By SUZANNE DOWNING
May 20, 2026 – US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum delivered a pointed message to Alaska lawmakers this week during the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage: Stop fighting over the future pie before the pie is even baked.
Appearing alongside Gov. Mike Dunleavy at the conference Tuesday, Burgum strongly endorsed the Alaska LNG project while expressing concern that legislative infighting and delays could undermine confidence among investors and international buyers watching the state’s handling of the project.
While Burgum stopped short of directly intervening in Alaska’s legislative politics, he made clear he believes lawmakers need to focus first on getting the massive infrastructure project built.
“That project has to happen,” Burgum said. “And I would just invite Alaska to not get in your own way if you’re worrying about, ‘How do we divide up the pie,’ and the pie hasn’t even been baked yet.”
Video: Press Conference with Burgum
He described Alaska LNG as a “generational, transformational project” with the potential to reshape the state’s economic future.
The remarks came just hours after the Alaska Legislature failed to advance key gasline-related tax legislation during the chaotic final days of the regular session. The bill had become bogged down by amendments, procedural fights, and broader political battles inside the Capitol, including disputes tied to pension legislation and oil taxes.
Burgum suggested that kind of uncertainty sends the wrong message to potential Asian LNG customers and global investors considering long-term commitments to the project.
“When they see something like last night, they’re like, ‘Oh, maybe these guys aren’t serious about actually building this pipeline,’” Burgum said during a follow-up news conference. “It throws doubt versus trust into the negotiation.”
The Alaska LNG project would move North Slope natural gas through an approximately 800-mile pipeline to Southcentral Alaska and a liquefied natural gas export facility in Nikiski. Developers and supporters argue the project is essential not only for export opportunities, but also for long-term in-state energy security as Cook Inlet gas supplies continue to decline.
The legislation under debate this week was intended to create a more competitive tax framework for the early years of the project, particularly during the expensive construction and startup phase.
Burgum emphasized that Alaska lawmakers can sort out future revenue allocation later — after the project is underway.
“The key thing for Alaska is: Get the project,” he said, adding that revenue discussions for “the next 50 years” can happen afterward.
He also warned that Alaska is competing globally for investment dollars.
“Capital can go anywhere,” Burgum said, reminding Alaskans of the need for Alaska to move decisively if it hopes to secure financing and commercial agreements before competing projects elsewhere capture market share.
The comments landed as Dunleavy announced a special legislative session beginning Thursday, largely centered on reviving the stalled gasline legislation.
Glenfarne blasts Legislature after Alaska LNG tax package dies in Juneau gridlock
The governor has repeatedly framed Alaska LNG as the defining economic opportunity of this generation, while critics inside the Legislature have raised concerns about tax structures, state exposure, and negotiating leverage with private developer Glenfarne.
But Burgum’s comments suggested growing impatience from federal officials and outside stakeholders who view the Legislature’s inability to advance the project as a sign Alaska may once again struggle to execute a large-scale resource development project despite widespread public support and abundant natural resources.
The message from Washington to the Alaska Legislature was unmistakable: Play stupid games; win stupid prizes.
Governor calls a special session for gasline
18 thoughts on “Secretary of Interior Burgum calls out the Legislature”
This Legislature is like a bunch of old women in a room arguing over the price of incontinence diapers.
Vote the R/D out of office. Meanwhile, call them, text them, write them to get their A%# in the energy game and get it done for all Alaskans and other nations that are willing to buy it. Profitable for all. Reasonable prices for all…it helps lower shipping, flying, all forms of transportation. Do more and afgord more. Buying and selling generates growth and opportunities for a lot of people in various ways. Not windmills!
Get it built! Now! Blessings, W.
It”s hard to vote them out when the majority of Alaskans are too lazy or don’t care enough to vote…but they bitch the loudest
It isn’t just the legislative body but the persons in government, like Department of Revenue that are sick of Dunleavy’s constant and wrongful push that they know is the wrong decision for the state. Dunleavy needs to do something big to “show and tell” when he is gone but its never gained traction and won’t until there is a better governor at the wheel. Unfortunately, he was elected for a second term through RCV and the people of the state have had to pay the price of his bad judgment. We are looking forward to a better governor and the end of Dunleavy in government.
Maybe Secretary Burgum has the answers, and will share them with us?
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1. How much will Alaskans’ heating and electric bills increase following pipeline construction?
2. Will product be sold directly or indirectly to Communist China?
3. If supply or demand issues arise, are Asian buyers prioritized over Alaskan customers?
4. Are Communist Chinese entities involved in project financing, insurance, or construction?
5. Is a contingency plan in place if Democrat-controlled administrations revoke permits or local governments demand more taxes?
6. Recall Governor Palin’s $500M giveaway to TransCanada, what prevents a similar giveaway or a debt trap from happening?
7. What assures pipeline-control gear will be CISA vetted? (https://www.cisa.gov/)
8. When LNG development is actually over, will AGDC be disbanded?
9. What assures Alaskans and the Permanent Fund won’t be on the hook for up-front costs, contractor fraud, and losses if Glenfarne can’t get, or later loses, binding financial commitments from Asian companies and governments?
(https://ptop.substack.com/p/guide-to-uncovering-contractor-fraud?)
10. What makes Polar LNG -not- better positioned to move natural gas by leveraging existing Prudhoe Bay infrastructure, minimizing new onshore development, and delivering a more efficient and lower-impact path to market …at a quarter of the cost?
(https://polarlng.com/project/)
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On June 25, 2025, AGDC released an updated $38.7 billion cost estimate for the Alaska LNG Project.
(https://agdc.us/updated-38-7-billion-project-construction-cost/)
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Now Glenfarne wants $44 billion-plus.
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Then there’s this: “The latest evidence that no one knows what the gas will cost comes from an independent report by Rapidan Energy Group, which says the likely cost of the pipeline project is far higher than the $44 billion estimate still in circulation …Add in the cost of the so-called first phase—building a pipeline from the North Slope to Anchorage without compression and export facilities and the total project cost would exceed $70 billion.”
(https://www.dermotcole.com/reportingfromalaska/2025/6/24/glenfarnes-latest-deceptive-press-release-about-alaska-lng-project)
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Who’s on the hook when project cost runs up to, say, $90 billion, or reaches a point at which it doesn’t seem worth building because financial, geopolitical, legal, and physical risks outweigh benefits, making it unlikely to turn a profit during the lifetime of anyone alive today?
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Is Senator Giessel responding out of concern for what the Rapidan analysis shows, which the Dunleavy administration, AGDC, and Glenfarne analyses apparently don’t show?
(https://www.rapidanenergy.com/about)
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Is it anti-development for Alaskans to want answers because: (a) they don’t trust government officials or the business community who bought the lobbyists who make up the biggest half of Alaska’s lobbyist-legislator team, and (b) they don’t want to be left holding the bag, again, when another epic screw up goes down.
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Maybe it’s all good. Or not. Bottom line is we don’t know, nobody’s saying, and in this climate of uncertainty and corruption, it seems only prudent to know more than we’re being told.
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Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your attention to this matter.
At least Doug has a first hand view of the children in the classroom the voters sent to Juneau to handle the important task obviously way over their heads.
Burgum gets it. The Alaska legislature never will. Peltola, Murkowski, and the Alaska legislature are total embarrassments who assure Alaska remains a laughing stock to the outside world. Sad. So very sad.
“….like old women arguing about price of incontinence diapers…”
Peltola and Murkowski. Both leaking, very badly. This is all Alaska has to offer?
Actually, it doesn’t reflect very well on the Alaskan voters.
Send in the Troopers to ‘tune-up’ the chillins’ (aka: Legislators).
Nothing is more effective than: (i) Physical Pain and (ii) Financial Loss.
Dunleavy is today and for the last eight years a seriously bad governor. I am so glad this is his last year of destruction to the state and the people within.
The debt is beyond belief in government spending, houses are coming into foreclosure fast and in large numbers and the bankruptcies are moving faster each month. His management decisions are getting worse each month and legislative sessions are disastrous.
His education bills are so convoluted and debt ridden for school districts its unbelievable. The three ferries he gave away have still not been replaced for the transportation needs of the people of Southeast Alaska.
Fuel oil in Southeast Alaska has not been negotiated down leaving the people of southeast Alaska paying extremely high costs for heat to the tune of up to $1000.00 per month to heat their houses.
The PFD has been raided by Dunleavy to pay for burgeoning government that is not needed. Many strong and serious issues are kicked under the rug by Dunleavy so the public is not informed such as the murder, suicides, drug issues and deaths in the prisons here in Alaska. No report has ever been put to the public on those life issues and definitely should be a reported conversation with the public..
He touts the LNG but there have been three surveys done along the oil pipeline route for the gas line and Dunleavy refuses to acknowledge that publicly so the public sees that the cost to build on that route is one third the cost he is pushing in a different direction that will cause the ruin of environment and longer time frame of actual build and no more destruction to the environment because all build and environment issues were done when the oil pipeline was built in the seventies. It doesn’t matter if letters to buy have been signed. They are not binding but invitations to purchase and requests of millions to get the bankrupt companies started. It’s sick marketing asking for big one they never had and the letters are bankrupt businesses blowing hot air through windmills for distraction with hands out for millions to get them started. Another route of surveys done was the Alaska Highway to the Yukon border. He won’t talk of that either because that was approved by the US Congress twice and both times approved by the Canadian Parliament to pass through Yukon, BC and Alberts to the lower states.
The Foster Care Program through Health and Social Services has been under scrutiny when the abuses in the system became seriously prominent. Dunleavy shut that down too so the public would not know. He chooses people who lie for him and cause destruction in their state jobs such as Adam Crum and the PFD and the fraud, waste and abuse of PFD investments and monies. When Dunleavy is gone is when we’ll see the real destruction of his time in office.
So, Crime Boss Dunleavy’s time i office is not a reward system that drains Alaska but is a daily c lock for Alaska to thank the elected clock for a new governor to take up the responsibilities of state issues and problems to solve and a better thinking and business use and planning for a gas line, who is going to build with competitive processes and the public fully a part of the use and sale of our natural resources and full elected permission to a governor and legislative body to work in harmony for the betterment of each resident of Alaska. We are looking forward to a new governor and other elected persons to bring better business thinking and use of our land and waters.
Mike-D will be replacing Ol’ Honey Bunney (aka: Daddy’s Little Princess) in 2028.
See! I told you so that Alaska isn’t just a place thought of as “ice, Eskimos, igloos” global leaders are looking to the north
Guess what if Alaskans don’t want to develop it’s resources then guess what someone else will and without our consent
Either way there will be more development up here whether or not we are ready because the global leaders want money
LNG Projects in Louisiana & Texas are being sanctioned every week now (ie: Golden Pass, Port Aurthur, Venture Global CP2, Woodside LA LNG, Commonwealth LNG, Rio Grande, Lk Charles). AK907 is in jeopardy of missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity. But(???), maybe that’s what constituents really want … ie: SWucking on the Tit of Guv’ment Cheese, Park Land status and soon to be income and total asset taxation (applicable only to whities and heterosexuals, excluding ak-natives … trannies … LBGTQ+ … and other weirdos that perform // contribute nothing)?!?!
Not only is the pie not in the oven, the ingredients remain on the counter. 🥧
Never has been a dunleavy fan, one of the first things he ask of his dept heads was sign an oath of loyalty to him. WTF?
Send the troopers! Get the job done. Then go home and resign! What does my king call them? Dumocrats!
History is repeating itself and 26 years later, today, the same scenario of life, choices, people, positions, companies’ names and events have changed names but not the human element of money, pretend, greed, what if’s, countries in the world, projects, excitement, under the table money and acquisition agreements. It’s all there and coming round, full circle to the same events unfolding to a new generation of the same life’s choices. The best chapter is called, “When Pigs Could Fly” written by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind in their famous book called, “The Smartest Guys In The Room” and it was about the famous company called Enron. It’s happening in Alaska today! The main body of actors is in full swing, attempting the same failures of the reporting in the book on Enron and its alliances. The questions today should be asked about how many of these new actors will end up in prison? Bet that is an answer on the horizon but moving fast in the same direction as that company of the past. Some committed suicide, some departed and went in other directions when the stench of bad decisions and bragging drove the best actors away, but the investigations and trials of companies and people documented in the report from court appearances and records were staggering in the telling of those events.
One thing we all know in Alaska, the LNG will be built when the people of Alaska want it done. The pretending of the companies and people and paper waving and shouting from the podium by CEO’s will not change what the people of Alaska want, when and where the pipe will go and be built. Remember, all who listen and read this, Alaska will not be torn apart for your profit and gain. Unfortunately for Alaska, it’s path is being directed by the same sick standards of the Enron schemes and will not be tolerated by the Alaskans. Now the “players” want secrecy established in law. “Shame,” on the Dunleavy Administration and the legislative body that incorporates these underhanded standards to the character of state law. Borgum, go back to your Washington DC office and work for all Americans, not just a few bankrupt and ill financed, under the table types lying to get money that they will never have. Don’t try shoving your fake effort down the throats of the Alaskan residents. We are not going to gift anything to those chosen by others out of the state of Alaska.