New AGDC president to make half million dollars a year
The Alaska Gasline Development Corp.'s new president, Keith Meyer, will make $550,000 per year, plus bonuses -- a salary that makes him the highest paid state employee. Download Audio
Rag-tag group of scientists produces a paper on a 300-foot Alaska tsunami
Imagine a wave as tall as the ConocoPhillips building in downtown Anchorage. It happened just three years ago in Southeast Alaska. A new scientific paper makes the case that climate change could increase the likelihood of these events. Listen now
In AOGA gubernatorial debate, Dunleavy and Hawkins grill Walker on China, gasline prospects
Gov. Bill Walker, former State Senator Mike Dunleavy and businessman Scott Hawkins faced off in a debate yesterday at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association’s annual conference in Anchorage. Listen now
Winter storms flood houses in Nunapitchuk and Kotlik
Storms battered the southern Bering Sea and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta last month. February storms aren’t unusual, but the amount of rain and flooding is. The combination caused a lot of damage for two communities in the region.
Why did Shell walk away from Alaska?
Shell’s announcement left the state wondering what to blame -- low oil prices? Tough regulations? Better prospects elsewhere? In other words, is it us -- or is it Shell?
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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
BP leak investigation led to shutdown of 5 more wells
BP was forced to plug five at-risk wells on the North Slope after investigating an oil leak that happened this April. Listen now
Rising seas, peat may have caused Ice Age extinction event
A research paper published yesterday says large ice age mammals may have gone extinct in northern Alaska when grassland turned to peat and rising sea levels covered the Bering Land Bridge.
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Lawmakers might have more control over the Permanent Fund than they think
One senator’s lawsuit over PFDs changed the way the Permanent Fund managers can use investment earnings. Listen now
BlueCrest’s construction phase nearing completion
BlueCrest Energy is continuing preparations to drill for oil in the Cosmopolitan Unit at its 37.5-acre site on the Cook Inlet bluff about 5.5 miles north of Anchor Point.
Video: How chilly seawater keeps an aquarium warm
The Alaska Sealife Center has managed to reduce its carbon footprint and cut its annual utility bills in half. The secret: In 2008, the aquarium used state and federal grants to install a seawater heat pump system.
Trans-Alaska Pipeline up and running after tank fire the previous day
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is back in operation following a tank fire that shut it down for 9 hours yesterday. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company spokeswoman Michelle Egan said workers at Pump Station 5 saw flames coming from a large crude oil storage tank at Pump Station 5 at the base of Atigun Pass in the Brooks Range around 2:20 Wednesday afternoon. Download Audio
Reactions from Utqiaġvik on a whaling quota rule change: ‘We don’t have to beg anymore’
This year, the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission and the U.S. government put forward a new proposal that would change how the International Whaling Commission renews its quota. It passed.
Moody’s downgrades Alaska credit rating; fourth downgrade this year
Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Alaska's credit rating for the second time in six months, citing the state's massive budget deficit and its failure to find a long-term political solution. It's the fourth time since January the state has been downgraded by one of the three major ratings agencies. Listen now
ConocoPhillips executive: more land around Teshekpuk Lake should be available for drilling
His statements come a week after the Trump administration announced it is overhauling the management plan for the 22-million-acre Reserve where Teshekpuk Lake is located, a decision spurred by a series of recent large oil discoveries in the region.
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
Unalaska pays thousands to sink already sunk boat
The state scuttled the F/V Akutan last month with help from the U.S. Coast Guard, but they moved forward before collecting funds from the city. Listen now
In Tyonek, celebration as a coal mining company backs down
Residents of the tiny Cook Inlet village of Tyonek are celebrating after news that a company attempting to develop a massive coal mine near their village has shelved the project. Listen now
U.S., Russian researchers track polar bears and ice seals across the Arctic
A collaboration between scientists from the U.S. and Russia is providing a clearer picture of polar bears and ice seals, which remain subsistence staples to Arctic communities.
Study asks why species bounced back – or didn’t – after Exxon Valdez
When the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound in 1989, the immediate effects were pretty obvious. Researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of sea birds and thousands of sea otters died within months, among other impacts. Listen now