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In this Issue: NGO investor lobbying appears to pay on Pebble ANWR lease sale could come as early as July, 2019 Energy Siemens: LNG to Fairbanks Railbelt utilities, on coordination Minerals Pebble says it will replace First Quantum Minerals for mine Eielson’s Air Force expansion: Fairbanks wants guarantee on housing Business Intelligence New downtown Anchorage residential project underway GCI revenues hit by federal rural hospital cuts ACS revenues also dip, but consumer services income rises UAF selected to participate in…

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In this Issue: Still a deficit, and more to be done Legislature takes big step in closing fiscal gap Zinc prices drive up Red Dog Mine profits, and NANA royalties Energy Fairbanks EPA clean energy loans Low water slows Southeast hydro Report out from railbelt consultant Energy projects in state budget Economy Consumer confidence ticks up Infrastructure $87.2 million in IT upgrades Legislature snubs governor’s gas project Alaska LNG soliciting investors, needs lawmakers’ permission Business Intelligence Air carriers lay on…

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In this Issue: What has the dithering in Legislature cost us? The cost of fiscal uncertainty: Investment losses State’s recession drags on but job loss eases Transportation Alaska Railroad back in the black Fisheries 2018 will be a low year for salmon Tough year for Southeast charters Petroleum More oil discovered on North Slope DOI begins fast-track ANWR EIS Eni bullish; plans new investment Edison Chouest fleet arriving Steel tariffs won’t hit Ak LNG hard Health care SEARHC, Wrangell Medical…

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Ketchikan cruise dock expansion Ketchikan starts construction in October on a corrosion protection project as part of its cruise ship dock expansion. Berths 1 and 2 are being rebuilt to accommodate the new super-sized cruise ships coming to Southeast Alaska. The docks are to be done in time for the 2020 summer tourism season.   Wrangell harbor: Wrangell let a contract to Tamico RnR JV for a $8.3 million harbor renovation. PND Engineers received a $731,328 contract to provide engineering…

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“80th” percentile rule studied The state Division of Insurance is still considering changes – if any – to the so-called “80th percentile rule” that requires insurers on private and public health plans to pay a minimum at the 80th percentile for specific medical services. Many blame the rule, adopted originally to protect consumers, for adding to upward pressures on health care costs. That could happen because if there are a limited number of providers, for example for specialty procedures, the…

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GVEA starts up its Healy Unit 2  Golden Valley Electric Association started up its Healy Unit 2 coal power plant on July 3 for a three-month operating test. The Interior cooperative hopes to begin full service with the plant in September. The $295 million plant was built in 1989 with a large U.S. Department of Energy grant supplemented with Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority bond funds to test new coal plant emissions control technologies. DOE was satisfied with tests…

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Revised Pebble plan irked Walker Gov. Bill Walker asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to suspend work on the Environmental Impact Statement for the big Pebble copper/gold/molybdenum project near Iliamna, basing the request on the lack of an economic feasibility determination by the owner, Northern Dynasty Minerals. However, Army corps officials said they cannot use economics in the EIS analysis, which focuses on environmental and community impacts. Part of what is concerning the state, we were told, is a…

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China tariffs on fish for reprocess It looks like China may apply tariffs to Alaska seafood imported for processing into products and re-exported, much of it back to the U.S. As the week ended it looked like a 10 percent tariff would be applied. The trade situation with China is so volatile that it’s  hard to say where things will end up. Frozen salmon shipped to China for reprocessing is a huge business for Alaska seafood processors. A 25 percent…

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First look at state investment in gas project? State Department of Revenue officials will have financial modeling completed by early next year on financing options for the proposed $43 billion Alaska LNG Project, and they will include analyses of possible state investment including the Permanent Fund. Legislators were briefed on the modeling in an update provided by state agencies and Alaska Gasline Development Corp., the state gas corporation leading the big LNG project. Legislators were generally negative on the idea,…

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Scott Hawkins withdraws in governor’s race, leaving volatile mix The 2018 governor’s race is getting more complicated. Republican Scott Hawkins withdrew his bid in the race, citing complications caused by the entry of former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell into the Republican primary. Treadwell is now the only opponent to Mike Dunleavy, a former state senator who is considered the Republican frontrunner. Meanwhile, Mark Begich’s entry as a Democrat leaves him as the major contender for the democratic nomination, since incumbent…

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