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Oil and Gas Pipeline Topics
SB
280 work continues Petroleum
News
This is a summary of April
13-14 meeting in Senate Resources.
AOGCC
Class VI primacy hearing scheduled Petroleum
News
The Alaska Oil and Gas
Conservation Commission has scheduled a hearing May 14 on its
intention to apply for Class VI primary enforcement authority from
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Alaska
House rejects Senate bid to impose corporate tax on privately owned
oil companies Alaska Beacon
A
war-driven spike in fuel prices could produce a ‘survival scenario’
in Alaska villages Alaska Beacon
China,
the United States, and Japan hold most strategic oil inventories in
2025 EIA
In the 1970s, the United
States and other OECD countries established strategic oil stocks
aimed at mitigating the impact of supply disruptions. In March 2026,
the United States, along with other members of the International
Energy Agency, agreed to a coordinated
emergency release of strategic oil stocks following the effective
closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Estimate as of December 2025, the
three largest strategic oil inventories were held by China, which
added large volumes to its strategic oil inventories in 2025; the
United States; and Japan. Other significant strategic inventories are
held by countries in OECD Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Alaska
LNG export project requires further massive public subsidy Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Department of
Revenue estimated Dunleavy’s proposal would equate to a roughly 90%
reduction in property tax revenue, once the pipeline is at full
capacity. Dan Stickel, an economist with the Department of
Revenue, told
the House Resources Committee on March 25 that AGDC and Glenfarne have
said the project will not move forward without property tax
relief.
1 big thing: Get used to
higher gas prices this year Axios
Even if the Iran conflict
ended now and the Strait of Hormuz fully opened, don't look for
a quick return to pre-war gas prices. Costlier fill-ups are the
most direct and visible economic effect of the war for many
Americans, and could sway midterm election races.
Despite
decreasing national fuel prices, Murkowski warns rural Alaska may
still pay higher fuel costs from initial price hikes Alaska Public Media
“If you can’t produce power
because you don’t have the diesel or you just can’t pay the prices,
your little communities can collapse,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska,
said at a Friday press conference at the Arctic Encounter Summit in
Anchorage.
Murkowski added the reason
for concern over unaffordable fuel prices is because the price and
supply of fuel for the 82%
of Alaska’s communities off the road system will be locked into what
things looked like during the war in Iran.
Energy secretary says Alaska
LNG is his No.1 infrastructure priority AK Pub Media
But, he said, it’s “tricky”
to finance construction of the 800-mile pipeline
Current Topics
Alaska
Senate committee advances draft capital budget, boosting funds for
school maintenance Alaska Beacon
The draft budget adds $88 million to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s
proposed capital budget of $159 million, with the largest additions
going toward K-12 schools and university facilities
maintenance.
Rising
gas prices squeeze Alaska drivers and their budgets Alaska Public Media
Like the rest of the
country, Alaskans have been paying a lot more for gas in recent weeks
due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. It was noticeable to
Bryant Fiorenzi last Sunday in Fairbanks as he filled up a 2010
Mercury Mariner. “I can't remember a time in my driving life where I
was paying $4.50 a gallon,” he said. “It's really good on gas
compared to most cars, but that doesn't really help much when the gas
is $4.50 a gallon.”
(My comment: I had to
laugh, looking at Bryant’s photo. He must be 12 years old, though he
couldn’t drive at that age. His driving life hasn’t been very long!
So his comment about the price made me laugh. He has a lot more years
to see gasoline prices go up and down.)
$248
million draft of Senate capital budget would shore up schools and
state facilities Alaska Public Media
The Senate’s draft would
require roughly $248 million in unrestricted funds, much of which
would go towards shoring up schools and state facilities around the
state. That’s $88 million more than the governor proposed in
December. Republican Sen. Kelly Merrick, attempted to add $25 million
for the Port of Alaska in Anchorage during a Finance Committee
meeting Tuesday. A majority of the committee, though — Stedman and
co-chairs Lyman Hoffman of Bethel and Donny Olson of Golovin, plus
Senate Minority Leader Mike Cronk of Tok — voted down the amendment,
saying it would require reducing the amount that could be put toward
school maintenance.
Opinion:
I voted no on the corporate income tax bill. Here’s why that matters
for Alaska Anchorage
Daily News
Amid
discord on age-of-consent bill, Alaska Senate panel unveils sweeping
crime package Anchorage
Daily News
An Alaska Senate committee
has introduced a sweeping crime package that, among other provisions,
would raise the age of consent from 16 to 18 for sexual contact.
Alaska’s
embattled economic development agency approves $700,000 PR budget Alaska Beacon
The state agency leading
some of Alaska’s most polarizing development projects has approved a
new communications budget, saying it needs to do a better job telling
its own story amid attacks from critics.
(My comment: People email
me all the time, outraged that AIDEA continues to act without
restraint. People want AIDEA to go away. I would counter with the
opinion that AIDEA simply needs better leadership. Yes, some
restraints should also be done.)
Stuff I found Interesting
Owlets
Hatch At The Wildflower Center Great Horned Owl Nest Cornell Lab
Bird Cams
The Great
Horned Owl Cam just got a whole lot cuter this week thanks to
two new arrivals. Athena, the female owl, stood watch over the nest
as her first egg hatched
a down-covered owlet on April 8 after 34 days of incubation. The second
owlet arrived two days later, on April 10.
1
food thing: Burgers reach luxury levels Axios
The all-American
burger is becoming a luxury item, with many consumers opting for
cheaper proteins like chicken and pork. U.S. beef supplies are
shrinking, imports are rising, and there's little relief in sight.
Arctic
I
Went to Greenland and Saw a Warning for Canada The Walrus
Before he pulled his
hunting rifle out of storage and brought it to his bedroom to keep it
close at night, Jan Køhler had been preparing, mentally and
emotionally, in case the American military descended on the
Greenlandic capital. He didn’t know which way they’d come. But if
they did, he assumed the battle would be quick.
The fifty-one-year-old
Danish-born father of three had never been a soldier and had never
really thought about shooting someone either. A week earlier, he’d
helped organize the biggest protest in Greenland’s history, a
peaceful march down the streets of Nuuk and toward the United States
consulate. He’d chanted with 5,000 others as they surrounded the
structure, a red clapboard house perched—like most things in Nuuk—on
the side of a rocky hill overlooking the fjord. He’d cheered as his
fellow protesters carried Greenland’s flag on a staff and speared it
into a nearby snowbank.
Trump
appoints Alaska governor to a seat on U.S. Arctic Research Commission AK Pub Media
Education
Anchorage School District lays
off more than 50 teachers Ak Pub
Media
The Anchorage School
District announced Friday that it will lay off 56 teachers. That’s
about two percent of the nearly 3000 teachers employed by the
district.
Alaska
Senate advances resolution asking federal policymakers to protect
visa programs Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Senate advanced
a resolution Monday to preserve three work visas to support Alaska’s
economic security. Alaska relies on J-1 visas to fill teacher
positions, H-1B visas for highly skilled workers and the H-2B program
for temporary nonagricultural workers in tourism, health care and
seafood processing industries and for teachers.
Alaska
Senate advances bill to ban certain food dyes in school meals Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Senate passed a
bill Monday that would ban public schools in Alaska from serving
certain food dyes in school breakfasts or lunches. Lawmakers
expressed concerns that certain petroleum-based food dyes in
processed foods have unhealthy side effects on children.
UAA
is producing more early childhood educators after reaccreditation,
helping fill gap Anchorage Daily
News
More University of Alaska
Anchorage students are studying to become early childhood educators,
and the School of Education at UAA is graduating more educators than
it had in recent years.
Anchorage
School District begins layoffs after tax levy failure Anchorage Daily
News
Anchorage
School District lays off more than 50 teachers Alaska Public Media
The Anchorage School
District began the process of laying off dozens of
employees, and notified hundreds of others that they will be moved to
different positions or schools next year.
Energy
Why
Fairbanks residents pay some of the highest electric rates in Alaska Alaska Beacon
In 2025, Fairbanks
residents paid about 11.5 cents per kWh more than residents in places
like Akiak, Akutan, Anaktuvuk Pass, Atmautluak, and Atqasuk. Those
are just the communities starting with the letter “A” in the annual
PCE report published by the Alaska Energy Authority, that have
managed to hit that PCE floor of about 20 cents per kWh.
(My comment: You may wonder
why I focus on Fairbanks energy costs. Gwen Holdmann evaluates energy
issues for the entire state. What she describes here is relevant to
Anchorage as well. She is describing the failings of the transmission
system and its management. The entire “railbelt” is affected.)
Mining
Nova
discovers large Estelle gold target North of 60
Mining News
Nova Minerals Ltd. April 14
reported that surface sampling returned grades of up to 14.3 grams
per metric ton gold at Portage Pass, a large gold target discovered
about 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) south of the multimillion-ounce
Korbel deposit on the company's Estelle project in Alaska.
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