By SUZANNE DOWNING
May 18, 2026 – As Alaska LNG developers announced Sunday that they have now secured enough North Slope gas commitments to support a final investment decision for the project’s first phase, new statewide polling shows overwhelming support for the long-debated gasline among Alaska voters, with likely general election voters backing the project by more than a four-to-one margin.
The twin developments mark one of the strongest combined political and commercial signals yet for the massive Alaska LNG project, which would move North Slope natural gas through an approximately 800-mile pipeline to Southcentral Alaska and eventually export liquefied natural gas to Asian markets.
The news comes at a time when the Alaska Legislature is teetering on whether to allow the gasline to go forward, saddle it with onerous taxes, or tie it to another unrelated bill that creates a pension program for state workers.
In Juneau, Monday is a Sophie’s Choice day.
Glenfarne Alaska LNG LLC and ConocoPhillips Alaska announced they have signed a gas sales precedent agreement for Phase One of the project, establishing commercial terms for North Slope gas supply.
With the agreement, Alaska LNG now has precedent agreements in place with all three major North Slope producers — ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Hilcorp Alaska — along with Great Bear Pantheon LLC, a subsidiary of Pantheon Resources.
Project officials said the combined agreements secure sufficient gas volumes to support a Phase One final investment decision while also exceeding Alaska’s in-state energy needs.
“Today’s milestone agreement establishes the commercial terms for ConocoPhillips to supply gas and help Phase One of Alaska LNG provide energy security for Alaska,” said Adam Prestidge, president of Glenfarne Alaska LNG. “All major North Slope producers have now committed enough natural gas to support a Phase One final investment decision.”
ConocoPhillips Alaska President Erec Isaacson said the company sees the project as part of its long-term Alaska investment strategy.
“ConocoPhillips shares Glenfarne’s commitment to developing Alaska’s resources for the long-term benefit of Alaskans,” Isaacson said. “Our participation in Alaska LNG supports reliable access to responsibly produced North Slope natural gas while complementing our ongoing investment in Alaska.”
The announcement comes as Southcentral Alaska utilities continue warning of looming natural gas shortages caused by declining Cook Inlet production.
Under Glenfarne’s current development strategy, the project is being divided into two financially independent phases. Phase One would construct the 42-inch pipeline system to transport North Slope gas to Alaskan consumers, including delivery points near Anchorage and Fairbanks. Phase Two would add the LNG export facilities in Nikiski.
The full project would include an 807-mile pipeline and export infrastructure capable of producing 20 million tonnes per annum of LNG for overseas markets.
At the same time, Alaska Survey Research released new statewide polling showing broad public backing for the project.
The survey, conducted May 14-17 among 1,680 Alaska adults, found 67.5% support development of Alaska LNG, while 21.8% oppose it. Support rose to 68.9% among registered voters and climbed to 74.9% among likely general election voters, compared to just 18.2% opposition.
Forty-one percent of respondents said they “strongly support” the project, while 26.5% said they “mildly support” it. Just over 10% strongly opposed the proposal, with another 11.5% mildly opposed. About 10.7% said they were unsure.
Survey respondents were told the project would tap North Slope natural gas currently inaccessible to most Alaskans, transport it through an 800-mile pipeline to the Kenai Peninsula, provide in-state access points for Alaskan communities, and allow LNG exports to Asian markets.
The poll was conducted online using a combination of text-to-online outreach to Alaska cellphone users and responses from the Alaska Survey Research panel, which now includes nearly 18,000 Alaskans statewide. Results were weighted by region, age, gender, race, education, party affiliation, political ideology, and 2024 presidential vote history.
The developments arrive during the final days of the legislative session, as lawmakers continue debating tax and regulatory measures tied to the broader gasline effort and the state’s role in advancing the project.
Supporters increasingly argue the project has evolved beyond a conventional export proposal into what they describe as a long-term energy security project for Alaska itself, while also offering the prospect of major economic development, construction jobs, expanded throughput in the trans-Alaska economy, and future export revenues tied to growing global LNG demand.
8 thoughts on “Alaskans overwhelmingly support gasline, as major announcement made by Glenfarne”
Assuming this happens, and that is a big “if”, Alaskans should understand that Glenfarne will want to recover, through rates, the cost of delivering gas to Alaskan consumers. Thus, it is in Alaskan’s best interest to limit and control development costs. In turn, that means increasing costs through rake-offs, preferences and special deals for labor unions and Native corporations must be avoided. This is what Cathy Giessel is trying to achieve – to reward special interests at the expensive of her actual constituents. If Cathy Giessel gets her way – Alaskans get punished.
You nailed it!
Conoco Phillips and the other big dog oil companies only agreed to phase 1 LNG gas line, not phase 2 because they would not want Alaska LNG to compete commercially with their LNG commercial exports in the Gulf. So the line may have to be knocked down from 42 inch to 20 inch bullet lines for Fairbanks and Anchorage’s gas needs., No exports from Nikiski.
Dunleavy was fine with the tax structure for 7.5 years of being Governor, all of which included his being the ~bosses boss of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation and how many press releases about the progress he’s making on the gas line. But now it is the legislature’s fault if we don’t get a gas line because they couldn’t agree on a massive rewrite of the applicable tax laws in 60 days?
With leadership like this, it is a wonder anything EVER gets done in Alaska.
Glenfarne is all gas and gaslighting. No public comment periods or legal notices that they went through a legal process to claim title to build and develop any pipeline in the State of Alaska. All BS-ers gaslight in every way and means they can. Crime Boss Dunleavy is working hard to make sure you don’t know that the last session and amendment to the bills, SB180 and SB280 have a waiver put to them so the pubic cannot comment on the LNG and the taxation and the company. Guess Crime Boss Dunleavy knows it would be a “public bloodbath” and Crime Boss Dunleavy with his Glenfarne illegal antics could be set up for the worst of the worst in law suits and loss of entitlements. NO to Crime Boss Dunleavy’s scheming. Kill the bills!
Where’s the disclaimer about this comment…err advertisement is being paid for by outside political organizations?
I’m back 😉
Diana Giessel?
It’s not what Alaskans want. It’s what the clowns in Juneau want. Most of the Legislature are not smart enough to balance their checkbook. Run as a Republican operate as a dIMOCRAP. Wake up folks!