The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska is a hot area for oil development right now. But don’t count on new production there to bail out the state budget any time soon. That’s the takeaway from a previously unpublished, two-month-old analysis drafted by former independent Gov. Bill Walker’s administration.
Economy
Alaska GOP Gov. Dunleavy seeks to oust Democratic chair of oil and gas watchdog agency
A two-page letter from Dunleavy last month charges French with “neglect of duty and misconduct,” and levies five charges to justify the governor’s bid to remove French from chairmanship of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Interior: No 3D seismic exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter
An Interior official has confirmed there will be no 3D seismic exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter.
Mental health trust will finally sell its downtown Juneau subport lot
Marketing will begin this winter leading up to an auction and, if things go to plan, a new owner will be named this summer. The waterfront lot’s value is estimated at $3 million.
As the Bering Sea warms, this skipper is chasing pollock to new places
“Across the board, everybody has a story about something that they haven’t seen before,” said Dan Martin, a 53-year-old captain of a Bering Sea pollock trawler. We took a fishing trip with Martin to find out what he’s experiencing as the Bering Sea heats up.
House holds meeting on Alaska’s struggling ferry system
Reps. Louise Stutes and Bryce Edgmon — both boosters of the state-funded ferry service — called Tuesday’s meeting in advance of cost-cutting efforts by Gov. Michael Dunleavy.
Ravn changes baggage policy to only allow one free checked bag
Regional air carrier Ravn Alaska has a new baggage policy that begins this month, and only the first checked bag will fly free. A second checked bag will cost $15.
Credit rating agencies watch as Alaska pivots toward a new budget
Right now, there’s a plan in place that kept the state’s credit outlook stable. But there a new governor, and his administration has a new plan for the state’s budget.
Juneau moves forward with plan for new Valley Transit Center
There are a lot of steps before construction can happen. There’s a private land sale to be finalized, the new owner will need to subdivide the property and a federal transportation grant application is also pending.
Interior Dept. kicks off new round of meetings on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Some people at the meeting expressed concern about the process. Lisa Baraff with the Northern Alaska Environmental Center said that the timeline BLM has been using for their environmental review is too short.