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Construction spending to rise 4 percent in 2018 Construction spending will rise 4 percent in Alaska in 2018 to $6.6 billion, pushed up by a recovery in capital spending by oil and gas companies. However, with oil taken out of the total, all other construction will be down 2 percent, to $4.1 billion, according to the latest annual construction forecast prepared by the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Institute of Social and Economic Research. ISER does the work yearly for the…

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Ketchikan looks at cost transparency The City of Ketchikan is exploring a health cost “transparency” rule similar to one enacted in Anchor- age following consumer complaints over confusing billings from PeaceHealth, the local health provider. PeaceHealth of cials say they are working to improve billing procedures including bringing more accounting services to Ketchikan in the hopes that it would improve communication with patients. *** Alaska health plan signups rise A total of 18,313 Alaskans signed up for 2018 health insurance…

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*** Chugach/ML&P utility deal Chugach Electric Association’s proposed acquisition of Anchorage’s city-owned Municipal Light & Power hasn’t ruf ed any feathers yet – voters will approve the city’s end of the deal in April elections – but some have raised questions about lack of transparency and how things were negotiated behind closed doors. There still isn’t any information on what other bidders offered although there were some, it was acknowledged. Consolidation of the two electric utilities serving Anchorage has a…

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BP stemmed production declines in the Prudhoe Bay eld for the third year, company officials told us. Prudhoe produces about half of total North Slope oil output, so performance of the 40-year- old eld is critical to supporting overall slope production, which has shown small increases over the last two years. Prudhoe maintained an average of 280,000 barrels per day in 2017, down only slightly from 280,700 in 2016 and 281,800 in 2015. BP is the Prudhoe eld operator. With…

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Gov. Bill Walker is holding meetings with North Slope producers, jawboning them about selling natural gas for the state-led Alaska LNG Project. So far meetings have been held with BP and ConocoPhillips and a meeting with ExxonMobil has either just been held or is planned soon. BP con rmed its meeting but the governor’s office would not comment. The governor’s idea, as sources explained to us, is for the companies to sell gas to the state-owned Alaska Gasline Development Corp….

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Pebble releases project description Pebble Partnership Ltd. led its permit applications which included its project description, and the application has been deemed “complete” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With that, the rst details are available of how Pebble would develop the large copper, gold and molybdenum deposit. At rst glance the description seems like a project pretty similar, although larger, to other surface truck-and-shovel mining operations in the state, like the Fort Knox, Red Dog and Usibelli mines….

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Ocean conditions affecting fisheries Ocean conditions, likely related to climate change, are beginning to affect Alaska sheries in a signi cant way. The International Halibut Commission will meet Jan. 22-26 in Portland, Ore. to hear scientists explain a drop in halibut numbers by 23 percent and the halibut biomass by 10 percent, which the commission use as a basis for an expected 20 percent cut in commercial harvests. Water temperatures are blamed. Pacific cod harvests in the Gulf of Alaska…

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State sees rise in slope spending The state is projecting a $760 million increase in North Slope capital investments by industry next year based on projects now in development. Capital spending is expected to increase from $1.81 billion for the current state scal year, FY 2018, which ends next June 30, to $2.57 billion in FY 2919, the scal year beginning next July 1. Most of this spending is associated with new development projects like ConocoPhillips’ Greater Mooses Tooth No….

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$45 million new hotel/retail planned for downtown Anchorage Anchorage may get a new downtown hotel and retail complex. The project has been long in the discussion stage but developers David Irwin and Mark Lewis are in negotiations with the city-owned Anchorage Community Development Authority on a $45 million new hotel/apartment/retail complex built onto the downtown bus depot and parking garage at G and H streets, between 6th and 7th Avenues. The location is adjacent to the downtown Performing Arts Center…

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State to accelerate oil tax credit obligation payoff The state of Alaska plans to pay off $900 million in outstanding oil and gas investment tax credit obligations owed to companies. Money is owed to small and medium-sized companies, mostly independents, who were caught short when the state had to sharply cut reimbursements under the tax credit incentive program, under which the state had shared costs. Major Alaska producers were not eligible for the tax credit payments. The payments would be…

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