Earlier this week, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the operator of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), announced that 2022 had been a good year.  For those twelve months, TAPS had seen an increase in throughput, relative to 2021, with an average of 483,415 barrels a day being delivered to TAPS’ terminus in Valdez. This marked the first time since 2017 that increased production was achieved, and is a testament to the technical expertise and ingenuity of existing North Slope producers, coupled with a few new fields coming online.  Let’s not forget that two megaprojects are coming, as long as the…

With the exception of a bill that would exponentially increase liability for oil and gas companies doing business in the state, the first set of pre-filed legislation stayed away from attacking Alaska’s keystone economic drivers of oil, gas and mining. That is welcome news, as previous years have seen bills pre-filed on everything from oil tax increases to water discharge requirements that would make it nearly impossible for development. That’s not to say that the 60 legislators convening in Juneau for the first of their two years of service are all working to advance Alaska’s bright energy future.  A number…

When the EPA dropped its long-awaited re-write of the “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) on the last business day of 2022, it sparked immediate backlash. For Alaskans, some of the language – noted below – is strikingly familiar to portions of the “Stand for Salmon” initiative, which was pummeled by a 63% to 37% margin in the November 2018 elections.  Alaskan voters rightly rejected the extreme positions found in that ballot measure. WOTUS’ re-write would assert federal jurisdiction over: “All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows,…

As 2022’s last weekend begins, thoughts turn to the upcoming new year, and headlines we might see hit papers, social media and newsfeeds in the next 365 days.  Here are five we predict will occur; let’s hope for the first two, and prepare to gripe and grumble if the last three actually happen. First, the good: Willow, ConocoPhillips’ behemoth oilfield in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) will get its approval, wrapping up a completely unnecessary and politically-charged re-review of its permitting process.  However, the Department of Interior will take until June, instead of its announced February timeframe, setting the project…

With 2022 nearly in the rear-view mirror, it is time to look ahead to what could be the headline energy stories in 2023. For starters, Alaska should know the fate of the Willow oil and gas project sometime in March, according to the Department of Interior. If you believe their timelines they promised Alaska’s Congressional delegation (color us somewhat skeptical, as Interior hasn’t shown itself to be able to follow-through on its commitments), a final review and revised Environmental Impact Statement will be done by then. Interior’s slow-rolling the review has caused a winter’s worth of delay for ConocoPhillips Alaska, making the…

My Christmas wish?  That environmental zealots and their ilk join in partnership with those seeking to develop resource opportunities, instead of always looking to thwart them. I know that’s an unrealistic, wishful-thinking, utopian dream, but imagine the possibilities if it came true. The latest example of this can be found in Southeast Alaska, near the town of Haines.  This time, the Palmer project – and its gold, barite, copper, silver and zinc deposits – is under siege from a mixture of environmental groups and Native organizations, who fear the mine will harm the surrounding ecosystem. Their ‘exhibit A’ to cause…

Joe Biden ran for President on a number of dyed-in-the-wool Democrat principles. One of them was buoying the number of union jobs across the nation.  For that, nearly every major labor and service union endorsed him, contributed to his campaign and supported his candidacy with vigor. But on day one of his presidency, Joe Biden seemingly forgot who helped get him to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, laying off over 1,200 union hands by cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline.  Many of those workers are still unemployed today. As Biden and his surrogates have carried out an endless attack on traditional energy –…

President Biden’s Interior Department announced earlier this week that it would not meet its November deadline to submit the revised environmental review of the proposed leasing program for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). When all activities related to the exploration and potential development were put on-hold by Interior nearly two years ago, the stated timeline was “temporary”.  The announcement that the earliest timeframe would now be late second quarter, 2023 will be of little solace to those the holder of the majority of the leases, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA).  AIDEA has…

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, also known as AIDEA, has seen itself under fire recently.  From lawsuits from disgruntled former employees to resignations of top executives and the associated mainstream media assumptions on why the resignations happened, the agency charged with driving Alaska’s economic development has been forced to defend its mission, actions and investments. Power The Future is a fan of AIDEA, and finds the fact it is under attack a perfect example of everything that is wrong with giving ear and voice to organizations looking to dim Alaska’s future.  The loudest voices against AIDEA?  The radical,…