15 to 18 years block production needed for national security.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Chiniak Highway hit with 50% weight limit, toughest in Kodiak area
Chiniak Highway gets Kodiak's toughest seasonal weight limit starting Monday, cutting trucks to half their legal load on a six-mile stretch.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readAbout 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
Pikka field begins oil production on Alaska's North Slope
Pikka field on Alaska's North Slope began oil production this week and is expected to add about 80,000 barrels per day to state output.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readMonday, May 18
Homer posts conflicting times for Tuesday's council work session
Homer posted conflicting start times for Tuesday's City Council work session, listing 4:00 p.m. on one page and 5:30 p.m. on another, leaving residents unsure when to tune in.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min readSenate panel advances gas pipeline tax bill after 36 hearings
Alaska Senate panel advanced a gas pipeline tax bill Monday after 36 hearings, despite senators saying they lack expert information and the governor's administration has offered no support.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
State Signs Deal to Develop Geothermal Energy at Mount Augustine Volcano
Alaska and South Korean company POSCO International signed a two-year exploratory deal on May 18 to study geothermal energy and green methanol at Mount Augustine volcano. • The agreement also covers five other projects: a sustainable aviation fuel refinery, rare earth element mining on Prince of Wales Island, port expansion, and the Knik Arm Crossing.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Senate panel reviews oil tax floor increase projecting $132M annual gain
Senate panel reviewed modeling showing a higher oil tax floor would generate $132 million annually on average, though some years could see revenue decline.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Alaska House panel hears bill to shield ratepayers from data center costs
Alaska House panel heard testimony on a bill requiring data centers to pay for their own transmission infrastructure instead of passing costs to residential ratepayers.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Deadhorse Airport fence project reaches 3,500 feet of installation
Crews installed 3,500 feet of fence at Deadhorse Airport. • Work continues on 24 Northern Region road and bridge projects. • Travelers should check 511 for ongoing construction delays.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min readSunday, May 17
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Gas pipeline bill adds oil tax increase, industry calls process rushed
Alaska Senate passed a gas pipeline bill raising the oil tax floor to six percent starting in 2027, even without the pipeline, over industry objections.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Saturday, May 16
Gas line tax break delivers 20% savings, far less than competing states
Alaska's gas line tax break gives developers a 20% savings, far less than the 65% savings they'd get under a 10-year tax holiday like Texas and Louisiana offer, a consultant told lawmakers Saturday.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel advances bill requiring humans in autonomous commercial vehicles
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill requiring human operators in autonomous commercial vehicles, despite industry warnings it would halt testing in the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate cuts community impact fees for gas pipeline by half
Alaska Senate cut community impact fees for the Alaska LNG pipeline to $500,000 per mile, halving projected municipal payments from $740 million to $370 million during construction.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Railbelt grid operator holds five subcommittee meetings in eight days
The Railbelt Transmission Organization held five subcommittee meetings in eight days this month to work on grid standards, rates, and transmission planning across Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Fairbanks.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readDNR receives 24 placer mining applications for Interior Alaska gold districts
Alaska's Department of Natural Resources is reviewing 24 placer mining applications for Interior gold districts, part of the typical 100 to 200 statewide applications the agency processes each year.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readSenate panel cuts oil production tax rate from 35% to 17%
Alaska's Senate Finance Committee cut the oil production tax rate in half, from 35 percent to 17 percent, and will hear industry testimony Monday.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min read
Senate panel advances gas pipeline bill with reduced community payments
Alaska Senate panel cut community payments for a major gas pipeline from $800 million to $200 million and added the governor's plan to raise oil taxes, advancing the merged bill toward a vote.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readSenate panel advances gas pipeline bill with oil tax floor increase
Alaska Senate panel advanced a gas pipeline bill raising the minimum oil production tax from 4 percent to 6 percent starting January 2027, whether or not the pipeline gets built.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readOil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases
Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases it says lack economic analysis and could deter future investment.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House Resources passes agricultural land lease bill unanimously
House Resources Committee unanimously advanced Senate Bill 208, which expands access to state agricultural land leases with 10-year terms, below-market fees, and a path to purchase after seven years.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Anchorage zoning board approves deck variance despite staff concerns
Anchorage zoning board unanimously approved a deck variance 3 feet from a property line instead of the required 5 feet, overriding staff concerns about the homeowner's self-imposed hardship.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Friday, May 15
Urban Design Commission splits on apartment buffer variance
Anchorage commissioners denied a landscaping variance for a West Dimond apartment project to protect neighbors from drainage issues.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House panel hears gas line tax bill with 15-cent volumetric fee
House panel heard a bill replacing property taxes on the Alaska LNG pipeline with a 15-cent volumetric tax, projected to generate $10 million for the state in 2029.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate Finance reviews bill to double bulk fuel loan cap to $1.5M
Senate Finance heard a bill to double the bulk fuel loan cap to $1.5 million for rural Alaska communities facing higher seasonal fuel costs.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska House Committee Advances Cryptocurrency Kiosk Regulations After Scam Victims Lose Millions
Alaska House advanced a bill requiring cryptocurrency kiosk licenses and $1,000 daily limits after Alaskans lost $26 million to online scams in 2024.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
