zz Alaska's Energy Desk

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State one step closer to gas pipeline, but not the one the Walker administration wants

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has put out a draft of the final environmental review of the in-state gas pipeline project. Listen now

Girls on Ice: an all-female science immersion course on top of a glacier

“I think it’s just so empowering, just that as women, alone, we can do this,” said glaciologist Jessica Mejia. “We can do great science, we could be on a glacier by ourselves, we could do anything.” Listen now

First Y-K Delta tribe marches against Donlin Gold in Bethel

The mine would be built in a region where many residents practice subsistence and would be one of the biggest gold mines in the world. Listen now

Governor’s climate change task force adds science education to draft plan

Governor Bill Walker’s climate change task force has been working this summer to nail down some clear draft policy objectives. Listen now

Oil tanker dented after ‘hard landing’ with new tugboat in Valdez

The Coast Guard is characterizing the incident as “minor;” no oil was spilled and no injuries were reported. Listen now

Conoco buys BP’s stake in Alaska’s No. 2 oil field

Conoco is already the biggest oil producer in Alaska, but buying BP’s interest in Kuparuk adds to its growing presence west of Prudhoe Bay.

Stand for Salmon ballot initiative has big implications for Donlin mine

In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the stakes are especially high for the controversial Stand for Salmon ballot initiative because it could kill one of the biggest proposed gold mines in the world — the Donlin Mine.
dirt runway with hills in the background

Top four gubernatorial candidates voice support for Donlin mine

Walker, who is running for re-election as an independent, and three other top gubernatorial candidates have pledged support for the Donlin mine, which would be the one of the biggest gold mines in the world. Listen now

‘There really isn’t anything held back’ — A whaling festival in Nuiqsut

In fall, Nuiqsut's whaling crews travel roughly 80 miles by boat to the village's camp at Cross Island, north of Prudhoe Bay. From there, last year, Nuiqsut's crews harvested four bowhead whales. The Ipalook crew took one of them. Listen now

Are great white sharks sinking their teeth into Bering Sea seals?

In the past three years or so, Brandon Ahmasuk says something strange has been opening its jaws to marine mammals in the Bering Sea. Listen now

State’s wildfire season ‘largely uneventful,’ according to officials

Wildfires have burned just 270,000 acres in the state this year. That’s far short of the 1.2 million acres that burn during a normal season. Listen now

Unalaskans express overwhelming support for ban on plastic bags

As it stands, the proposed ordinance would put the burden on retailers. Starting Jan. 1, businesses would receive $100 fines for providing customers with a disposable shopping bag. 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

Interior utility breaks ground on test solar farm

The solar array is a small-scale test and will be completed at the end of October.

Watchdog renews call for tougher training for Prince William Sound oil tanker escorts

Following two minor accidents, a citizens' watchdog group is asking the state's top environmental regulator to require tougher training for new oil spill response crews in Prince William Sound. Listen now

Legislators quiz Alaska LNG project managers on progress

State-led Alaska gasline project leaders confident on progress, minimize tariff impact during legislative update. Listen now
a ship on the water

Alaska’s LNG project looking for private contractor to help with federal permitting

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent a letter to the state, requesting that it pay for a third-party contractor to help with federal review of the project. Listen now

Here’s how a planeload of salmon gets from Cook Inlet to customers in Anchorage

It’s been a tough start to Alaska’s fishing season this year. But now the sockeye run is heating up. We followed a single plane-load of sockeye – from its catch site across Cook Inlet to the backdoor of a downtown Anchorage restaurant. Listen now

Arctic without borders: Inuit Circumpolar Council meets in Utqiaġvik

This week, indigenous people from all over the Arctic are gathered in Utqiaġvik for the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s 2018 General Assembly. Listen now