By CONGRESSMAN NICK BEGICH
When we talk about Alaska’s energy potential – we are talking about more than molecules in the ground or development projects. We’re talking about a true cornerstone of American prosperity and a valuable tool for national security.
I recently joined a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Asia, where I met with key leaders in business and government in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Our message was simple but powerful: Alaska is ready to provide the resources the world needs.
This week, Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin are in our state championing Alaska’s energy potential because the timing has never been more critical to develop our resources.
Right now, as many as 50 companies from across the globe – including allies in Asia, Europe, and India, have expressed interest in liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Alaska. This is not mere speculation. It’s serious demand backed by serious capital that is aligned to unlock and export clean, reliable energy.
The Alaska LNG project, backed by Glenfarne Group and now prioritized as a national energy and trade asset, represents a turning point. With a planned 800-mile pipeline from the North Slope to Cook Inlet, this project will not only provide domestic gas to Alaskans, but also 20 million tons of LNG annually to our allies abroad. For places like Taiwan and Japan, the project is a no-brainer. Alaska LNG means shorter shipping routes, bypassing the Panama Canal, and energy from a trusted partner.
It’s no coincidence that this momentum is building under the renewed leadership of the Trump Administration, which wasted no time in deleting harmful Biden-era obstructions that had locked up Alaska’s potential.
Under President Biden, critical projects like Alaska LNG were subjected to political uncertainty, bureaucratic paralysis, and unjustified permitting delays. That’s no way to treat a state with the largest untapped reserves of oil and gas in the country – and it’s certainly no way to ensure long-term American energy security.
Thankfully, the tide is turning. On Day One, President Trump signed executive orders to roll back restrictions on energy exports, streamline permitting, and return Alaska to its rightful place as a cornerstone of national energy strategy.
For the first time in years, Alaska has a seat at the table. We are no longer locked up by burdensome regulations or unlawful restrictions.
Energy development in Alaska is no longer a domestic issue. It’s a powerful negotiating tool and one that we must wield wisely. By exporting LNG to our allies, we reduce their dependence on authoritarian regimes. By investing in projects like Alaska LNG, we create good-paying jobs at home and balance our trade relationships abroad. By reminding the world that Alaska is ready to lead, we send a clear message: American energy is back and it starts in the Last Frontier.
But this opportunity is not self-executing; we must deliver on competitive pricing; we must build the infrastructure; and we must continue to fight back against the radical, shortsighted efforts that would rather keep our resources in the ground than empower working Americans to benefit from them.
For Alaska, this is a defining moment. We are the gateway to American prosperity, both economically and strategically. From LNG exports to critical mineral production including gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite, all of which are needed to power our tech and defense sectors – Alaska is positioned to meet the demands of the 21st century.
Hmmm(?) … We never needed Daddy’s Little Princess, we just need Trump, Sully & NB3!
If you’re deadset on energy in Alaska, why did you lock up renewable energy projects?
How can we make this sustainable? If the next election cycle a Democrat ends up as President we flop back!
How so? We are just paying another multibillion dollar foreign company to come and take our resources.
DIVERSIFYING OUR ENERGY SOURCES like Norway and Sweden have would be smart, but Americans could never.
I can hear the leftist narrative now;
“Far right energy policy makes it exceedingly difficult to keep the poor masses economically enslaved. These policies go against everything Progressives stand for. If there are no poor slaves, the Progressive movement would have no victims to exploit for political power, and that’s a bad thing.”
Thank you, Nick! I hope we can get this started ASAP!
Tell the Democrats and Murkowski’s to shut up hands off And Alaska will rock again
Nicholas,
Your writing skills are Begich A+. You are even better than the entire family line could imagine. You make us and every Alaskan proud to be an American.
It would be great if the Feds didn’t own 68% of Alaska.
For all of this talk about energy dominance, drilling is down, completions are down, and all across the L48, E&Ps are pulling back and planning for less output than the last several years. Regulation and access to acreage isn’t the issue, rising costs for steel and now looming OPEC production and global economic decline are killing production.