oil and gas

Juneau residents and visitors crowd into the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff building housing the State Library, State Archives and State Museum during the Grand Opening in 2016. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)

Demographics show Alaska’s destiny

Alaska’s population fell by about 2,700 people in 2017. It’s not nearly as noticeable as the post-pipeline-construction crash in 1977 or the 1980s recession, but… Continue reading

Juneau residents and visitors crowd into the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff building housing the State Library, State Archives and State Museum during the Grand Opening in 2016. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)
Eric Forrer, left, and Joe Geldhof, right, have sued the state of Alaska in an attempt to stop a plan that calls for borrowing up to $1 billion from global bond markets to pay oil and gas tax credits owed by the state. They are pictured May 22, 2018 in an interview at the Juneau Empire. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire File)

Alaska pauses plan to borrow $1 billion for oil-company payouts

State officials confirmed Tuesday that a billion-dollar bond issue is on hold amid a pending lawsuit by two Juneau men.

Eric Forrer, left, and Joe Geldhof, right, have sued the state of Alaska in an attempt to stop a plan that calls for borrowing up to $1 billion from global bond markets to pay oil and gas tax credits owed by the state. They are pictured May 22, 2018 in an interview at the Juneau Empire. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire File)
Eric Forrer, left, and Joe Geldhof, right, have sued the state of Alaska in an attempt to stop a plan that calls for borrowing up to $1 billion from global bond markets to pay oil and gas tax credits owed by the state. They are pictured May 22, 2018 in an interview at the Juneau Empire. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire File)

Alaska pauses plan to borrow $1 billion for oil-company payouts

State officials confirmed Tuesday that a billion-dollar bond issue is on hold amid a pending lawsuit by two Juneau men. The bonds, authorized by the… Continue reading

Eric Forrer, left, and Joe Geldhof, right, have sued the state of Alaska in an attempt to stop a plan that calls for borrowing up to $1 billion from global bond markets to pay oil and gas tax credits owed by the state. They are pictured May 22, 2018 in an interview at the Juneau Empire. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire File)
Gov. Bill Walker speaks to members of the media in April 2015. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file photo)

Despite pending lawsuit, Gov. Bill Walker signs oil and gas borrowing bill

Despite a pending lawsuit, Gov. Bill Walker on Wednesday signed legislation allowing the state of Alaska to borrow up to $1 billion in order to… Continue reading

Gov. Bill Walker speaks to members of the media in April 2015. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file photo)

Despite pending lawsuit, Gov. Bill Walker signs oil and gas borrowing bill

Despite a pending lawsuit, Gov. Bill Walker on Wednesday signed legislation allowing the state of Alaska to borrow up to $1 billion in order to… Continue reading

Eric Forrer, left, and Joe Geldhof, right, have sued the state of Alaska in an attempt to stop a plan that calls for borrowing up to $1 billion from global bond markets to pay oil and gas tax credits owed by the state. They are pictured May 22, 2018 in an interview at the Juneau Empire. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire)

‘You have to fight these things:’ Why two Juneau men are standing in the way of the Alaska Legislature, Gov. Bill Walker and a billion-dollar debt

The odds are not in their favor. The State of Alaska is against them. So is Gov. Bill Walker. The Alaska Legislature doesn’t side with… Continue reading

Eric Forrer, left, and Joe Geldhof, right, have sued the state of Alaska in an attempt to stop a plan that calls for borrowing up to $1 billion from global bond markets to pay oil and gas tax credits owed by the state. They are pictured May 22, 2018 in an interview at the Juneau Empire. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire)

House votes to borrow $1 billion for oil and gas deal

In a 23-15 vote Thursday afternoon, the Alaska House of Representatives approved a plan to borrow a billion dollars from global bond markets and send… Continue reading

The Alaska State Capitol. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Debt doubt: Legal argument may threaten state’s ability to borrow money

It’s a situation like a homeowner who opens a wall during renovations and unexpectedly finds termites. A legal dispute between attorneys could make billions of… Continue reading

The Alaska State Capitol. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
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State may borrow $1 billion to pay oil debt

The Alaska Legislature is considering a proposal to borrow up to $1 billion from global markets to cover a debt it owes to oil and… Continue reading

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In this Dec. 19, 2017 photo, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks about oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during debates about the GOP tax cut on the floor of the U.S. Senate. (C-SPAN)

State asks Legislature for $10 million to survey ANWR for oil

The administration of Gov. Bill Walker is asking the Alaska Legislature for permission to spend $10 million on seismic surveying in the coastal plain of… Continue reading

In this Dec. 19, 2017 photo, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks about oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during debates about the GOP tax cut on the floor of the U.S. Senate. (C-SPAN)
In this Oct. 17, 2017 photo provided by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, oil production equipment appears on Spy Island, an artificial island in state waters of Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. The Trump administration on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018 moved to vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan that would open up federal waters off the Pacific coast for the first time in more than three decades. Alaska’s Beaufort Sea is one of those areas. (Guy Hayes | Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement)

Drill, maybe drill: Federal government considers offshore oil drilling in Southeast

The Trump Administration has released a draft plan calling for oil and gas lease sales across Alaska’s coasts, including in Southeast waters. The proposal, published… Continue reading

In this Oct. 17, 2017 photo provided by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, oil production equipment appears on Spy Island, an artificial island in state waters of Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. The Trump administration on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018 moved to vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan that would open up federal waters off the Pacific coast for the first time in more than three decades. Alaska’s Beaufort Sea is one of those areas. (Guy Hayes | Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement)

Trans-Alaska Pipeline System shipped more oil in 2017, Alyeska says

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System transported more oil in 2017 than it did in 2016, marking the second consecutive year of increased oil production from the… Continue reading

Gov. Walker reveals details of Chinese gas pipeline deal

Gov. Bill Walker on Tuesday released the details of a multibillion-dollar agreement signed between Alaska and China earlier this month and promised reporters at a… Continue reading

Driller announces huge new oil find on the North Slope

A huge new oil find on the North Slope could send as much as 120,000 new barrels of oil per day through the trans-Alaska Pipeline… Continue reading