Alaska will roll out the red carpet in June, as the Trump Administration’s National Energy Dominance Council is set to convene a high-level summit in Anchorage to advance the Alaska LNG project, the $44 billion initiative that would get Alaska’s liquefied natural gas from the state’s North Slope to global markets, according to a report from Reuters.
The summit will bring together leaders from Japan and South Korea, two of Asia’s largest LNG importers, to discuss potential investments and purchase agreements for the project.
The Alaska LNG project involves constructing an 800-mile pipeline to transport natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to a proposed liquefaction and export facility in Nikiski. The project, which has been stalled for decades due to its high costs, the high cost of the expected natural gas, and logistical challenges, is a priority for the Trump Administration as part of its push to expand US energy exports, advance American energy dominance, and strengthen energy ties with non-Chinese Asian allies.
The summit, scheduled around June 2, comes around the timeframe of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s fourth-annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, June 3-5. At a pre-conference event on June 2, the US Department of Energy will give a presentation called, “Partnerships Driving Success in the Arctic.” It’s a half-day workshop with the National Laboratories, and Department of Energy staff.
The summit with Japan and South Korea will build on Dunleavy’s recent diplomatic and economic efforts to secure international support for the project. In March 2025, when Dunleavy traveled through Asia to promote the project, Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corp signed a non-binding agreement to purchase LNG and invest in the project, which broadened its financial backing.
The Dunleavy Administration has been focusing on Japan and South Korea, both of which rely heavily on imported LNG to meet energy demands.
Separate from the summit, South Korean officials are planning a visit to Alaska in the coming weeks to further evaluate the project. Thai officials are also scheduled to visit, indicating broader regional interest in the initiative, Reuters reported.
The U.S. Department of Energy has emphasized the Alaska LNG Project’s potential to create jobs and stimulate economic growth, projecting it could reduce the US trade deficit by approximately $10 billion annually through LNG exports.
The Alaska LNG Project aligns with the Trump Administration’s broader energy strategy of leveraging US natural gas resources to restore energy security for allies and boost domestic economic benefits.
Keep Alaska Gas in Alaska for Alaskans
So what are we going to do to clean up Anchorage so we don’t look like a hellhole for this summit? Do you think our Mayor will care?
If Exxon, Conoco and Hilcorp show up and publicly state that each is on board with this plan, and that they expect to sign a term sheet yet this year then maybe this 2025 gas line effort is different than the six or eight previous iterations. A presence, and a volume and value report from the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission would be an important addition, but not as essential as will be a strong, specific and affirmative statement from each producer.
Since Exxon and Conoco are public corporations I presume the Alaska media will let us know when those North Slope gas owners update, or even mention this project in their regular updating of shareholders. Not explaining this project to their shareholders could speak quite loudly about the project: That is, if the North Slope producers don’t talk about it to shareholders that will tell Alaskans the project is not real.
By the way, according to their website the AOGCC has not issued a report in about ten years!