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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Thursday, Apr 30
Zoning Board Approves Variances Despite Municipal Errors on Canyon Road Property
Anchorage Zoning Board approved setback variances for a Canyon Road property after the city admitted a 12-year-old zoning determination it issued contained errors the owners had relied on.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Airport firefighting trucks fail, leaving Juneau one flat tire from losing all flights
Juneau's airport nearly lost all commercial flights this month when two firefighting trucks failed simultaneously, leaving it dependent on a borrowed truck from Gustavus that must return by May 1.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Alaska DOT files five equipment bids for snow blowers, paint trucks, road maintenance gear
Alaska DOT filed five equipment bids for snow blowers, paint trucks, tractors, and other road maintenance gear, likely planning ahead for the 2026-2027 winter season.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readPlatting Board Denies Shawn Street Vacation Amid Gaming Hall Concerns
Anchorage Platting Board denied a request to vacate Shawn Street in Birchwood, preserving access to undeveloped lots despite neighbors' concerns about gaming hall traffic.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel advances gas pipeline tax overhaul with $610M revenue target
Alaska Senate panel voted to replace property tax on gas pipelines with a volumetric tax projected to generate $610 million annually once Alaska LNG reaches full capacity.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Alaska's Right-to-Repair Bill Navigates National Debate on Consumer Access
Alaska House committee advanced a right-to-repair bill requiring manufacturers to provide repair parts and documentation, pushing the effective date to 2029.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Alaska House panel advances ban on heavy fuel oil for cruise ships
Alaska House panel advanced a ban on heavy fuel oil for large cruise ships in state waters, with an effective date of January 1, 2027.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Wednesday, Apr 29
Senate unveils gas pipeline bill with $600M property tax, consumer protections
Alaska Senate rewrote the governor's gas pipeline bill to raise property taxes from $74 million to $600 million at full production and ban passing cost overruns to consumers.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
More from Economy & Business
Denali Borough mayor opposes state control of pipeline tax payments
Denali Borough's mayor opposes SB 280's requirement that pipeline tax payments flow through the legislature, urging direct payments to municipalities before construction starts in 2026.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Energy consultant: Alaska LNG tax bill could cut delivered cost by 20 cents
A tax overhaul for Alaska LNG could cut delivered gas costs to Asia by 20 cents per unit, an energy consultant told lawmakers, but the Senate is pushing for higher taxes that could change the math.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Oil industry opposes tax provisions in Alaska gas pipeline bill
Alaska's oil and gas industry opposes tax provisions in SB 280, warning they could make some wells uneconomic and create antitrust risks, even if the gas pipeline project never happens.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Kodiak Borough Lands Committee develops framework to streamline land disposal
Kodiak Borough mayor proposed a three-tier framework to speed land sales and prioritize workforce housing on parcels near town requiring minimal infrastructure work.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Juneau committee weighs limiting short-term rentals to one per owner
Juneau's housing committee is reviewing a draft rule to cap short-term rentals at one per owner starting January 2027, but members disagree on whether rentals actually worsen housing shortages.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Planning Commission accepts DOT concept for Tudor Road interchange redesign
Anchorage's Planning Commission approved a redesign of the aging Seward Highway and Tudor Road interchange that will add protected bike and pedestrian paths, following five fatalities in the corridor.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG Consultant Flags Potential 50% Return for Developers vs. $1B State Revenue
A consultant warned lawmakers that Alaska LNG developers could net $8 billion annually by 2050. He cautioned his preliminary model may contain errors that require further review.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Tuesday, Apr 28
Alaska lawmakers explore data center development as economic opportunity
Alaska lawmakers heard Tuesday that the state's cold climate and natural gas could attract data centers, which cost over $1 billion to build but create few permanent jobs once running.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 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
Zoning Board Approves Two Variances, Denies Girdwood Deck Request
Anchorage's Zoning Board approved variances for two Eagle River properties with setback violations but denied a Girdwood homeowner's request to legalize a deck encroaching into the front setback.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Assembly postpones developer's land deadline amid mobile home park dispute
Assembly delayed a developer's land deadline extension until May 12 after mobile home park residents testified they are losing $70,000 investments for $6,000 buyouts.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
House panel advances travel insurance consumer protection bill
Alaska House panel advanced HB 302 to update travel insurance rules for the first time since 2013, joining 42 states with stronger consumer protections.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG Tax Bill Walks Tightrope Between Project Viability and Local Needs
House committee approved a three-part tax on Alaska LNG with a six-year break, but Senate wants rates up to 55 cents per thousand cubic feet. • The bill requires community benefit agreements and revenue sharing with municipalities, but lacks enforcement details. • North Slope and Kenai Peninsula boroughs could take equity stakes instead of tax payments, a structure unlike other major LNG projects.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House panel hears retirement savings bill for small business workers
Alaska House panel heard testimony on HB 338, which would create automatic retirement savings accounts for workers at small businesses that lack retirement plans.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions
Alaska's proposed LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions depending on how regulators interpret rules for separating oil and gas costs, the Department of Revenue warned Monday.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Monday, Apr 27
Homer Council to Vote on HART Sales Tax Renewal for November Ballot
Homer City Council votes tonight on whether to ask voters to renew the city's 0.75 percent sales tax for roads and trails for 20 more years, with the ballot measure set for November 3.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readSenate Finance Advances Agricultural Leasing Reform After Farmer Cites $9,000 Annual Fee
Senate Finance advanced a bill to let farmers lease state land at agricultural rates instead of development prices, after a Homer farmer's annual fee jumped from $1,000 to $9,000.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Sunday, Apr 26
Senate Resources hears LNG tax framework comparison, transparency concerns
Alaska Senate Resources Committee heard a consultant compare LNG tax frameworks and flag that lack of clarity on property taxes may be blocking project talks with stakeholders.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago8 min read
Alaska lawmakers hear warnings of rural fuel crisis, weigh loan program expansion
Rural Alaska diesel prices hit $17 per gallon and could jump 30 to 50 percent higher this year due to Middle East supply disruptions. • Lawmakers heard the state's $20 to $22 million bulk fuel loan program may need to double its funding to help communities cope. • A Jones Act waiver expiring in May and a compressed fuel delivery window in June or July add urgency to the crisis.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min readFrom 
Alaska Energy Survey Shows Strong Support for Renewables, Mixed Views on Nuclear
Survey shows 70% of Alaskans support renewable energy and natural gas pipelines, but backing drops if costs rise or state investment is needed. • Rural Alaska faces energy crisis. Fairbanks burned 250,000 gallons of diesel daily last winter when natural gas power became unavailable. • Nuclear awareness grew from 25% to 40% between 2023 and 2025, with support rising as residents learned about microreactors.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Saturday, Apr 25
Senate panel hears workforce plan for Alaska LNG pipeline
Alaska LNG pipeline needs 6,600 workers by 2027, but state's shrinking workforce means most will come from outside Alaska. • Training system runs at 60 to 80 percent capacity; barriers include instructor shortages and living costs during training. • State should expand short-cycle vocational programs and consider a state apprenticeship agency to increase hiring ratios.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Municipal League urges local control in Alaska LNG tax negotiations
Alaska Municipal League urged state senators to let local governments negotiate their own tax deals with Alaska LNG rather than accept a statewide formula.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Senate panel examines price controls, federal authority on gas pipeline
Alaska Senate panel questioned whether state price caps in Senate Bill 280 would conflict with federal authority over the Alaska LNG pipeline project.
by Matt6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel examines LNG project economics, megaproject risks
Senate Resources Committee heard Alaska LNG faces typical megaproject cost and schedule risks. • A proposed 6-cent volumetric tax would generate roughly $2 billion for the state over 35 years but raise the project's effective tax rate to 33 percent, above competing Canadian projects. • Phased construction reduces upfront costs but introduces financing risk if later phases are delayed.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
Alaska Sustainable Energy Corporation reports progress on green financing
Alaska's new green financing nonprofit secured $4.7 million and plans residential energy efficiency loans by mid-2027, but operates with just two staff and faces questions about its scale.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Friday, Apr 24
Senate panel hears data center safeguards, tribal education bill
Senate panel heard testimony on a bill requiring data centers to cover their own infrastructure costs and protect Alaska ratepayers from fuel supply risks and rate increases.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House Resources Committee debates LNG equity stakes, rejects wildlife refuge amendments
Alaska House Resources Committee heard testimony on state equity stakes in the Alaska LNG project and rejected five wildlife refuge bill amendments on 5-4 party-line votes Friday.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago7 min read
House Finance hears divided testimony on pharmacist prescribing bill
House Finance heard divided testimony on HB 195. The bill would let pharmacists treat routine illnesses to help fill rural care gaps.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House committee hears bill to eliminate tax discounts
Alaska House committee heard a bill to eliminate five obsolete tax discounts and deductions that would raise nearly $500,000 annually for the state.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel examines regulatory questions on gas pipeline tax plan
Senate panel debated tax breaks and regulatory oversight for a proposed natural gas pipeline, with municipalities seeking clearer cost projections and more local control.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska DOT seeks snow removal equipment for statewide airports
Alaska DOT filed four procurement notices in April for snow removal equipment across state airports, funded through the federal Airport Improvement Program.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readSenate Resources advances three bills on agriculture, evacuations, invasive species
Senate Resources advanced three bills Friday: one speeds up agricultural land leases for farmers, one standardizes evacuation color codes statewide, and one creates an invasive species council to coordinate control efforts. • All three passed without objection.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Thursday, Apr 23
House Finance hears divided testimony on pharmacist prescribing bill
House Finance heard divided testimony Monday on a bill expanding pharmacists' prescribing authority, with supporters citing rural healthcare access and opponents raising abortion medication concerns.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
