BP well that spewed oil and gas successfully plugged
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation today announced yesterday that a leaking oil and gas well on the North Slope was successfully plugged. Listen now
Teaching the next crop of whale entanglement responders
Unalaska has experienced three entangled whales in the last two years. There used to be only one person on the island who could respond to the incidents. But thanks to a recent training, a new response team is in place. Listen now
Activists take to social media as comment period for Roadless Rule draws to a close
As the final deadline for public comments on a proposal to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule loomed, environmental groups increasingly tried to get the word out to encourage people to weigh-in.
Legislative Finance gets ready to release its version of Dunleavy’s new budget
Typically, the governor is required to release a budget by mid-December, and the Legislative Finance Division has about a month to get through it before lawmakers come into session. But that didn’t happen this year.
Alaska utility regulators ask Hilcorp, BP for more details on $5.6B deal
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska is asking the companies for five new sets of documents. They include the purchase and sale agreement, charts detailing the companies' corporate ownership and operating structure, and additional financial statements.
Cruise lines are taking bookings for an Alaska cruise season that might not even happen
Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata said he was surprised to learn that Carnival Cruise Line is offering a seven-day cruise through his town in early July, but it's not clear whether that trip is even happening.
Lawmakers press on North Slope marketing request
At a Senate Resource Committee meeting on Tuesday, lawmakers pressed state officials eabout why the administration is trying to obtain gas marketing information from North Slope oil and gas producers. Gov. Bill Walker has yet to sign off on the oil companies’ 2016 development plan for Prudhoe Bay.
Savings on tax credits for oil and gas not as high as proposed
A bill to revise oil and gas tax credits from the House Resources Committee includes only a fraction of the savings Governor Bill Walker proposed. Download Audio
About 120 to leave gas line team as state takes charge of project
At a meeting of the state Gasline Development Corporation board today, corporation Vice President Frank Richards said staff are winding up the project’s first phase, which includes early design and engineering work — called preliminary front-end engineering and design, or pre-FEED. Listen Now
Hoping for jobs and lower fuel costs, an Alaska Native Corporation explores for gas
Alaska Native Regional Corporation Ahtna, Inc. is searching for natural gas to reduce local energy costs and provide jobs. Last week, Ahtna, Inc. subsidiary Tolsona Oil & Gas Exploration LLC started drilling an exploration well on state land near Glennallen. Listen Now
Dillingham urges governor to close Bristol Bay fishery
The City of Dillingham and the Curyung Tribal Council wrote a strongly worded letter to Governor Mike Dunleavy Monday urging him to consider closing Bristol Bay’s commercial fishery to protect the community from the coronavirus pandemic.
Support and concern as Ambler Road comment period draws to a close
It's a big road in a state with not that many of them. Proponents say it will enable growth of the mining industry, and create jobs. Detractors worry about impacts to subsistence. Listen now
In the air with NASA: studying environmental change from 40,000 feet
There's a whole host of environmental changes the project is examining, like the severity and frequency of forest fires, insect activity and wildlife migration.
Work starts on oil exploration project in Arctic federal waters
It’s the first oil exploration project to take place in Arctic federal waters since Shell discontinued their efforts in 2015. Listen now
AK: The journey of Alaska’s go-to man in China
It took a lot of work for Alaska to break into the Chinese market. One man has been at it for decades: Yingdi Wang, the Chinese-born, American citizen who is the state’s go-to guy in China. Listen now
ConocoPhillips announces three new oil discoveries on the North Slope
Conoco didn’t release many details about the discoveries, including how much oil was found. But in a press release, the company called the results of this winter’s drilling season “promising.” Listen now
How can the U.S. Forest Service keep up with Alaska’s tourism boom?
As tourism increases and federal budgets shrink, a permitting backlog at the U.S. Forest Service has been growing. Listen now
Alaska regulators say they need more time to weigh Hilcorp’s request to keep its finances confidential
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska has extended its deadline to March 12.
BP and ExxonMobil commit up to $20 million to Alaska LNG
It’s the first time in years that private industry in the state has pitched in money to move the gasline project forward
Fire Island Wind sees expansion on the horizon
After years of talks and setbacks, there’s momentum to expand the Fire Island Wind project. The first turbines started spinning on the island near Anchorage four years ago, but a planned expansion has been stalled ever since. Listen now