BRADNERS' ALASKA LEGISLATIVE DIGEST

Chugach-ML&P decision in March The Regulatory Commission of Alaska is now likely to decide in March on Chugach Electric’s bid to acquire Anchorage’s city-owned Municipal Light and Power. The commission is likely to accept a revised plan after a break in proceedings to allow negotiations. At issue is a proposed premium that Chugach would pay the municipality. The revised plan would have $15 million of the premium go to fund a long-sought addiction treatment center. $50 million Mat-Su LNG project…

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Ferry maintenance funds short The 56-year-old state ferry Malaspina goes into indefinite layup in Ketchikan on Jan. 10, after completing its last revenue run Dec. 10. The vessel was due for a major overhaul but costs for that rose to $16 million. Higher-than-expected maintenance on two smaller state ferries, the Aurora and LeConte, have also outstripped the money budgeted, the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities reported, resulting in those vessels being pulled from a schedule of limited winter service…

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans almost $1 billion in Alaska projects between 2020 and 2023, corps officials said at the Associated General Contractors Alaska Chapter annual meeting in Anchorage this week. In military construction, or new projects on bases, between $410 million and $478 million in work is planned. One big project is a runway extension at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, which is estimated at between $175 million and $200 million. Civil works projects contracted by…

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Shortfall for Medicaid; higher pension costs create problems Whatever else we want to say about state finances and the budget, the annual percent-of-market-value draw on Permanent Fund earnings now authorized in state law is a big deal. The amount paid now and projected forward exceeds state oil income. Now more than half the state budget, or the Undesignated General Fund portion of it, has a revenue source that is more predictable than petroleum, David Teal, director of the Legislative Finance…

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Ambler: 250 million tonnes of ore? About 250 million tonnes (1 tonne equals 2,200 lbs.) of ore-grade minerals have been identified in the Ambler Mining District, Trilogy Metals Inc. said in a presentation to the Resource Development Council in Anchorage. The Ambler Mining District is an area in the western Brooks Range with several identified mineral discoveries including one (Arctic) that is well along in development planning. Identified resources in the region include 43 million tonnes of high-grade copper/lead/silver/zinc and…

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Bering Sea tests show big change change A just-completed trawl survey in the Bering Sea found major shifts in ocean species that are believed linked to climate change. Fish were found in places they were previously not; some species were diminished in biomass and others were missing completely in the test areas. Northern Bering Sea cod was down 11 percent in biomass while Pacific cod was up 30 percent in the northern Bering Sea. Arctic cod, a colder-water fish, was…

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ConocoPhillips: Busy winter seen ConocoPhillips has outlined a busy two-winter construction schedule for its GMT-2 project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Last winter an eight-mile gravel road from GMT-1 was built along with the production pad at GMT-2. This winter the company plans to begin pipeline installation, fabrication of modules and “heavy haul” movements of equipment and materials. In the following winter, 2021, the pipeline installation will be completed and production modules moved to the project site. Drilling will begin,…

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State budget effect on jobs and economy hasn’t appeared – yet The good news is that the predicted loss of jobs and business confidence over state budget uncertainty this spring hasn’t appeared, at least yet, because the magnitude of budget cuts threatened earlier by Gov. Mike Dunleavy were moderated by the Legislature and agreed to, in the end, by the governor. Given that, the state’s economy is still on a slow economic rebound from three years of recession, but barely….

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State performance scholarship applications down 9 percent this year State education officials see a 9 percent decline of Alaska Performing Scholarship applications and awards this year, which they attribute to uncertainties and controversy in the state budget last spring, a time when parents and students are deciding whether high school seniors will attend higher education in Alaska or the Lower 48. Another negative sign is that fall enrollment at the University is down statewide and particularly at the University of…

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Reopened base at Adak? The Navy-Marine amphibious assault exercise at Adak in September was considered a big success, and while there’s no plan yet for reopening a permanent base at Adak there’s discussion of a joint-use facility between the Navy, Coast Guard and other federal agencies. Adak is now owned by the Aleut Corp. Contaminated sites: Conservation groups say they have now identified 100 sites at 27 locations across the state where there is contamination by a group of toxic…

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