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on a regulatory framework that is both rigorous and predictable. For the Alaska business leaders who traveled to Washington and the poli- cymakers who work there, permit- ting reform has emerged as one of the clearest points of convergence across the economic and political landscape. “The bottom line is that there’s a realization on both sides of the aisle that permitting is stopping projects that everyone wants,” said Richard Russell, senior vice president for gov- ernment and political affairs at the National Mining Association. That realization reflects a broader shift in how policymakers and indus- try leaders are approaching the ener- gy transition and domestic resource development. Projects that were once viewed through competing lenses — fossil fuels versus renewables, mining versus conservation — are increasing- ly understood as interconnected piec- es of the same economic and strategic puzzle. “Everyone agrees — if you are a renewable energy advocate, you need permitting reform as much as the oil and gas sector or the mining sector — so, that’s why it’s going to happen,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). The common thread is not agree- ment on what should be built, but rec- ognition that the current permitting system introduces a level of uncer- tainty that undermines investments across a spectrum of projects vital to the nation. “We need to make sure that there is certainty and that it can then transcend whoever wins the next election,” said Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). “Capital is not going to commit if they don’t think that there’s certainty.” That concern extends beyond proj- ect approvals to the durability of those permits once granted. “Even if the president doesn’t like them, we don’t want our steel-in- the-ground wind projects to lose their permits,” said Jack Cramton, vice president for government relations at the American Petroleum Institute, un - derscoring the need for a permitting framework that can withstand politi- cal turnover.
Photos by Max Collingwood Alliance Board of Directors President Skeet Black joined a coalition of unified Alaska industry leaders in April to highlight the strategic importance of the state.
the ground. Across the state, industries that are often viewed independently are in- creasingly being discussed as inter- connected parts of a broader economic system. One of the clearest examples of this convergence is the growing focus on how large-scale energy infrastructure, particularly the proposed Alaska LNG project, could unlock new opportuni- ties for resource development. For Alaska’s mining sector, trans- portation infrastructure and access to reliable and affordable energy have long been the most significant barriers to advancing projects beyond explo- ration. Many of the state’s most pro- spective deposits are located far from existing power infrastructure, re- quiring developers to consider costly, standalone energy solutions that can undermine project economics. The Alaska LNG project, which in- cludes a 42-inch-diameter, 800-mile- long pipeline connecting Alaska North Slope natural gas to market, has the potential to change that equation.
For Alaska, where large-scale re- source and infrastructure projects of- ten face lengthy and complex federal review processes, the stakes are par- ticularly high. “I can see where permitting reform can benefit Alaska probably more than any other state in the nation, so it’s extremely important,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.). This rare area of consensus across political aisles — backed by a “me- ga-force” of resource development, renewable energy, utility, and tech- nology companies united behind a common goal of unleashing infra- structure in the U.S. — has increased the confidence that permitting reform is imminent. “I’m here to confidently say this isn’t the Lucy and the football sit- uation that we’ve been in with per- mitting the last several years,” said Cramton. “The dynamic has changed.” Building industry alignments If permitting reform represents a point of alignment in Washington, Alaska offers a real-world example of how that alignment is taking shape on
“One thing that always stands out to me at Alaska on the Hill is how quickly the conversation shifts from individual industries to shared priorities. Whether you’re in fishing, mining, oil and gas, timber or tourism, we’re all ultimately advocating for the same fundamentals — responsible development, economic strength, and predictability in how we move Alaska forward. The most meaningful connections for me have been those cross-industry conversations, because they reinforce that Alaska is strongest when we present a unified voice.” — Jesse Carlstrom, Business Development Officer, Northrim Bank
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THE LINK: The Official Magazine of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance | SUMMER 2026
www.AlaskaAlliance.com
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