The state’s new budget director is a well-known fiscal hawk

Donna Arduin has worked on cutting spending for governors in six other states. She’s expected to propose deep cuts to address the $1.6 billion hole in the state’s budget.

Conoco hopes to crack open off-limits North Slope land

Beyond its current developments, the ConocoPhillips sees even more opportunity further west. But in that direction lies the off-limits Teshekpuk Lake Special Area.

About 120 to leave gas line team as state takes charge of project

At a meeting of the state Gasline Development Corporation board today, corporation Vice President Frank Richards said staff are winding up the project’s first phase, which includes early design and engineering work — called preliminary front-end engineering and design, or pre-FEED. Listen Now

State fines group opposing salmon habitat initiative for violating naming rule

The Alaska Public Offices Commission says the group violated a rule that requires an organization fighting an initiative to clearly state its opposition in its name. Listen now

Railbelt utility overhaul could mean more renewables, cheaper power

Utilities from Homer to Fairbanks are in discussions to overhaul the way electricity is generated and transported across the region. The goal is cheaper electricity -- and more renewable power. Download Audio

Ask a Climatologist: Tallying daylight on the darkest day of the year

Alaska marked the solstice early Wednesday morning at 1:44 a.m. So what does that mean for the amount of daylight across the state? Listen Now

Lawmakers hear Alaska LNG faces “significant economic headwinds”

As natural gas prices following oil in an extended plunge, lawmakers heard a series of updates on the Alaska LNG project -- and tension between the Walker administration and the state's three oil company partners once again spilled into the open. Download Audio

Papua New Guinea company to take over big North Slope oil play

Denver-based Armstrong Energy is selling off a significant chunk of its stake in the Nanushuk oil play to Oil Search, a company based in Papua New Guinea. Oil Search announced Wednesday that it will take over as operator next June. Listen now

Winter Solstice Sunrise 2018

Watch the sun rise over Anchorage on Dec. 21, 2018, the shortest day of the year.

ConocoPhillips puts historic Kenai LNG plant up for sale

ConocoPhillips is looking to leave the natural gas business in Cook Inlet The Houston-based company said Thursday its putting its Kenai LNG plant up for sale. Listen Now 

Could a Trump presidency impact Alaska resource development?

Now that Donald Trump is set to take over the White House, big changes could be coming for Alaska's oil and gas industry. But even though Trump will see Alaska through a very different lens than Obama, a 180-degree policy shift isn't likely to happen soon.

Photos: China Trade Mission

Alaska's Energy Desk's Rashah McChesney is in China covering Governor Walker's Opportunity Alaska: China Trade & Investment Mission 2018.

New AGDC president to make half million dollars a year

The Alaska Gasline Development Corp.'s new president, Keith Meyer, will make $550,000 per year, plus bonuses -- a salary that makes him the highest paid state employee. Download Audio

Comment period extended for draft Donlin reclamation plan

A state agency is extending the deadline for the proposed Donlin mine’s draft reclamation plans. The project would be one of the biggest gold mines in the world. Listen now

A solar project in rural Alaska takes aim at sky-high electric bills

A new renewable energy project in Buckland aims to demonstrate solar and wind power’s potential to reduce the region’s sky-high utility costs. Listen now

Teaching the next crop of whale entanglement responders

Unalaska has experienced three entangled whales in the last two years. There used to be only one person on the island who could respond to the incidents. But thanks to a recent training, a new response team is in place. Listen now

Trump administration sued over Pacific walrus

The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit because the Pacific walrus wasn't granted an Endangered Species Act listing. Listen now

Constituents use Wasilla special session to lobby Alaska lawmakers on Gov. Dunleavy’s budget vetoes

Monday’s special session in Wasilla wasn't just a meeting for Alaska’s Republican legislators. It also gave road system Alaskans a chance to offer their opinions about the huge dilemma facing lawmakers right now: whether to uphold Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy's major line-item budget vetoes.

NovaGold stakes company future on Donlin Gold mine after major asset sale

NovaGold is staking a lot on the success of the proposed Donlin Gold mine after selling a big asset last year: the Galore Creek project in British Columbia.

Dunleavy administration pick for $94,000-a-year labor relations manager comes without labor relations experience

Jared Goecker started as the state’s labor relations manager last month – a job that includes helping to supervise negotiation of union contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. His boss said she interviewed several candidates for the job and that Goecker was the best fit.