Ben Stevens’ last day in the governor’s office was Friday, Feb. 26, and he started work as vice president of external affairs and transportation at ConocoPhillips the following Monday.
Energy & Mining
Nearly 50 years after it was shut down, Army releases plan to get rid of Alaska’s first and only nuclear power plant
The SM-1A was a field prototype of a medium-sized nuclear reactor the Army was developing during the Cold War for use at remote military installations. It generated 20 megawatts of thermal energy for steam heat and 1.8 megawatts of electricity.
Protections added to Juneau’s power lines after 2008 avalanches, but risk remains
Giant steel structures divert avalanches away from transmission line towers while the Daisy Bell device is used to trigger small slides before they become big ones.
Kaktovik tribe says Biden didn’t reach out before agreement with Canada over caribou in Arctic refuge
The Native Village of Kaktovik is speaking out against the Biden administration, claiming their tribe wasn’t consulted about an agreement President Biden made with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding protections of the porcupine caribou herd in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Murkowski says she didn’t sink Tanden nomination
Murkowski said she’s using the confirmation process to explain Alaska’s economic straits to nominees and why she opposes decisions that put federal land off-limits for oil development.
Army Corps agrees to reconsider Pebble Mine permit denial
The Corps decided in November that Pebble’s plan to mitigate the environmental damage was inadequate and that the project doesn’t serve the public.
No relief coming for Juneau electric customers’ damages after two power surges, AEL&P says
Debbie Driscoll from AEL&P said Juneau’s been hit by unusually bad storms and icing conditions since the fall, though she understands customers’ frustration.
A second push for more solar on the Kenai Peninsula
Solarize the Kenai estimates that the average homeowner could cover half of their home’s energy needs with 12 panels and save over $10,000 in the next 15 years.
Indigenous leaders hopeful Interior nominee Rep. Deb Haaland will protect Yup’ik ways of life
Support for Haaland is widespread in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region, where many prominent female leaders have backed Haaland.
For Alaska’s railbelt, electric vehicle charging corridor may be on road to reality
The state plans to install level-three chargers, which can charge some cars in under an hour.