Energy

Chugach is pursuing four hydroelectric projects to hedge against Cook Inlet gas decline

Chugach's gas-to-renewables shift has its first concrete entries: four hydro projects on four Southcentral creeks, 52 MW total.

by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read

Murkowski and Sullivan split on a motion to discharge an Iran War Powers Resolution

Iran War Powers Resolution: Murkowski yes, Sullivan no. The 2020 version went the same way. Pattern noted.

by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read

DNR, Mental Health Trust finalize MEA easements for Wasilla utility corridor

DNR and the Alaska Mental Health Trust approved easements letting Matanuska Electric Association build and maintain power lines along Church Road and Shampine Lane in Wasilla.

by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read

Murkowski: War-price fuel barges lock rural Alaska into costly winter

Rural Alaska villages are paying $9 to $14 a gallon for fuel locked in at peak war prices and cannot wait for global prices to fall, Senator Murkowski warned

by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read

Alaska Native tribes have month to apply for federal energy grants

Alaska Native tribes have until July 16 to apply for federal energy grants of up to $450,000 to build the legal and business structures needed to develop their own power systems and reduce reliance on expensive diesel fuel.

by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read

MEA wins easement on Mental Health Trust land in Wasilla

Matanuska Electric Association won an easement on Mental Health Trust land in Wasilla to install electric utility infrastructure

by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read

Fish and Wildlife Service seeks $5M to cut energy permit times in half

Fish and Wildlife Service is asking Congress for $5.1 million to cut endangered species review times from 30 to 14 days, a change that could speed up Alaska energy and mineral projects that have faced years of federal delays.

by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read

Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG could cost "tens of millions of dollars"

Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG would cost "tens of millions" — a number that lands somewhere between $23M and $173M. Her plan targets $23M.

by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read

Fairbanks spur line language added to Alaska LNG tax bill

Fairbanks North Star Borough secured a requirement for a gas spur line in the state LNG tax bill. Developers must build the spur to access tax breaks. Costs will spread across Railbelt users to keep rates affordable for 3500 local customers.

by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read

DNR offers 50-year North Slope lease for gas-powered data center

Alaska DNR offered a 50-year lease to STAK Energy for a massive data center on the North Slope that would use natural gas to power 1 to 3 gigawatts of computing, with public comments due June 15.

by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read

The Air Force wants to put AI data centers on Alaska military land — and the three sites tell three very different stories

Three Alaska military bases are auditioning to host the AI boom — JBER can't power it, Eielson is leaking PFAS at it, and Clear has 4,769 acres, a DDT drum dump, and all the groundwater you can drink.

by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read

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 read

RTO tariff subcommittee meets Thursday on transmission costs

Alaska's largest power grid is rewriting transmission cost rules this week to let utilities buy cheaper power as Cook Inlet gas supplies tighten and bills rise.

by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read

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 read

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 read

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 read

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 read

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 read

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 read

Alaska House examines $4 billion LNG equity option, Fairbanks spur-line tax break

Alaska House Finance Committee examined a plan letting the state buy 5 to 25 percent equity stakes in Alaska LNG for up to $4 billion total, while conditioning a tax break for the pipeline on building a 30-mile spur line to Fairbanks.

by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read

Chugach Electric wins easement for power line at Community Park Loop

Chugach Electric won an easement from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to realign a power line at Community Park Loop in Anchorage.

by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read

Data center project promises rate relief amid public concerns over noise, power

Cryptocurrency data center would generate $2 million yearly and stabilize electric rates using existing power. • Residents worry about noise, fire safety, and power availability for future housing growth. • Company says facility quieter than old cannery equipment and willing to cut operations during peak demand.

by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago3 min read

Four nuclear startups race to bring microreactors to Alaska by 2029

Four nuclear firms racing to deploy microreactors in Alaska by 2029, starting 2027. • Radiant, Antares, Applied Atomics, NuCube targeting military bases and remote industrial sites. • Alaska cleared regulatory path in 2024. Air Force already signed contracts. • No US private microreactor yet operating or backed by commercial power deals.

by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read

Stack Energy Plans Multi-Gigawatt Data Center Near Prudhoe Bay

Stack Energy plans $20 billion data center south of Prudhoe Bay with 10,000 construction jobs starting 2026. • Off-grid facility uses local natural gas, targets operations by late 2028. • Waste heat could power large-scale Alaska greenhouses. • Company pays state taxes and partners with Alaska Native groups on workforce training.

by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago3 min read

Roundup: Alaska energy conference closes with pipeline financing, record lease sale, and economic freedom debate

Glenfarne secured financing for Alaska LNG pipeline, targeting 2027 construction and 2029 delivery to Cook Inlet, pending tax legislation. • National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sale drew $163 million in bids for 1.3 million acres, though one block faces court challenge. • Dunleavy and economist Wade argued regulatory streamlining and energy access drive economic growth.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read

Alaska energy conference closes with call to protect economic freedom

Dunleavy and business author Wade say Alaska must cut regulations to compete for investment and jobs. • Wade argued over-regulation keeps poor nations poor, citing special economic zones as a model. • Dunleavy said a major energy project awaits legislature approval and could create thousands of jobs. • Wade told energy industry reliable, affordable power is essential to human flourishing.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read

Alaska LNG Project Shifts Focus to In-State Gas, Delays Export Phase

Alaska LNG delays exports, focuses first on supplying in-state gas from North Slope to Cook Inlet. • Lawmakers debate tying tax breaks to a required gas line serving Fairbanks. • Company warns narrow financial window and limited pipeline capacity pose challenges. • Governor says tax breaks are needed to compete with cheaper energy projects elsewhere.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read

Alaska LNG project secures financing proposals, targets 2027 construction start

Alaska LNG secured private financing to build 800-mile pipeline from North Slope to Cook Inlet, targeting 2027 construction start and 2029 gas delivery. • Needs tax stabilization law and utility regulator approval to proceed. • Export facility would sell 20 million tonnes of LNG yearly, mostly to Asia. • Project addresses Cook Inlet gas shortage and aims to lower Alaska energy costs.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read

Senate Republicans link Cook Inlet gas decline to rural power costs

Senate Republicans warn Cook Inlet gas decline will raise rural power costs through state subsidy program. • Caucus calls energy shortage an existential crisis and pushes Legislature to build gasline instead of importing liquefied gas. • Three priorities set for special session: cut energy costs, create jobs from pipeline, manage resources for public benefit.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read

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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read

National Lab, University of Alaska Fairbanks sign energy partnership

National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Alaska Fairbanks expanded their partnership Wednesday to focus on critical minerals, energy infrastructure, and workforce development for Alaska's energy sector.

by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago2 min read

Alaska Energy Conference Highlights Gas Pipeline Progress Amid Legislative Tax Debate

Alaska LNG pipeline signed contracts, targets 2029 delivery, but governor and legislature split on tax framework. • Southcentral consumers could pay $22.96 per thousand cubic feet if exports fail, double current rates. • Federal officials highlighted critical minerals and $1 billion in funding, but permitting takes 15 to 18 years. • Rural Alaska pays $6.63 per gallon with no pipeline relief in sight.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read

Alaska LNG Pipeline Gains Momentum with Federal Support, Asian Demand

Alaska's decades-discussed natural gas pipeline project is closer to reality than ever, with strong federal backing and 18 Asian countries expressing interest in purchasing Alaska LNG, potentially transforming the state's economy.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read

Alaska Positioned as Prime Location for AI Data Center Growth

by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago2 min read

State Signs Deal to Develop Geothermal Energy at Mount Augustine Volcano

Alaska signed an agreement with South Korean firm POSCO International to develop geothermal energy and green methanol production at Mount Augustine volcano in Cook Inlet, part of a six-project development deal.

by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read

Senate panel reviews oil tax floor increase projecting $132M annual gain

The Alaska Senate Resources Committee heard Department of Revenue analysis showing that raising the oil production tax minimum floor from 4% to 6% would generate an average of $132 million annually in additional state revenue from fiscal years 2027 through 2036, though complex interactions with tax credits could produce a negative revenue impact in some years.

by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read

Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate

This episode covers the week's major Alaska stories: a gas pipeline tax bill that added oil tax increases, the Point Thomson condensate trade-off for pipeline gas, Mount Edgecumbe enrollment crisis, and McNeil River bear sanctuary access proposals.

by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read