Economy

All Alaska economy and business news, including the Alaska Economic Report.

a group of students standing around an EV engine

New study aims to fill in the data gaps on EV use in rural Alaska

The study doesn’t promote EVs, but aims to better understand their usage in rural Alaska and clarify misconceptions about them.
a sign

2 Alaska seafood processors to pay $2.1M in wage lawsuit settlement

Workers at OBI Seafoods and Ocean Beauty Seafoods had sued the companies over wage violations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
an airliner

Alaska Airlines drops early bird Juneau-Seattle flight for winter

A spokesperson for the airline cited low demand for the flight during the winter months as the reason for the suspension.
pipes

New contract between Enstar and small producer could help delay natural gas shortage in Southcentral Alaska

But Enstar’s president warned of risks as some of the gas supply will depend on future drilling.
sockeye salmon

Kenai gets nearly $80K in fishery disaster funds from feds

Most of the money is coming from the east side setnet fishery’s 2018 season and the 2020 Upper Cook Inlet salmon fishery season.
a trail

Some popular Juneau trails could soon be open to guided tours — while others would off limits

The recommendations would revise tourism rules at 13 locations across Alaska's capital city.
protesters

Albertsons sues Kroger and ends failed grocery megamerger

The lawsuit over a deal to combine the two largest U.S. supermarkets came just a day after it was blocked in two federal courts.
Two stores side by side.

Alaska advocates celebrate halted Kroger-Albertsons merger

As part of the merger, the companies were prepared to sell off 18 of the state’s grocery stores.
a shopper

Kroger and Albertsons grocery megamerger halted by 2 courts

Two rulings — in federal and state courts — make it increasingly likely that Kroger might abandon its $24.6 billion plan to buy Albertsons.
a river

Biden administration includes restrictions in Arctic refuge oil lease sale

In its decision, the BLM limited the lease sales to 400,000 acres, which is one-quarter of the coastal plain section of the refuge.
a video game

Recognition grows for children’s Sugt’stun language game

An app that teaches Sugt'stun language and school readiness skills to preschoolers has received several awards since its 2023 release.
Rocky coastline near Nome

Tribal group appeals Clean Water Act permit for contentious gold dredging project near Nome

The permit would allow the company behind the project to discharge a limited amount of pollutants into an estuary about 30 miles from Nome.
a seafood plant

Settlement requires corrective actions at 2 Alaska plants formerly operated by Peter Pan Seafood

Plants in King Cove and Valdez had longstanding waste violations, and Peter Pan's successors must take compliance measures.

Southcentral mayors say time is running out for utilities to address looming natural gas shortfall

Alaska’s Railbelt largely relies on liquified natural gas from Cook Inlet, though experts predict that the demand for LNG will outweigh the supply from local fields by around 2027.
Two people in hardhats and safety vests dig a trench.

Alaska wages outpaced inflation for the first time in 3 years

A new report from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development found that Alaskans’ average pay rose 5.2% in 2023, surpassing the 1.5% inflation.
Juneau

Southeast Alaska set to lose nearly a fifth of its population by 2050, report says

The state document bases the projection on a mixture of increased outmigration and deaths outnumbering births in the region.
drill rigs

China bans export of critical minerals to U.S. as graphite mine near Nome pushes forward

The massive Graphite One project could become the largest U.S. source of the mineral as China reviews graphite exports.
a smartphone

Court upholds a U.S. ban on TikTok

An appeals court agreed that the viral video app must be sold off by its China-based parent company.
a map

A new study touts the economics of building the Alaska LNG Project, but some lawmakers have doubts

If it’s built, the full pipeline project would move natural gas from the North Slope to Nikiski, where it'd be prepared for shipment overseas.
A crane lifts a conex

Increase in Port of Alaska surcharge could raise price on goods 

But Anchorage officials said it probably won’t be very noticeable to the average Alaskan.