Alaska Lawmakers Tweak LNG Megaproject Tax Breaks

0:00It's April 28th. You're listening to Anchorage News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. Alaska lawmakers are tweaking Governor Mike Dunlevy's big push for the Alaska LNG mega project. The House Resources Committee just passed a new version of the bill on Monday, dialing back the governor's hefty property tax break. Instead, it keeps a smaller volumetric tax on gas flow, but adds extra fees to pull in more cash for the state and local spots hit by construction. This comes right after the Senate Resources Committee dropped their own substitute last week, aiming for the highest revenue yet among the proposals. The original bill from March swaps out state and local property taxes for that volumetric tax to speed things up. Project backers say they could start piping as early as this year, but no final go ahead on building yet. Everyone's feeling the pressure, with just three weeks left in the session, the governor's team warns that piling on taxes could kill the deal, since Alaska's property rates are already sky high globally.

1:00They say it could slash household energy bills by $1,450 a year compared to imports. Meanwhile, oil analysts Larry Persley thinks the House and Senate versions line up enough to merge quick. The House Tweet taxes gas at the treatment plan, five cents per 1,000 cubic feet, and ten cents at the LNG plan, kicking in revenue faster than the governor's plan. More slope and conniponence liberals get options for equity stakes over the volumetric tax, since they'll host key plans in pipeline chunks. Project officials call it progress, but note the extra costs, strain the $46 billion price tag. With cook inlet gas running low and an energy crunch looming, folks like Frank Richards from the Alaska Gasoline Development Corps are pushing for fast. Action. The House bill heads to another hearing Wednesday as a working draft, and lawmakers still have time to land a deal that balances growth and local. Gaines before session wraps.