|
Oil and Gas Pipeline Topics
LNG
pipeline won’t get critical policy ask until developer shares
financial info, Senate Majority Leader says – Alaska News Source
The message from Senate
Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, to the AKLNG pipeline
developer Tuesday was clear: if they fail to deliver more financial
information, they’re unlikely to get the property tax bill they want
passed. “We don’t know enough about the fiscal costs for this
Glenfarne [the pipeline’s major developer] project,” she told
reporters at a Tuesday press conference. “It’s a little difficult for
us to say this is the tax relief we should give.”
Alaska
petroleum reserve lease sale raises record $163.7M - Anchorage Daily
News
$164M:
Auction for drilling rights in Alaska's Arctic sets new records – Alaska Public Media
Arctic
Alaska oil and gas lease sale draws record bidding, despite legal
clouds Alaska Beacon
A lease sale in the National
Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on Wednesday generated $163.7 million in
high bids, a record amount for a hot oil prospect that
could significantly boost oil and gas activity on Alaska’s North
Slope.
Why
the oil price surge (probably) won't bring a U.S. drilling surge - Axios
Oil prices at four-year highs (and maybe
climbing further) might nudge record U.S. production even higher —
but don't expect a new boom. Companies in onshore shale — the
most nimble part of the industry — need lots of convincing to invest
far beyond current plans
Market
shines on U.S. LNG as war tightens supply Axios
"All US LNG
projects are now in play. Even Alaska. Yeah, I said it," Ira
Joseph, a gas market expert with Columbia University's energy think
tank. He's referring to the highly uncertain proposed Alaska
pipeline and LNG proposal. "Hard to see Qataris getting
out of this mess at only current damage levels. US projects become a
beacon unless US administration uses US LNG as leverage to draw
European countries into the war
Buoyed
by big projects and a big lease sale, Alaska oil companies project
optimism Alaska Beacon
Representatives of major oil
field operators on Alaska’s North Slope said Thursday they are
bullish on the region’s future as a major producer for decades to
come. Their optimism was reinforced in part by a
record-breaking oil and gas
lease sale held this week by the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management. For ConocoPhillips, Alaska’s largest oil producer, the
most prominent source of future development is the company’s massive
Willow project, said Marc Lemons, the company’s Alaska vice president
of development and execution.
Dunleavy
proposes alternative tax for LNG project in place of property taxes - Anchorage Daily
News
Dunleavy
proposes 92 percent property tax cut for gas line – Reporting from Alaska
Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Friday
introduced a bill in the state Legislature that would
eliminate property taxes for the Alaska LNG megaproject, but create
an alternative tax that would generate a smaller amount of revenue.
Lawmakers said Friday that
they were still reviewing the bill, but one said it appears to be a
“massive tax cut” that could exceed $1 billion in lost potential
revenue to the state.
Opinion:
Alaska’s moment is here: Let’s finish the LNG pipeline - Anchorage Daily
News
(My comment: This Governor
has had 8 years to develop our resources – resources which include
our kids, teachers, all variety of Alaska jobs. What’s happened
instead is erosion of education system, teachers leaving, 25% of
working people are nonresidents because so many people of working age
have moved out. One blogger claims I am the barrier to the gas
pipeline – Not true, I’m a barrier to the Governor handing our
resources, jobs, and revenue to his latest legacy idea. Glenfarne was
unknown until 18 months ago. They have no completed N. America
projects. But they want a 92% reduction in our local property taxes.
They are holding all financial information about the project
confidential. This is not a good business position for our state to
be in. We get to find out the cost of the gas for Alaskans after the
project sets the price in secret.)
LNG
developer’s main ask introduced as bill but faces an uncertain future
and a ticking clock. Alaska
News Source
One of the key issues we
have been discussing with state and local leaders is how to minimize
energy costs for Alaskans,” Adam Prestidge, president of Glenfarne
Alaska LNG, the major pipeline developer, said in a statement Friday.
“The property tax approach under consideration is an important part
of that.” Even before its introduction, the Senate Majority leader
has already scrutinized the idea. “The Senate Resources Committee,
chaired by Giessel, introduced SB 275, “the Alaska Gasline Transparency and
Accountability Act,” which Giessel says is necessary to move the
project forward responsibly.
Alaska
officials step toward wider oil and gas exploration on state land
near Yukon River Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Department of
Natural Resources has tentatively decided that oil and gas
exploration should be allowed on state land in the vicinity of the
Yukon River. In a public notice
published March 4, the agency said its determination for the Yukon Flats
“comports with constitutional direction to encourage the development
of the state’s resources, and with the legislature’s direction that
it is in the state’s interest to develop the state’s oil and gas
resources.”
Dunleavy
seeks huge tax break for Alaska LNG Project, says state won’t benefit
from any revenue if it isn’t built – Juneau Independent
Dunleavy
proposes property tax breaks for Alaska LNG pipeline – Alaska Public Media
Dunleavy
talks gasline tax revamp bill in KDLL interview - KDLL
Those figures are being
challenged by some lawmakers and policy analysts who are awaiting
further details of the bill expected to be presented during
legislative hearings this week. Among the concerns are a decade-long
delay until the production tax begins, plus a complex array of rules
and formulas involving taxes and royalties. The pipeline would bring
in about $1 billion annually for the state under current property tax
laws, if the project is assessed at $50 billion and 3.5 billion cubic
feet of gas moves through it daily, Larry Persily, a former Alaska
deputy commissioner of revenue, told the Anchorage Daily News. He
said under Dunleavy’s plan — a tax of six cents per 1,000 cubic feet
of gas, with a 1% annual rate increase — the state would get $75 million
the first year the production tax is in effect.
Dunleavy’s
office hires former Sen. Mark Begich to aid push for Alaska LNG
megaproject - Anchorage Daily
News
Begich, owner of public affairs and consulting
firm Northern Compass Group, presented his views of the project benefits to the
Alaska House Resources Committee. He spoke alongside officials with
the developer, Glenfarne and 25% partner, Alaska Gasline Development
Corp., a state agency.
Current Topics
Major
renovations begin at Don Young Port of Alaska - Anchorage Daily
News
Port
of Alaska to see major rebuild, as work gets underway on critical
cargo terminal Alaska Public Media
The larger project aims to
upgrade the entire port and address its aging and corroding
terminals. The upgrade will allow for larger vessels while adhering
to the latest seismic design standards. New terminals are critical to fulfilling Alaska’s cargo and fuel
needs and maintaining the state’s role in national defense, according
to city and port officials. About 75% of the state's inbound cargo
comes through the port, driving more than $14 billion in statewide
economic activity annually, the officials said.
(My comment: The Port
infrastructure has eroded significantly. A strong earthquake could
very well cause collapse of the present structure. This work being
done is more than modernizing; its repairing the Port.)
Alaska
legislators advance stopgap spending bill intended to address
construction and disasters Alaska Beacon
The state’s fast-track
supplemental budget contains $449.3 million in spending by the
Governor— expenses accrued since legislators adopted the state budget
last year. It takes 30 votes in the House and 15 in the Senate to
spend from the reserve; while the Senate has met that threshold and
is expected to do so again this week, it isn’t clear whether the
House will do so.
Stuff I found Interesting
Are
boomers the real iPad babies? - Anchorage Daily
News
They’re not iPad babies or
screenagers or anyone whose birth year starts with “2.” They’re AARP
members who love an early-bird special and a roomy sedan. Research
shows social media use is growing among people 65 and older - from
11% in 2010 to 45% in 2021 - and some of
their children and grandchildren are worried they’re slipping quietly
into screen addiction.
😎 Charted: Where we're
happiest Axios
Targeting
AI porn Axios
Existing laws don't do
enough to stop bad actors from using real people's PG social media
photos to fabricate "deepfake" sexual content with AI tools
Arctic
Canada
moves to advance Arctic corridor - North of 60
Mining News
A sweeping federal plan
unveiled by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney places long-discussed
northern infrastructure projects at the center of a broader effort to
strengthen Arctic sovereignty while unlocking mineral resources
across Canada's North. Announced March 12 in Yellowknife, the
initiative outlines more than C$40 billion (US$29.6 billion) in
combined investments aimed at strengthening defense capabilities,
expanding transportation networks, and building the infrastructure
needed to connect remote northern regions to national and global
markets.
Cast
a ballot and wait for the plane: In Alaska, a grace period for
ballots is seen as a necessity - Anchorage Daily
News
“These processes have been in
place for a long time just to ensure that our ballots are counted,”
said Rhonda Pitka, a poll worker and first chief in Beaver, which
sits along the Yukon River 110 miles north of Fairbanks. If the court
decides ballots in all states must be received by Election Day, she
said, “They’ll be disenfranchising thousands of people — thousands of
people in these rural communities. It’s just basically saying that
their votes don’t count, and that’s a real shame.”
Economy
Superstar
stock domination Axios
The stock market is
increasingly dominated by a few huge and extremely profitable
"superstar" companies.
💵 LNG exporters in U.S. see
stock surge Axios
The stocks of U.S.
companies that export liquefied natural gas are surging as the
world struggles to make up for lost supply due to the Iran
war. 20% of the world's LNG supply moves through the Strait of
Hormuz, and some key infrastructure will be slow to come back online
even once it reopens — U.S. suppliers are protected from the
situation.
Gold's
round trip Axios
Gold's lost its luster
in the war — prices are now back about to where they were at the
start of the year. This might seem weird, since some investors
see the shiny metal — which really has almost no practical use
— as a safe haven in times of stress.
Education
Opinion:
A hundred dollars for smaller class sizes? Yes, please. - Anchorage Daily
News
Rural
schools need real funding, not small fixes Alaska Beacon
There are few factors that
can be concretely linked, with evidence, to better educational
outcomes in primary and secondary students. Of those, the one we are
most confident about is small class
sizes.
Why
Alaska school districts are still facing deep cuts after last year’s
funding increase – Alaska Public Media
Amid
outcry, Anchorage School Board sees more state funding as the only
way to keep Campbell STEM open - Anchorage Daily
News
“The actual boost to the
BSA was about $20,” Mat-Su Superintendent Randy Traini said in an
interview. So for Traini’s district, the BSA bump translated to an
extra $20 per student over what it had received the year before —
$700,000 for the whole Mat-Su, he said.
Alaska
education board takes steps to assess boarding school conditions
after outcry Alaska Beacon
Local
advisory board asks state to redo hiring process for Mt. Edgecumbe
superintendent Alaska Beacon
Following the board meeting,
board member and Mt. Edgecumbe alumni Pamela Dupras said she was
shocked by the photos Langford presented of school facilities before some upgrades
were made in August, including rusted kitchen appliances, leaks, and
broken and worn dorm furniture. “A picture is worth a thousand
words, and I was shocked to see the condition of the dormitory, the kitchen,
and within a short period of time that has been resolved,” Dupras
said. “So I’m curious to see, I want to know what the deeper story is
and why this is necessary. So I am glad that we will have an ad hoc
committee that can look further into it.”
‘It’s
my turn to give back’: Inside ASD’s teacher apprenticeship program – Alaska News Source
The Anchorage School
District has launched a new Teacher Apprenticeship Program, where
apprentices earn their education degree while gaining on-the-job
experience.
Alaska
House backs resolution urging waiver for $100k visa fee for
international teachers Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House of
Representatives approved a resolution urging the Trump administration
to waive a steep visa fee for international teachers. The vote comes
amid a growing teacher shortage throughout the state.
(My comment: Anchorage
School District – 66 Visa teachers. Kuspuk School District – 60% of
teachers. Total: nearly 600 teachers in Alaska hired through the H-1B
visa program. I am with Sen. Murkowski in asking for exemption for
Alaska from these Visa costs.)
Alaska
House majority seeks to guarantee $158M increase in public school
funding - Anchorage Daily
News
The House Finance Committee
introduced a new operating budget draft on Tuesday that, if adopted,
would guarantee a $158 million increase in funding for Alaska public
schools the next fiscal year.
Elections
Opinion:
Alaska’s elections work best when they are open, transparent and in
our own hands - Anchorage Daily
News
Our system incentivizes real
work from our elected officials because Alaskans are no longer forced
to pick from candidates pushed by parties that cater to often
unreasonable positions on the political spectrum. Under our system,
politicians cannot play to their extreme bases because they need
votes from across the political spectrum to win, especially from the
large population that makes up the reasonable middle of both parties
and independents.
Editorial:
Treat municipal elections like they matter — because they do - Anchorage Daily
News
Turnout data from the
Municipality of Anchorage shows recent municipal elections
drawing roughly 25% to
30% of
registered voters, compared with 44% to 61%
turnout in recent statewide general elections, according
to the Alaska Division of Elections. And that’s despite the knowledge
that local elections shape the decisions that residents feel most
directly — in their schools, their neighborhoods and their wallets.
When turnout is low, the outcome doesn’t reflect the will of the city
so much as the will of those who showed up.
Alaska
accepts ballots that arrive after Election Day. This case could end
that. – Alaska
Public Media
Alaska accepts postmarked
ballots that arrive up to 10 days after Election Day – 15 days if
mailed from overseas. And, for Alaska, the implications of the
Supreme Court ruling could extend beyond mailed ballots. The U.S.
Supreme Court appears poised to rule in favor of the Republican
National Committee that all ballots must be received on Election Day
to be counted.
(My comment: A way for the
Republican Party to prevent voters from having a voice, unless they
are Republicans. No seniors, no rural voters.)
Energy
1
big thing: Offshore wind reversal highlights shift under Trump Axios
Burgum and TotalEnergies
CEO Patrick Pouyanné finalized an agreement to cancel federal
offshore wind leases worth about $1 billion and redirect that
investment to oil and natural gas projects in the U.S. The shift
is notable because both men had recently expressed support for
wind. As governor of North Dakota in 2024, Burgum highlighted the fact that wind supplied roughly
one-third of the state's electricity.
Healthcare
What's
changed Axios
"What people are
frustrated about are rising deductibles, rising premiums, prior
authorization — it's all sort of starting to come to a head and boil
over, and so there's just a lot of pent-up anger out there,"
Who
Controls Rural Health Funding? States and Federal Officials Clash - Governing
In the final days of 2025,
governors around the country trumpeted the hundreds of millions of
federal dollars they won from a new, $50 billion rural health fund.
But plans to spend those nine-digit awards aren’t all warmly
received. At least one group of Republican state lawmakers appears to
have scuttled an initiative preapproved by federal officials. And at
least one hospital association persuaded its state health leaders to
alter who greenlights spending. Other critics are taking a more
cautious approach. State lawmakers want to have a say, she said, in
“how the funding is being allocated — how the implementation will
go.”
No
health insurance? Here are other ways to access affordable health
care in Alaska –
Alaska Public Media
Some doctors' offices also
have charity programs. And some clinics offer free or sliding scale
care, including Anchorage Neighborhood
Health Center, Mat-Su Health Services and other community health care clinics.
So, call around for details on income cutoffs and requirements.
Politics
Opinion:
Congress is letting war powers slip away, one strike at a time - Anchorage
Daily News
A president launches a war
without congressional approval. Americans are placed in immediate
danger. Congress is told it is now too late to act.
That is not a crisis. It is a
playbook.
Pentagon
Seeks Additional $200 Billion to Fund Iran War - The New York
Times
The Pentagon has asked for
$200 billion in funding for the war in Iran, according to a military
official and an administration official, a significant sum adding to
the costs of an already divisive campaign.
Exclusive:
Iran attacks wipe out 17% of Qatar’s LNG capacity for up to five
years, QatarEnergy CEO says Reuters
Iranian attacks have knocked out 17% of Qatar's liquefied
natural gas (LNG) export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion
in lost annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia,
QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs told Reuters
on Thursday.
The
latest on Iran: Mattis, prices, ripple effects Axios
Threat level: If Trump
declares victory and pulls back the U.S. military, Iran "would
now say we own the Strait," Mattis said, adding: "I think
that you could see a tax for any ship going through — something
completely unsustainable in the international market."
China
is mapping the ocean floor as it prepares for submarine warfare with
the U.S. Reuters
Dozens of Chinese research
vessels are on a quest to map the sea floor at strategically vital
regions of the world's oceans. Some of the surveying is for mineral
deposits and fishing grounds, but the data the ships collect has a
military application. It gives Beijing a detailed picture of the
maritime environment in which submarine battles will be waged if
conflict erupts, naval experts say.
|
