Beluga territory 12/06/2009
NMFS designates 3,016 square miles of CI beluga whale critical habitat
While controversy has reigned over the National Marine Fisheries Service October 2008 listing of the Cook Inlet beluga whale under the Endangered Species Act, NMFS has moved ahead with making a determ...

Flint Hills production lags 11/22/2009
Anchorage International air carriers scramble for jet fuel due to spike in demand
A spike in demand for jet fuel at the Anchorage International Airport has led to fuel shortages and caused air carriers to dramatically increase the amount of fuel brought into the state. Fuel demand...

Stevens: State needs 'incentive climate' 10/11/2009
Alaska must unite to tout its natural resource potential to world industry and Washington, ex-senator tells Alliance crowd
Citing the spirit and drive of statehood proponents 50 years ago, former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens said Alaskans today must unite in a bipartisan effort to "encourage global industry to invest in our stat...

Arctic Directory: MACTEC awarded airport contract 09/20/2009
MACTEC said May 7 that it has been awarded a two-year contract with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, to provide environmental services at Ted Stevens International Airpor...

AK-WA Connection 2009: All-suite hotel offers luxury on a budget 08/23/2009
Alaska's first Embassy Suites celebrates one-year anniversary at serving savvy business and leisure visitors to Anchorage
Embassy Suites Anchorage is joining the State of Alaska in achieving milestones this year. While the State is commemorating a venerable 50 years of statehood, the new 169-suite hotel is celebrating it...

NEA spuds King Salmon geothermal well 08/23/2009
Exploration targets potential resource under the eastern end of Alaska Peninsula; could provide power for local communities
After more than 10 years of investigation and planning by Southwest Alaska electric cooperative, Naknek Electric Association, the co-op's first geothermal exploration well, the Naknek-G No.1, is augur...

BP in Alaska: Moving the oil – pipeline challenges 07/12/2009
Designing a pipeline that would transport Prudhoe Bay oil from Alaska's northern coast to its ice-free port of Valdez on Alaska's southern coast was an unprecedented engineering challenge. Three basic...

CIRI gets Fire Island wind farm permit 07/12/2009
Cook Inlet Region Inc. said June 30 that it has received key permits for a proposed wind farm on Fire Island near Anchorage. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved permit applications for Wind...

Naknek Electric Association 07/12/2009
permitting first geothermal well; up to 6 wells over 3 years Naknek Electric Association has applied for an Alaska Coastal Management Plan consistency review for its planned geothermal drilling progra...

Coal-to-diesel plant faces problems 05/24/2009
Fairbanks officials are hoping to build a coal-to-diesel plant near Eielson Air Force Base. But obstacles are mounting in trying to coordinate with the military, placing a $10 million federal earmark...

Oil Patch Bits: MACTEC awarded airport contract 05/17/2009
MACTEC said May 7 that it has been awarded a two-year contract with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, to provide environmental services at Ted Stevens International Airpor...

ARRC willing, hesitant to operate FHR 05/17/2009
Top executive says Alaska Railroad would be in 'serious trouble' without an oil refinery in the Interior part of the state
The top executive of the Alaska Railroad Corp. said the company doesn't want to operate an economically troubled oil refinery in the Interior, but might do so if asked by the state. "Do we want to own...

Chena geothermal conference takes stock 05/10/2009
Electric utilities, independent power producers, UA, state and federal agencies hear challenges, opportunities in geothermal power
To get a sense of how things look for geothermal energy in Alaska, consider the title of the conference held April 28-30 at the Chena Hot Springs Resort near Fairbanks - "Risks, Barriers, and Opportun...

Justice drops case against Stevens 04/05/2009
The Justice Department said April 1 it would drop corruption charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens because prosecutors withheld evidence from the senator's defense team during his trial. The reversa...

Refinery shuts unit on declines; Senate considers gouging bill 03/22/2009
The Flint Hills refinery shut down one of its three processing units because of declining demand for jet fuel, a company spokesman told a state Senate committee on March 13. Crude Unit No. 3 produces...

FERC, Murkowski on Alaska gas project 03/01/2009
Alaska's senior senator draws reaction to assertions that single line, fiscal certainty needed now; FERC wants TC Alaska pre-file
Alaska's senior U.S. senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, addressed the Alaska Legislature Feb. 19, the day before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission submitted its seventh semiannual report to Co...

Separating airplanes from wind turbines 02/22/2009
People planning the Fire Island wind farm offshore Anchorage continue to work with the FAA to avoid air traffic control conflicts
Passenger jet pilots flying into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport are familiar with turning above Fire Island, in Cook Inlet just offshore the airport, as they position themselves for final...

Pricing not illegal 02/22/2009
Two reports say high gas prices last year didn't break the law; a pair of proposed bills would tie Alaska gas prices to Washington state rates
A pair of reports say market forces, and not illegal activity, caused high gasoline prices in Alaska last year, but considerable public outrage about pump prices above the national average and a pair...

Arctic Directory: 60th anniversary in 2009 a significant milestone for Lounsbury and Associates 01/25/2009
Lounsbury websites offer more than services: a free snowmachine training course and animated guide for negotiating traffic roundabouts
Lounsbury and Associates has provided surveying, planning, civil engineering and project management services on a statewide basis for 60 years and takes pride in its reputation for excellence and reliab...

Arctic Directory: Carlile's new Kenworth hybrid electric/diesel truck unveiled at Port of Tacoma terminal 01/25/2009
Whether equipment for rural hospitals or modules en route to Alaska's North Slope, Carlile's expertise and multimodal connections deliver peace of mind
Carlile Transportation Systems is a proven leader in transportation and logistics solutions. The company's' ability to adapt and grow to meet the needs of customers is key to its continued success. ...

High court rejects TAPS case 01/18/2009
Legal watchdog: Congress overstepped authority with 2005 legislation that bars Exxon Mobil from collecting millions
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Jan. 11 to consider a legal challenge from Exxon Mobil Corp. to a 2005 congressional provision on Alaska oil shipments that the company said cost it $125 million in ref...

Refinery's struggles cause for concern 01/11/2009
If Flint Hills' North Pole refinery ceases operations, the Alaska Railroad and the Anchorage airport would both be hit hard
A shutdown of the Flint Hills Resources refinery at North Pole has potential to rattle the Anchorage economy, and state officials are working with the company to find a way to keep the plant going. Fl...

AK-WA Connection 2008: Visitors pan for good times in Alaska 11/30/2008
Vendors, from hotels to the railroad, market the mother lode of unique attractions in the Last Frontier's growing tourism industry
In the 1890s, thousands of people sailed north from Seattle to find their fortunes during the Alaska gold rush. More than a century later, multitudes still flock to the Last Frontier, crowding onto cr...

AK-WA Connection 2008: Expansion will aid shipping to Alaska 11/30/2008
Washington businesses look forward to improvements at Port of Anchorage; infrastructure project aims to stimulate economic growth
The multiyear expansion under way at the Port of Anchorage promises new opportunities for transportation companies involved in the Alaska-Washington trade. But perhaps more importantly, the port's con...

AK-WA Connection 2008: Renewable energy fuels APandT in Alaska 11/30/2008
Washington-based company carves niche as electricity, telecommunications services provider in Southeast and Interior communities
No company better exemplifies the dynamic business connection between Alaska and Washington than Alaska Power and Telephone. The Port Townsend, Wash.-based energy and communications utility company pro...