Senator Dan Sullivan is rallying support for a potential federal project that could reshape Alaska’s energy landscape: a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline from the North Slope to Nikiski. He says the project would drive economic growth and create thousands of jobs.
In an interview with KSRM, Sullivan praised the progress so far, especially after it was highlighted in an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20.
“When you look at that–unleashing Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential–it says the policy of the United States shall be to ‘prioritize the development of Alaska’s liquefied natural gas potential,'” he said, emphasizing its benefits for jobs, energy independence, and national security. “This project will create thousands of jobs. It’ll provide energy for Alaskans and our military, reduce the trade deficit by billions, revitalize the steel industry, and get clean-burning American gas to our Asian allies.”
Sullivan pointed to the project’s political momentum, noting that Trump not only mentioned it in an executive order but also spotlighted it at the State of the Union. “Everybody in the world wants the president to highlight their big projects. [That’s] not easy,” he said. He recalled his excitement after a meeting with Trump. “I was at a dinner with him just a couple hours after that. I told him I could hug him because I was so happy.”
The LNG project could breathe new life into North Kenai and Nikiski, areas once booming with industrial activity but hit hard by job losses, especially after the Agrium Fertilizer plant shut down in 2007 due to a natural gas shortage.
Sullivan acknowledged skepticism from critics who have doubted similar projects for years. “There’s always the naysayers… But here’s the alternative: Alaska is going to import natural gas from corrupt Mexico at twice the cost,” he said.
With new backing from the Trump administration, Sullivan remains optimistic that Alaska’s LNG project can clear its hurdles and redefine the state’s future.