Alaska Sea Grant program “hopeful but not confident” funding won’t be cut
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) received a surprise on Friday: The Trump administration is proposing deep cuts to the organization, which focuses on fisheries and climate science. As reported in the Washington Post, NOAA’s could lose 26 percent of its overall budget. The Sea Grant program, with more than a dozen projects in Alaska, could be hit particularly hard. Listen now
Murkowski wants Alaskans approval for future national monuments
Alaska has five national monuments — public lands that are given special protections, and Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski doesn’t want anymore of the state added to that list. Listen now
State reduces Hilcorp fine for worker safety incident
The state is fining oil and gas company Hilcorp $200,000 for a 2015 incident that nearly killed three workers on the North Slope. The final order amount, which was released today (Mar. 3), is a significant reduction from the $720,000 penalty the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission proposed last year. Listen now
Scientists propose plan to help refreeze melting Arctic
The Arctic could see its first ice-free summer as soon as 2030 as the region continues to warm faster than the rest of the planet. Some scientists think we’ve reached a point of no return, where no amount of reducing carbon emissions will save the Arctic, and a small group of scientists think it’s time for an intervention to help Mother Nature out. Listen now
Ask a Climatologist: Models hint at El Niño resurgence
The weather phenomenon El Niño may be on its way back. That’s after a weak La Niña system faded out a few months ago. Climatologist Brian Brettschneider said computer models are hinting at El Niño returning in the second half of this year. Listen now
Juneau’s electric utility says natural gas not in the plans anymore
Juneau’s privately-owned electric utility won’t be bringing natural gas to the capital city anytime soon. Alaska Electric Light & Power is owned by the Washington-based company Avista, which had shown interest in shipping liquefied natural gas from British Columbia to Juneau. Listen now
State demands Hilcorp monitor environmental impact of Cook Inlet gas leak
The state is asking oil and gas company Hilcorp to dramatically step up environmental monitoring near a natural gas leak in Cook Inlet. Listen now
Industry pushes back against proposed changes to state’s oil tax system
As lawmakers in Juneau consider changes to the state’s oil tax credit system, they’re facing stiff opposition from oil companies. Listen now
Ice in Cook Inlet likely to delay fix to Hilcorp gas leak for weeks
Hilcorp recently informed state regulators that the company is unlikely to begin repairs on a gas leak in Cook Inlet until mid- to late March. Listen now
Murkowski says Trump policies on Arctic, climate still unclear
Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said it’s still unclear what the Trump administration’s Arctic or climate policies will look like. Listen now
Walker wants Trump on-board the gasline
Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged to increase the nation’s infrastructure spending. After Trump was elected, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker sent the new president an infrastructure wishlist from the state. At the top of that list is the state-led $45 billion gasline project. Listen now
Start-up gambles time is right for Alaska solar power
Alaska’s solar industry lags far behind many other states. But with prices dropping dramatically around the world, some entrepreneurs see a new opportunity. Listen now
Ask the Energy Desk: Are plastic bag bans better for the environment?
Bans on plastic grocery bags have been cropping up across Alaska’s remote communities. Cordova’s ban went into effect last year. But so far, the larger cities in the state have yet to adopt one. Listen now
Ask a Climatologist: We know it’s bad in the Arctic, what about the Antarctic?
This week, we’re responding to a listener who asked whether it’s true that sea ice in Antarctic waters has been generally increasing, while Arctic sea ice has seen dramatic declines.
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Waiting for winter: ice roads mean the North Slope can get to work
Every winter, a massive infrastructure project takes place on the North Slope — one that’s designed to disappear. Ice roads are built to minimize the oil industry’s footprint on the sensitive tundra, and melt away in spring. Many of the oil industry’s multi-million dollar projects on the North Slope can’t be built until the ice roads are finished each year. Listen now
Report pinpoints concerns over new oil tanker escorts for Prince William Sound
A watchdog group is raising questions about whether new tugboats planned for Prince William Sound are up to the job of escorting oil tankers through the region. Listen now
Environmental group to sue Hilcorp over Cook Inlet gas leak
Hilcorp's leaking gas pipeline in Cook Inlet is drawing concern from environmental groups and state and federal agencies. Listen now
New bill from House lawmaker would hike minimum tax on oil industry
A state House lawmaker has released another bill proposing changes to the state’s oil and gas tax credit regime. Anchorage Democrat Les Gara debuted his bill, called the “Fair Share for Alaska’s Oil Act,” on Wednesday (Feb. 15). Listen now
Can home wood pellet boilers go from fringe to mainstream?
The Ketchikan airport has one. So does the Walter Sobeloff Building in downtown Juneau. Now, a fringe group of homeowners are installing wood pellet boilers to heat their homes. Not to be confused with wood burning stoves, these boilers have been marketed as a cheaper alternative to heating oil, at least in the long run. But is the framework there to make the technology go mainstream? Listen now
Lawmakers grill Alaska’s gasline corporation on its budget
The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC), which is charged with taking the lead on the massive Alaska liquid natural gas project, is again having its finances questioned. On Tuesday (Feb. 14), members of the Senate Finance committee pressed the corporation’s president Keith Meyer for detailed information about his budget. Listen now