Alaska House Republicans call to adopt clean gasline bill to safeguard energy security for Railbelt

Published 8:41 am Thursday, July 16, 2026

The Alaska House Republican Caucus is calling for urgent focus on the goal of House Bill (HB) 381 — securing immediate, reliable, and affordable energy for the Alaska Railbelt.

The Railbelt stretches from the Kenai Peninsula through Anchorage and the Mat-su Valley up to Fairbanks, and is home to more than 70 percent of Alaska’s population. Local utilities have warned that the region will face a critical natural gas shortage within the next few years.

HB 381 was designed to solve this crisis, as it creates an alternative volumetric tax structure to help launch the Alaska liquefied natural gas project. The House passed a workable version of the bill on June 12 with a 34-5 vote, which secured the project’s viability and included a vital provision that caps gas prices specifically to protect Railbelt consumers.

However, recent changes in the Senate has stalled progress, which the Republican Caucus says will threaten to derail the project in favor of heavy government taxes.

“We cannot lose sight of why we are here,” said Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, a member of the HB 381 Conference Committee. “This isn’t about state government squeezing every last penny out of a pipeline that hasn’t even been built yet.”

The House Republican plan will replace the complex and unpredictable local property taxes with the alternative tax structure, which will help investors finance the massive 807-mile pipeline.

Phase one of the project is structured to deliver North Slope gas directly to Southcentral Alaska by 2032, as well as a spur line to Fairbanks, to resolve the Railbelt supply gap.

“For decades, we have talked about bringing North Slope gas to Alaskan homes,” said Minority Leader Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer.

“We have the resources right under our feet — House Republicans worked tirelessly to craft a predictable tax framework that actually gets this pipeline built so we can lower energy costs for our families and protect our local economies.”

Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, added that the project faces delays and investors will walk if Alaska doesn’t get it right, forcing Alaskans to pay the price with higher utility bills.

“The people of Fairbanks have been living the reality of high energy costs that have been suffocating our community for years,” he said. “We cannot afford to keep saying no to this project, and we urge the House and Senate Majorities to prioritize the energy needs of all Alaskans over government take.”

House Republicans added that they remain fully committed to negotiating a final bill that protects municipal interests, utilizes Alaska’s highly skilled workforce, and delivers the long-term energy security that the Railbelt needs.