Nathaniel Herz
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Articles by Nathaniel Herz
ExxonMobil won big at a big Alaska lease sale. Months later, its bids are still in legal limbo
Other companies also have their leases tied up in litigation from local and environmental groups. Caribou graze on the tundra within the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. (Bob Waldrop) This spring, ExxonMobil made big news in Alaska. For years, the multinational oil giant had ignored the periodic auctions for drilling rights on public land in the state, instead investing in projects in other parts of the world like the South American nation of Guyana.
ExxonMobil won big at a big Alaska lease sale. Months later, its bids are still in legal limbo.
This story was originally published in the Anchorage Press. Subscribe here. This spring, ExxonMobil made big news in Alaska. For years, the multinational oil giant had ignored the periodic auctions for drilling rights on public land in the state, instead investing in projects in other parts of the world like the South American nation of Guyana. Other big companies like Shell and BP had also walked away from holdings in the state — raising fears that Alaska’s oil industry was on the decline.
As Alaska’s U.S. Senate campaign heats up, super PACs boost out-of-state candidates
This story was originally published in the Anchorage Press. Subscribe here. Richard Grayson lives in Arizona and has been a fringe candidate in a number of federal elections.
An Alaska candidate for governor sparked a backlash by taking AI employees’ money. But he says he’s the opposite of an AI candidate.
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Alaska hasn’t had a Democratic governor in a quarter century, since Tony Knowles left office in 2002. But Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democratic former legislator from the Southeast town of Sitka, has shown he’s a credible candidate — at least in financial terms.
ExxonMobil won big at a big Alaska lease sale. Months later, its bids are still in legal limbo.
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. This spring, ExxonMobil made big news in Alaska. For years, the multinational oil giant had ignored the periodic auctions for drilling rights on public land in the state, instead investing in projects in other parts of the world like the South American nation of Guyana.
As Alaska’s U.S. Senate campaign heats up, super PACs boost out-of-state candidates
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Richard Grayson lives in Arizona and has been a fringe candidate in a number of federal elections.
On Trump, salmon and bison confusion: An Alaska-themed Q&A with the Yukon’s top official - Juneau Empire
Currie Dixon spends a lot of time thinking about political issues that are also on the minds of many Alaskans: energy, salmon, resource development. He’s in touch with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and has met with the state’s commissioner of fish and game, Doug Vincent-Lang. But many Alaskans have never heard his name. That’s because he’s a top political official not in our own state, but in our frequently overlooked neighbor: the Yukon Territory. The Yukon, population 50,000, is part of Canada.
Alaska’s economic development agency plans Mat-Su industrial park, with data centers Original
A "Welcome to Houston" road sign is shown in June 2024 near the city's border outside Big Lake. (Amy Bushatz / Mat-Su Sentinel) A 30-square-mile parcel of state land just north of Houston could be home to a new industrial park with data centers and a freight hub under a proposal from the state’s economic development agency.
At $20, Anchorage’s parking tickets are a bargain. That could be about to change.
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Stuff costs more in Alaska. Gas and electricity prices are among the highest in the nation; shipping costs can be painful. And you can buy a flight from Los Angeles for Tokyo for less than a plane ticket from one rural Alaska community to another. There’s one specific item in Anchorage, though, that’s still a pretty good deal.
Data center critics flood Alaska land managers with opposition to North Slope project Original
Opposition is pouring in against a large data center and power plant proposed for Alaska’s North Slope, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration considers whether to approve a 50-year lease of state land to the project’s developer. More than 500 public comments were received before a preliminary deadline set by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, according to copies of the messages released by the agency. Fewer than a dozen comments endorsed the project.
Data center critics flood Alaska land managers with opposition to North Slope project
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Opposition is pouring in against a large data center and power plant proposed for Alaska’s North Slope, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration considers whether to approve a 50-year lease of state land to the project’s developer.
Alaska governor's race survey: AI policy and news sources
This edition of Northern Journal/the Anchorage Press is brought to you by the Cape Blossom Marathon. This destination running race in Kotzebue is scheduled for August 29 and features a stunning Arctic course and local hospitality. More information here and sign up here. One way to gauge the astonishing growth in the artificial intelligence since Alaska's last gubernatorial election, in 2022, is simply to look at the market value of the Nvidia, the leading AI chip maker.
Northern Journal ūü§Ě Anchorage Press
I have some news. Alongside some capable, dedicated colleagues, I‚Äôm (re-)launching a newspaper. After more than a year of work, we announced today that we have a deal to buy the assets of the Anchorage Press ‚ÄĒ a beloved alternative weekly newspaper that had 30 years of history by the time an out-of-state media company effectively closed it a few years ago.
Alaska’s 17-ticket gubernatorial race: The pundits weigh in
There are 17 different people running to be Alaska’s next governor. Add in their 17 running mates for lieutenant governor, and you’ve got enough people to fill a junior high classroom in the Anchorage School District. Since Alaska did away with its partisan primary system in a 2020 citizens initiative, voters will have to choose a single favorite from among the 17 tickets on August’s “open” primary ballot. The top four will advance to the November general election.
Alaska governor's race survey: how much should companies pay in oil taxes?
Legislative discussion of Alaska’s system of oil production taxes gained increasing traction this year, as the state grapples with a structural deficit. Legislative leaders say they’ve had conversations about hiring consultants that could review the tax system, which has in the past been a key revenue source for the state. Late in this year's legislative session, Senate leaders unveiled a proposal that would have eliminated some key, company-friendly provisions in the existing law.
‘You’d be crying at the pump’: This Alaska village’s gas was $8.44 — before the Iran war Original
by Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal, Alaska Beacon June 3, 2026 This story is co-published by Northern Journal and Bethel-based public media outlet KYUK. HOOPER BAY, ALASKA — Every few weeks this winter, 75-year-old Harvey Joe, an Yup’ik elder in this Western Alaska village, climbed onto his snowmachine. Dragging a sled with a fuel drum on top, he’d bump 20 miles across the tundra to the neighboring village of Chevak.
New independent group, 'Build the Damn Roads!', will support Alaska GOP governor candidate Wilson
Bernadette Wilson, one of the top GOP candidates in a field of 18 people running to be the next governor of Alaska, is poised for a boost from a newly formed political group that plans to support her campaign. The group, “Build the Damn Roads!” registered this week with state campaign finance regulators, and its disclosure lists contacts at a national law firm as well as two experienced, out-of-state political operatives.
For Alaska’s gubernatorial candidates, a sprint to find running mates Original
Matt Heilala, a Republican and a podiatrist, says he’s running to be the next governor of Alaska, and he’s put up real cash to back it up: He’s invested more than $1 million of his own money in his campaign. But officially, Heilala isn’t a candidate. And he won’t be until he’s found someone to join his ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor. That’s because state law requires a running mate before filing an official declaration of candidacy for governor.
A huge data center could rise on Alaska’s North Slope
The $500 million project could consume twice as much natural gas as urban Alaska’s grid. Stak Energy’s data center would sit roughly one mile west of the Dalton Highway, which connects urban Alaska to the state’s North Slope oil fields. (Arthur T. LaBar, CC BY 2.0) One of the largest data centers in the nation has been proposed on Alaska’s Arctic North Slope, where boosters say it could take advantage of abundant land, cold temperatures for cooling and a huge supply of natural gas for power.
For Alaska’s gubernatorial candidates, a sprint to find running mates
Matt Heilala, a Republican and a podiatrist, says he’s running to be the next governor of Alaska, and he’s put up real cash to back it up: He’s invested more than $1 million of his own money in his campaign. But officially, Heilala isn’t a candidate. And he won’t be until he’s found someone to join his ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor. That’s because state law requires a running mate before filing an official declaration of candidacy for governor.
A huge data center could rise on Alaska’s North Slope Original
Energy Environment The $500 million project could consume twice as much natural gas as urban Alaska’s grid. One of the largest data centers in the nation has been proposed on Alaska’s Arctic North Slope, where boosters say it could take advantage of abundant land, cold temperatures for cooling and a huge supply of natural gas for power.
After 10-year truce, a major tax dispute looms over the trans-Alaska pipeline system Original
Is the value of the trans-Alaska pipeline system $2.8 billion, or $10.3 billion? Or is it $20 billion? This week, a state review board will hold a formal hearing to determine which figure is the right one — with major financial implications for state government and the three municipalities along the pipeline system’s route.
A huge data center could rise on Alaska’s North Slope
One of the largest data centers in the nation has been proposed on Alaska’s Arctic North Slope, where boosters say it could take advantage of abundant land, cold temperatures for cooling and a huge supply of natural gas for power. The $500 million development would occupy an entire square mile with multiple buildings in a remote area off the Dalton Highway, some 25 miles south of the North Slope’s major infrastructure.
More Alaska crude flows to Asia as Strait of Hormuz stays shut Original
The Maritime Glory tanker arrived empty last week in Valdez, the mountain-flanked port town where the trans-Alaska pipeline comes to an end. A day later, it departed, laden down with a cargo of some 700,000 barrels of Alaska North Slope crude worth, at last week’s prices, some $85 million — making it the second oil tanker to depart Valdez for Asia in less than a month. The two cargoes represent only a tiny fraction of the crude produced by Alaska’s oil industry — about three days’ worth.
After 10-year truce, a major tax dispute looms over the trans-Alaska pipeline system
Is the value of the trans-Alaska pipeline system $2.8 billion, or $10.3 billion? Or is it $20 billion? This week, a state review board will hold a formal hearing to determine which figure is the right one — with major financial implications for state government and the three municipalities along the pipeline system’s route.
More Alaska crude flows to Asia as Strait of Hormuz stays shut
The Maritime Glory tanker arrived empty last week in Valdez, the mountain-flanked port town where the trans-Alaska pipeline comes to an end. A day later, it departed, laden down with a cargo of some 700,000 barrels of Alaska North Slope crude worth, at last week’s prices, some $85 million — making it the second oil tanker to depart Valdez for Asia in less than a month. The two cargoes represent only a tiny fraction of the crude produced by Alaska’s oil industry — about three days’ worth.
Alaska governor's race survey: climate change and dinner guests
It's been seven months since the remnant of Typhoon Halong slammed into Western Alaska's coastline, causing widespread infrastructure damage, nearly destroying two villages, and leaving one person dead and two missing. The storm is the latest in a series that have harshly affected rural Alaska, and experts say that the state needs to prepare for more as the climate continues warming — and for other threats to infrastructure that stem from hazards like thawing permafrost and melting sea ice.
A lawmaker thought regulators were “on board” with a plan to speed review of utility price hikes. They weren’t.
Alaska regulators are pushing back against a legislative effort to shorten their reviews of utility proposals that raise prices for electricity and other essentials — and they say lawmakers were led to a “mistaken belief” that they supported the proposal. At an April 22 commitee hearing, Anchorage Democratic Rep.
With one of two wells drilled, Hilcorp to pull out of Yukon Flats Original
by Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal, Alaska Beacon May 5, 2026 A major oil exploration effort in the Yukon River watershed that prompted tribal opposition is coming to an end without an announcement of any major petroleum discoveries — and after the completion of only one of the two wells originally planned. Oil and gas company Hilcorp was set to drill both wells last summer on land held by Indigenous-owned corporations, including the regional corporation for Alaska’s Interior, Doyon, Limited.
With one of two wells drilled, Hilcorp to pull out of Yukon Flats
May 4—A major oil exploration effort in the Yukon River watershed that prompted tribal opposition is coming to an end without an announcement of any major petroleum discoveries — and after the completion of only one of the two wells originally planned. Oil and gas company Hilcorp was set to drill both wells last summer on land held by Indigenous-owned corporations, including the regional corporation for Alaska's Interior, Doyon, Limited.
With one of two wells drilled, Hilcorp to pull out of Yukon Flats
An oil and gas rig drills at a Hilcorp development in the Cook Inlet basin in Southcentral Alaska. (Nathaniel Herz/Northern Journal) A major oil exploration effort in the Yukon River watershed that prompted tribal opposition is coming to an end without an announcement of any major petroleum discoveries — and after the completion of only one of the two wells originally planned.
With one of two wells drilled, Hilcorp to pull out of Yukon Flats
A major oil exploration effort in the Yukon River watershed that prompted tribal opposition is coming to an end without an announcement of any major petroleum discoveries — and after the completion of only one of the two wells originally planned. Oil and gas company Hilcorp was set to drill both wells last summer on land held by Indigenous-owned corporations, including the regional corporation for Alaska’s Interior, Doyon, Limited.
Advocates decry lawmakers’ push to tighten regulators' deadline to review utility price hikes
Consumer advocates are objecting to a proposal advancing in the final days of Alaska’s legislative session that would sharply reduce the amount of time regulators have to review proposed rate increases by the state’s utilities. The proposal would give the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, known as the RCA, 270 days to review new rates for utilities that sell goods like electricity and natural gas — down from the 450 days the agency currently is allowed by state law.
Alaska’s energy cliff isn’t coming. It’s already here.
Natural gas production from offshore platforms in Cook Inlet, outside of Anchorage, has declined over the past several decades. The area’s dominant producer, Hilcorp, has warned electric and heating utilities that they should not expect their supply contracts to be renewed when existing ones expire.
Alaska’s energy cliff isn’t coming. It’s already here. Original
Alaska utilities have warned of sharp price hikes when they start importing liquefied natural gas in the coming years to replace dwindling supplies of locally produced gas that’s traditionally been used for home heating and generating electricity. The first LNG tankers aren’t expected to arrive for a few years. But increases in the prices paid by consumers are starting to land now.
Alaska’s energy cliff isn’t coming. It’s already here.
Alaska utilities have warned of sharp price hikes when they start importing liquefied natural gas in the coming years to replace dwindling supplies of locally produced gas that’s traditionally been used for home heating and generating electricity. The first LNG tankers aren’t expected to arrive for a few years. But increases in the prices paid by consumers are starting to land now.
A Q&A with Alaska congressional candidate Bill Hill
Earlier this week, Northern Journal published a profile of this year's election for Alaska's sole U.S. House seat, which is currently held by Republican Nick Begich III. The race between two anti-incumbent candidates, Democratic Matt Schultz and independent Bill Hill, is heating up; you can read about the dynamics in our piece. Yesterday, we published a transcript of our interview with Schultz, 53.
A Northern Journal spring update, and a Q&A with Matt Schultz
Good morning! It's been a little while since I shared a Northern Journal update, and I wanted to catch you all up. This post also follows up on my coverage of Alaska's U.S. House race this week with a full transcript of my interview with Democratic candidate and Anchorage pastor Matt Schultz; if you want to skip straight to that, just scroll down. Back to the updates, first: Last weekend was the yearly Alaska Press Club conference.
A Democrat and an independent vie for the anti-incumbent mantle in Alaska’s U.S. House race. Original
Candidates Matt Schultz, Bill Hill and their supporters agree on one thing: Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III has failed to stand up for everyday Alaskans and needs to be replaced. What they don’t agree on is who has the best chance of replacing him. Is it Schultz, a Democrat and firebrand Anchorage pastor who’s stood up for transgender rights, attended No Kings protests, and blasted Donald Trump and ICE on social media?
An Alaska GOP governor candidate is getting a boost from organized labor Original
One of the nearly 20 candidates in the race for Alaska’s governorship is getting a significant boost from the state’s organized labor movement. Four union officials are helping to lead a newly formed political group that will boost the candidacy of Republican Click Bishop, a former state senator from Fairbanks with a long background in the labor movement.
Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal
Amid continuing opposition to its oil drilling and road projects, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority says the public should know about its less controversial small business loan programs. ‘The salmon people’: How Alaska’s only Native reservation saved its fishing culture A half-century ago, the Indigenous Tsimshian village of Metlakatla, in Southeast Alaska, preserved its reservation when others in Alaska were terminated.
Bishop-Schuerch Campaign Gets 6 Figure Boost from Labor Union
Click Bishop speaks at the Alaska Capitol. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) By Nathaniel Herz, Independent Journalist This story was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter and news website, 23 April 2026. Original title: “An Alaska GOP governor candidate is getting a boost from organized labor.” One of the nearly 20 candidates in the race for Alaska’s governorship is getting a significant boost from the state’s organized labor movement.
A Democrat and an independent are vying for the anti-incumbent mantle in Alaska's U.S. House race.
Candidates Matt Schultz, Bill Hill and their supporters agree on one thing: Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III has failed to stand up for everyday Alaskans and needs to be replaced. What they don’t agree on is who has the best chance of replacing him. Is it Schultz, a Democrat and firebrand Anchorage pastor who’s stood up for transgender rights, attended No Kings protests, and blasted Donald Trump and ICE on social media?
Survey Series: Gubernatorial Candidates Answer the PFD Question
By Nathaniel Herz This piece was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter and news website. Nathaniel Herz is an independent journalist and the founder and editor of Northern Journal. Herz has given Must Read Alaska express permission to republish his gubernatorial candidate survey series. Northern Journal’s survey of Alaska’s many gubernatorial hopefuls is back — this time, asking how much money candidates would budget for Permanent Fund dividends.
An Alaska GOP governor candidate is getting a boost from organized labor
One of the nearly 20 candidates in the race for Alaska’s governorship is getting a significant boost from the state’s organized labor movement. Four union officials are helping to lead a newly formed political group that will boost the candidacy of Republican Click Bishop, a former state senator from Fairbanks with a long background in the labor movement.
Alaska villages can already pay $10 or more for a gallon of fuel. A war-driven spike could produce a ‘survival scenario’
The war in Iran is risking what could be a catastrophic spike in the price of fuel in the rural villages and hub communities across Alaska’s coast — and distributors are also warning of possible supply shortages.
Alaska’s embattled economic development agency approves $700,000 PR budget Original
The state agency leading some of Alaska’s most polarizing development projects has approved a new communications budget, saying it needs to do a better job telling its own story amid attacks from critics. The state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority is run by a former chief of staff to Gov. Mike Dunleavy and is charged with promoting economic growth and expanding natural resource extraction and exports.
Alaska governor's race survey: health care costs, and candidates' own premium payments
Alaska has some of the nation's highest health care costs. So, this edition of Northern Journal's survey of gubernatorial hopefuls asks the candidates what they'd do about it. It also gets personal, asking what how they obtain health care coverage and what they pay on a monthly basis. Republicans Bernadette Wilson, Adam Crum, Treg Taylor, Nancy Dahlstrom and Click Bishop did not respond or declined to respond to this edition's questions; we sent them multiple requests.
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