Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced today that federal protections against mining, oil and gas development on 28 million acres of federal land in Alaska will stay in place.
One company, Bluecrest, said it will need more support even after a state agency agreed to forgive some $7 million in loans. Another company, HEX, says it needs the state to agree to a royalty reduction before it will drill a well.
AIDEA has long used outside attorneys. What’s new is selecting firms in advance, which the agency's leader says allows work to happen more quickly than going through the state’s procurement process each time an issue comes up.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has reappointed Ethan Schutt to a public seat on the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.’s board of directors, a little over two weeks after Schutt’s prior term expired.
As the world pivots toward lower-carbon energy sources in response to global warming, experts say some of the state’s hard-to-tap oil prospects are becoming less attractive.
The governor expressed optimism about a bill on carbon storage and other energy provisions but was pondering next steps on royalty relief bills that failed to pass.