A solar project in rural Alaska takes aim at sky-high electric bills
A new renewable energy project in Buckland aims to demonstrate solar and wind power’s potential to reduce the region’s sky-high utility costs. Listen now
Trump administration approves first oil production in federal Arctic waters
Called the Liberty Project, Hilcorp aims to build a 24-acre gravel island in shallow waters about five miles from shore and drill for oil from there. Listen now
Barrick Gold takes Donlin mine development ‘very seriously’ during big merger
Barrick Gold also wants to build one of the world’s largest gold mines, the Donlin gold mine, in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. And this merger could have future implications for the project.
St. Paul rat evades team of eradication experts
A rat is still on the loose on St. Paul Island, having evaded the community’s decades-old prevention program for more than seven weeks. A fish plant worker nearly caught it on Sunday, but it slipped out of his hands. Listen now
Ask a Climatologist: Warm early winter topples century-old records
It's the first time in more than a century with no recorded snow -- not even a trace -- this late in October, as of Tuesday the 16th. On top of that, warm weather across the state is setting marks for the latest freeze date on record. We thought this called for an emergency installment of Ask a Climatologist and called our resident climatologist, UAF's Brian Brettschneider. He talked to Alaska Public Media’s Casey Grove. Listen now
State regulators to Alaska lobbyist: Stop helping candidates raise money
Alaska lobbyists have been breaking an anti-corruption law by helping political candidates promote their fundraising events, according to a preliminary opinion from the state’s campaign finance watchdog. Listen now
Feds approve second Conoco oil project in National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
According to Conoco, the Greater Mooses Tooth 2 drill site could produce up to 40,000 barrels of oil per day. The company aims to begin construction this winter, and complete the project by 2021.
Q&A: ConocoPhillips Alaska president discusses his prediction for a ‘North Slope Renaissance’
In a presentation to an Anchorage business group on Monday, Marushack said Conoco’s projects are part of a new wave of oil production in Alaska, something he called a “North Slope Renaissance.”
Anchorage airport looks at building a new cargo handling center
Managers of the Anchorage airport are looking into construction of a big new warehouse to help boost the volume of air cargo shipped through the city. Listen now
Alaska law says lobbyists can’t fundraise for candidates. But the invitations keep coming
Some of Alaska’s most prominent lobbyists are boosting the fundraising efforts of political candidates, prompting questions about whether they’re breaking a state law that’s designed to limit lobbyists’ influence over the legislative process. Listen now
Donlin gold mine needs to move a mountain. How close is that to happening?
There isn’t much at the proposed mine site right now: just a long airstrip, with clusters of sturdy buildings in the middle of green mountains close to the Middle Kuskokwim River. But if completed, the Donlin gold mine would be one of the biggest in the world. Listen now
In Interior Alaska, reinvestment in coal power runs counter to national trend
Even after decades of talk about getting affordable natural gas to the Interior, Fairbanks as of yet has only a limited supply of natural gas. And unlike many other places in the country, it’s not price-competitive with coal. Listen now
This woman came all the way to Alaska from the Pacific Islands to talk climate change
Climate change is threatening remote Alaska villages. It’s also hitting other low-lying places around the world, from Bangladesh to the Pacific Islands. Local leaders from those places are at a conference in Girdwood this week. Listen now
Arctic sea ice minimum continues downward trend, with implications beyond the Arctic
"The Arctic’s like an air conditioner or refrigerator for the global climate...And as the Arctic warms, partly because the sea ice is going away, it’s like you’re opening that refrigerator door." Listen now
Red Dog Mine, in hunt for more ore, proposes new road
One of Alaska’s largest mines is moving toward a significant expansion, applying for state and federal permits to build a 10-mile road to a pair of new prospects in a remote part of Northwest Alaska. Listen now
Permanent Fund managers to look for in-state investment opportunities
It sets a goal of increasing the amount of the Permanent Fund assets invested in-state to at least 5 percent in five years. Listen now
After one year, Feds examine how DOT takeover of environmental reviews is working
There are few areas that could be improved — like one instance where the state should have held a public hearing — and didn’t. And there are questions about having enough staff and allocating the time and money they need for training. Listen now
The man who translates climate change data for Alaskans is retiring. Here’s a Q&A
Alaska’s summer may have seemed cold. And it was, compared to the previous few. But it was actually still significantly warmer than the previous three decades. Rick Thoman, who’s retiring from his job as a federal climatologist, talks about how sometimes our brains can tell us different things than the data. Listen now
Alaska has a climate change policy. Now what?
The state of Alaska recognizes that climate change is happening. And rather than wait around for outside help, the 37 page document outlines the prospect of local solutions to mitigate the damage. Listen now
Chinese tariffs hit Southeast Alaska’s struggling timber industry
Tariffs will be placed on trees shipped to China: a response to President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs on Chinese goods. Listen now