Alaska's Energy Desk

Alaska’s Energy Desk is a collaboration between KTOO-FM in Juneau, Alaska Public Media in Anchorage, KUCB in Unalaska, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks, KBRW in Utqiaġvik and KYUK in Bethel. Each week we produce in-depth coverage of energy issues in Alaska for radio, video and web. From the state budget to personal energy use, resource development to Arctic life, we cover how energy issues impact Alaskan lives and landscapes. Alaska’s Energy Desk is a Regional Journalism Collaboration, launched in 2016 with a supporting grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

When the lights went out – Alaska’s great recession

Less than ten years after oil started flowing, Alaska’s economy cratered. The recession was quick and deep. Ten banks failed, real estate values plummeted and tens of thousands of people fled the state. It was Alaska’s great recession, 20 years before the rest of the country went through almost the same thing.

Ask a Climatologist: New satellite will improve forecasts, inform policy

"There's always something new and fascinating that you've never see before when there's a new generation satellite that's launched." Listen now

Ask a Climatologist: Winter weather makes a comeback at the Winter Olympics

You have to go back over twenty years to find a colder winter Olympics. Listen now

How do you keep developing rural energy projects in a fiscal drought? More loans.

Cady Lister, chief economist for the Alaska Energy Authority, says that communities and rural utilities need to rely less on grants and look more to loans. Listen now

Beavers are moving into the Arctic — you can see it from space

"If they were moving out of the Arctic, then you’d see a lot of ponds draining... But that’s not what we saw, we saw a lot of new ponds forming." Listen now

Alaskans rally in support of youth climate lawsuit, currently in limbo

“This is no longer a scientific issue, it’s not a scientific question. It’s a moral and spiritual issue,” said Tom Baring of Fairbanks, the father of one of the plaintiffs. Listen now

State gasline corporation to miss key deadline with Chinese partners

Alaska Gasline Development Corporation is pushing for a six-month extension on negotiations with three Chinese partners interested in the Alaska LNG project.
A river and mountains.

Could there be seismic in the Arctic Refuge this winter after all?

During the final public meeting in Alaska on oil leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a top Interior official said there could be some seismic exploration there this winter, after all.

Groups say they will sue unless EPA renews effort to restrict oil spill dispersants

The plaintiffs say the federal Environmental Protection Agency is shirking its duty to update its rules so they reflect the latest science on how dispersants affect the environment.

Alaska lawmakers are trying to fight crime by toughening prison sentences. Not everyone agrees that will work.

People who work with released prisoners say the best way to combat crime is enhancing access to programs that target mental health problems and drug addiction -- not increasing prison terms.

In the Alaska village where ANWR is the backyard, many see drilling as an opportunity

Many of the Alaska Native residents of Kaktovik, the one small village inside the refuge, see oil development as an opportunity -- though some remain deeply skeptical.

About 300 BP union employees will keep their jobs — for now

According to Hilcorp, about 300 BP union workers at Prudhoe Bay will remain in their jobs, at least through the end of their current contract.

Alaska governor creates oversight committee for BP sale

“The purpose is to make sure the State of Alaska and its people are represented as this transaction moves forward,” said the governor’s office.

With no ferries to haul waste, Southeast Alaska’s septic tank problem could get messy

Not all rural communities have normal sanitation systems like city sewer and water treatment plants, instead they rely on septic systems that need to get pumped periodically. And while the Alaska Marine Highway is shut down, pump trucks cannot get to some small towns that rely on them.

There are new health rules for fishermen arriving in Bristol Bay, but critics say there are loopholes

The president of the regional health corporation and local tribes say the Dunleavy administration's plan is unrealistic considering the realities of the looming commercial fishing season.
A small harbor with 30-foot fishing boats on a sunny day with large spruce trees nearby.

Seafood Trade Relief Program offers help to fishermen hurt by U.S.-China trade war

USDA will provide cash to Alaska fishermen based on last year's catch: 16 cents a pound for salmon, 4 cents a pound for herring and a whopping 76 cents per pound for geoduck clams.
A winding river fro mabove

Ambler Metals will get back some of its $35M investment on access road, if project gets built

Last month, the state of Alaska’s investment authority agreed to put $35 million towards pre-development work on the Ambler Road project.

St. George takes steps to protect their marine environment

An island in the Pribilof’s is taking steps to protect the marine environment in their backyard. St. George's city council passed a resolution earlier this month that could establish a National Marine Sanctuary. Listen now

Alaska’s budget, easier to swallow with ice cream and beer

The Alaska legislature has a lot on its plate trying to fix the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit, and a couple of budget experts are adding to the menu. They’re inviting the public to weigh-in over ice cream and beer. Listen now