# Alaska State Energy Profile

Alaska Quick Facts • When federal offshore areas are excluded, Alaska’s crude o il production of 0.5 million barrels per day ranked fourth in the nation in 2013. • The Kenai liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility, which began operations in 1969, was the first LNG expo rt terminal in the United States. • Alaska’s electricity infrastructure differs from that of the lower 48 states in that most consumers are not linked to large interconnected grids through transmission and distri bution lines; rural communities in Alaska rely primarily on diesel electric generators for power. • Alaska ranked second in the United States in 2013 in th e share of its electricity that is generated from petrol eum liquids. • Alaska was one of only a handful of states in 2013 gene rating electricity from geothermal energy sources. Last Updated: July 17, 2014


### Alaska Energy Consumption Estimates, 2013

Coal Natural Gas Motor Gasoline excl. Ethanol

Distillate Fuel Oil Jet Fuel LPG Residual Fuel Other Petroleum Nuclear Electric Power Hydroelectric Power

Biomass Other Renewables Net Interstate Flow of Electricity 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Trillion Btu Source: Energy Information Administration, State En ergy Data System 

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### Alaska Energy Consumption by End-Use Sector, 2013

Alaska Energy Production Estimates, 2012 8.0 % 10.3 %

53.3 % 28.4 %

Residential Commercial Industrial Transportation

Coal
Natural Gas - Marketed

Crude Oil
Nuclear Electric Power

Biofuels Other Renewable Energy 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 Trillion Btu Source: Energy Information Administration, State En ergy Data System

Source: Energy Information Administration, State En ergy Data System 

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# Data

Last Update: June 18, 2015 | Next Update: July 16, 2015 Energy Indicators 

### Alaska Net Electricity Generation by Source, Mar. 2 015

Alaska Price Differences from U.S. Average, Most Re cent Monthly Petroleum-Fired
Natural Gas-Fired
Coal-Fired Hydroelectric
Other Renewables 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 GWh

Natural Gas - Citygate
Natural Gas - Residential Electricity - Residential Electricity - Commercial Electricity - Industrial 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Percent Source: Energy Information Administration, ElectricPower Monthly

Source: Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Marketing Monthly ; Natural Gas Monthly ; Electric Power Monthly 

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Demography Alaska Share of U.S. Period Population 0.7 million 0.2% 2014 Civilian Labor Force 0.4 million 0.2% Apr-15 Economy Alaska U.S. Rank Period Gross Domestic Product $ 59.4 billion 44 2013 Gross Domestic Product for the Manufacturing Sector $ 1,753 million 49 2013 Per Capita Personal Income $ 50,032 10 2013 Vehicle Miles Traveled 4,848 million miles 50 2013 Land in Farms 0.8 million acres 44 2012 Prices Petroleum Alaska U.S. Average Period find more Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase $ 40.44 /barrel $ 42.66 /barrel Mar-15 Natural Gas Alaska U.S. Average Period find more City Gate $ 6.86 /thousand cu ft $ 4.33 /thousand cu ft Mar-15 find more Residential $ 9.72 /thousand cu ft $ 9.26 /thousand cu ft Mar-15 find more Coal Alaska U.S. Average Period find more Average Sales Price W $ 37.24 /short ton 2013 Delivered to Electric Power Sector -- $ 2.25 /million Btu Mar-15 Electricity Alaska U.S. Average Period find more Residential 19.64 cents/kWh 12.35 cents/kWh Mar-15 find more Commercial 17.57 cents/kWh 10.58 cents/kWh Mar-15 find more Industrial 14.62 cents/kWh 6.79 cents/kWh Mar-15 find more Reserves & Supply Reserves Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Crude Oil 2,898 million barrels 8.7% 2013 find more Dry Natural Gas 7,316 billion cu ft 2.2% 2013 find more Expected Future Production of Natural Gas Plant Liquids 288 million barrels 2.4% 2013 find more 

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Recoverable Coal at Producing Mines 54 million short tons 0.3% 2013 find more Rotary Rigs & Wells Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Rotary Rigs in Operation 9 rigs 0.5% 2013 Natural Gas Producing Wells 152 wells * 2013 find more Production Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Total Energy 1,563 trillion Btu 2.0% 2012 find more Crude Oil 15,839 thousand barrels 5.4% Mar-15 find more Natural Gas - Marketed 338,182 million cu ft 1.3% 2013 find more Coal 1,632 thousand short tons 0.2% 2013 find more Capacity Alaska Share of U.S. Period Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 1) 291,735 barrels/calendar day 1.6% 2014 Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capacity 2,545 MW 0.2% Mar-15 Net Electricity Generation Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Total Net Electricity Generation 528 thousand MWh 0.2% Mar-15 Net Electricity Generation (share of total) Alaska U.S. Average Period

Petroleum-Fired 14.4 % 0.3 % Mar-15 find more Natural Gas-Fired 46.3 % 30.5 % Mar-15 find more Coal-Fired 10.5 % 33.5 % Mar-15 find more Nuclear 0 % 19.9 % Mar-15 find more Hydroelectric 25.1 % 7.6 % Mar-15 find more Other Renewables 3.7 % 7.4 % Mar-15 Stocks Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) 865 thousand barrels 4.9% Mar-15 Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) 1,121 thousand barrels 1.2% Mar-15 find more Natural Gas in Underground Storage 38,587 million cu ft 0.7% Mar-15 find more 

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Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers 26 thousand barrels 0.1% Mar-15 find more
Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers 0 thousand tons 0.0% Mar-15 find more Production Facilities Alaska Major Coal Mines None find more Petroleum Refineries BP Exploration Alaska (Prudhoe Bay), Conoco Phillips Alaska (Prudhoe Bay), Flint Hills Resources (North Pole), Petro Star (No rth Pole), Petro Star (Valdez), Tesoro Alaska Petroleum (Kenai) find more Major Non-Nuclear Electricity Generating Plants Beluga (Chugach Electric Assn Inc) ; George M Sullivan Gen eration Plant 2 (Anchorage Municipal Light and Power) ; Southcentral Power Plant (Chugach Electric Assn Inc) ; North Pole (Golden Valley El ec Assn Inc) ; Bradley Lake (Homer Electric Assn Inc) Nuclear Power Plants None find more Distribution & Marketing Distribution Centers Alaska Petroleum Ports Ketchikan, Valdez, Anchorage, Nikishka, Hom er, Iliuliuk Harbor, Unalaska Island. find more Natural Gas Market Hubs None Major Pipelines Alaska find more Crude Oil BP Pipeline, Alpine Transportation, Kuparu k Transportation, ENI US Operating, Alyeska Pipeline Petroleum Product None Natural Gas Liquids None Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines None Fueling Stations Alaska Share of U.S. Period Motor Gasoline 220 stations 0.2% 2012 Liquefied Petroleum Gases 7 stations 0.3% 2013 Compressed Natural Gas 1 stations 0.1% 2013 Ethanol 0 stations 0.0% 2013 Other Alternative Fuels 4 stations * 2013 Consumption & Expenditures Summary Alaska U.S. Rank Period 

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Total Consumption 637 trillion Btu 39 2012 find more Total Consumption per Capita 873 million Btu 2 2012 find more Total Expenditures $ 7,656 million 40 2012 find more Total Expenditures per Capita $ 10,484 1 2012 find more by End-Use Sector Alaska Share of U.S. Period Consumption » Residential 55 trillion Btu 0.3% 2012 find more » Commercial 70 trillion Btu 0.4% 2012 find more
» Industrial 324 trillion Btu 1.0% 2012 find more » Transportation 189 trillion Btu 0.7% 2012 find more Expenditures » Residential $ 819 million 0.3% 2012 find more » Commercial $ 900 million 0.5% 2012 find more
» Industrial $ 897 million 0.4% 2012 find more » Transportation $ 5,040 million 0.7% 2012 find more by Source Alaska Share of U.S. Period Consumption » Petroleum 43.1 million barrels 0.6% 2013 find more » Natural Gas 332.6 billion cu ft 1.3% 2013 find more
» Coal 1.0 million short tons 0.1% 2013 find more Expenditures » Petroleum $ 5,759 million 0.7% 2013 find more
» Natural Gas $ 496 million 0.3% 2013 find more » Coal $ 73 million 0.2% 2013 find more Consumption for Electricity Generation Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Petroleum 137 thousand barrels 7.5% Mar-15 find more Natural Gas 2,443 million cu ft 0.3% Mar-15 find more Coal 43 thousand short tons 0.1% Mar-15 find more Alaska U.S. Average Period 

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Energy Source Used for Home Heating (share of households) Natural Gas 49.7 % 48.3 % 2013 Fuel Oil 30.4 % 5.5 % 2013 Electricity 10.6 % 37.4 % 2013 Liquefied Petroleum Gases 1.4 % 4.8 % 2013 Other/None 7.9 % 3.9 % 2013 Environment Special Programs Alaska find more Clean Cities Coalitions None Alternative Fuels Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Alternative Fueled Vehicles in Use 3,146 vehicles 0.3% 2011 find more Ethanol Plant Operating Capacity 0 million gal/year 0.0% 2015 find more Ethanol Consumption 528 thousand barrels 0.2% 2013 find more Total Emissions Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Carbon Dioxide 38.0 million metric tons 0.7% 2012 Electric Power Industry Emissions Alaska Share of U.S. Period find more Carbon Dioxide 4,304,761 metric tons 0.2% 2012 Sulfur Dioxide 2,704 metric tons 0.1% 2012 Nitrogen Oxide 17,008 metric tons 0.8% 2012 

# Analysis Last Updated: June 19, 2014 

## Overview The oil and natural gas industry dominates Alaska's econo my. The state's natural resources have more than justified the $7.2 million the United States paid Russia for Alaska in 1867. The North Slope contains more than a dozen of the 100 largest oil fields in the United States and several of the 100 largest natural gas fields. Alaska's Prudhoe Bay field is one of the largest oil fie lds in the country, although production has fallen to less than 300,000 barrels per day from its peak of 1.6 million barrels per day in 1988. 

## Alaska's energy demand per person is third highest in the nation. Page 8 of 13 Alaska Profile

7/ 15/2015 http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=AKIn recent years, Alaska has experienced warmer temperature s for longer periods of time during the year. This

temperature change reduces the amount of time energy com panies can explore for onshore oil. Ice roads and drilli ng pads can be used only during the coldest months of the year when the frozen land is less damaged by equipment. However, the warmer temperatures reduce floating ice pa cks, making offshore oil exploration easier. Alaska also has other energy resources. Its many rivers offer some of the highest hydroelectric power potential in the nation, and large swaths of the Alaskan coastline offer significant wind and geothermal energy potential. Becau se of its small population, Alaska's total energy demand is below the national median; however, the state's per person e nergy consumption is third highest in the nation after Wyoming and Louisiana. 

## Petroleum Although Alaska's oil production has declined steadily as t he state's oil fields have matured, it is still one of t he top crude oil producers in the nation. Most of Alaska's oil production takes place on the North Slope. There are large a reas of the state that remain unexplored. Oil exploration and dril ling are prohibited in the Arctic National Wildlife R efuge and in other environmentally sensitive areas in the state. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System transports crude oil from the frozen North Slope to the warm-water port at Va ldez, on Alaska's southern coast. The pipeline can carry over 2 millio n barrels per day, but actual deliveries have been less th an 1 million barrels per day since 2003. Alaskan crude oil is transported by tanker primarily to refineries in Alaska, C alifornia, Hawaii, and Washington. On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker struck Bligh Reef and spilled 257,000 barrel s of oil into the Prince William Sound. As a result, improve ments were made in tanker construction and navigation technology, as well as crew training. Total demand for finished petroleum products in Alaska i s low compared to demand in most states. Motor gasoline demand is primarily met by oil refineries in Kenai and near Fairbanks. Alaska is a leader in total jet fuel consu mption and is the top jet fuel consuming state on a per capita basis. It is a major fueling stop for military aircraft and f or commercial passenger and cargo flights between the United States a nd Asian countries. Alaska also consumes a large amount of petroleum for electricity generation. Alaska's energy expo rts include refined petroleum products, most of which are shipped to Canada. 

## Natural gas Alaska is the second leading natural gas producer (in term s of gross withdrawals) in the United States, but most of the state's productio n is not brought to market, because natural gas volumes far exceed local demand. Also, there is insufficient pipeline capacity to transport the natural gas to dista nt markets. Large volumes of Alaskan natural gas are extracted during oil production, but most of that natural gas is reinjected into existing oil fields to provide pre ssure to maintain oil production rates. About three-fourths of Alaska's natura l gas withdrawals are consumed at the production site. To date, it has not been considered commercially feasibleto build a pipeline linking natural gas produced in Alaska's North Slope with markets in the Lower 48 states, especially with lower natural gas prices in recentyears. Despite the economic considerations, several major pipeline project a pplications have been filed with the state of Alaska. Until 2012, the Kenai liquefied natural gas (LNG) t erminal in the Cook Inlet, which began operating in 1969, was the only terminal in theUnited States authorized to export LNG produced from domestic natural gas. The terminal has exported LNG to Japan. Fo ur major oil companies are interested in jointly buildi ng a new LNG export terminal in the Valdez area that could event ually ship up to 2.4 billion cubic feet of LNG per day. 

## Most of Alaska's natural gas production is reinjected into oil fields for pressure to maintain oil production rates. Page 9of 13 Alaska Profile

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## Coal

Coal mines have operated in Alaska since 1855. Substantial deposits of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal are found i n the north, south, and central portions of the state, but most of Alaska's coal resources remain unmined. Alaska has only one operating surface coal mine, the Usibel li mine, which produces about 2 million tons of coal per year. The majo rity of Alaska's coal production is exported to countries in Asia and South Am erica. 

## Electricity Unlike most electricity infrastructure in the United State s, Alaskan transmission lines are not linked to large, interconnected grids. Although an interconnected grid exi sts in the more populated areas from Fairbanks to south of Anchorage, that grid is not connected to the electric gri ds in Canada and the Lower 48 states. About 90% of thestate's communities rely on consumer-owned electric cooperatives for their power, and many rural areas use diesel electric generators. This diesel use contributed to Alaska's ranking among the top states in the total amount of electricity generated from petroleum liquids. Natural gas accounts for just over half of Alaska's electricity generation, and hydroelectric power supplies more than onefifth. More than 50 hydroelectric power plants supply Ala skan communities with electricity. Petroleum liquids and coa l combined account for about one-fifth of electricity generation. 

## Renewable energy Alaska uses a wide variety of renewable energy resources. In addition to hydropower, Alaska was one of eight states in 2012 with p ower plants generating electricity from geothermal sources. A 400-kilowatt geoth ermal power plant installed in 2006 at Chena Hot Springs was the first ge othermal project to be completed in Alaska. Its generating capacity has since been increased to 730 kilowatts. Several other geothermal projects are in deve lopment. Small wind energy facilities, with a total of more than 5 megawatts of generating capacity, provide power to rural communities throughout the state
. Alaska's biomass fuels include wood, sawmill wastes, fish byproducts, and municipal waste. The first large-scale biodiesel plant i n the state opened in 2010 and can produce 250,000 gallons of biodiesel annually wi th waste vegetable oil gathered from local restaurants. Wood is another important renewable energy source for Alaskans, with over 100,000 cords burned every year for residential space heating. About 8 million gallo ns of fish oil are produced annually as a byproduct at Alaskan f ish meal plants; some of the fish oil is used as boiler fuel. 

## Most of Alaska's coal exports go to Asia and South America.

Alaska is one of eight states with power plants generating electricity from geothermal sources. Page 10of 13 Alaska Profile

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### Energy on Tribal Lands

More than 220 tribal groups live in Alaska, and alt hough the state has the greatest number of acres held as tribal lands in the nation—more than 44 million acres—almost all Alaskan tribal land is owned outright by the tribes. The Alaska Na tive Claims Settlement Act passed by the U. S. Congress in 1971 divided Alaska into 12 geographic regions of common heritage and interests. Under the act, tribal lands do not have the sovereign status of reservations, like in the Lower 48 states. The land is owned by the Nativ e Alaskans, allowing them to benefit from the resources on their lands. The Native Alaskans i n each region organized regional native corporations to hold these resources. These corpora tions are the largest private landowners in the state. Alaska's tribal lands have abundant crude oil and n atural gas resources and contain one of the world's largest bituminous coal deposits. Almos t one-fourth of Alaska's 129 million acres of forested land is controlled by native corporatio ns, providing the tribes with vast biomass resource potential. Revenue earned from timber and subsurface resources by each regional corporation is divided among the 12 geographic regi ons in proportion to their native populations. A significant portion of the revenue i s then redistributed to smaller village corporations in each region. The corporations have formed many business subsidiaries that involve Native Alaskans in the development of their energy resources, including the development of their crude oil and natural gas reso urces and oil refining. One corporation manages a commercial-scale wind farm and an underground coal gasification project. Last Updated: October 16, 2014 

# Other Resources **Energy-Related Regions and Organizations**

• Coal Region : Western

• Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD) : 5 

### Other Websites

• Alaska Energy Data Gateway

• Alaska Energy Authority

• Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

• Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency

• Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Division of Public Assistance Heating Assistance Program

• Alaska Community Development Corporation, Weatherization Assistance Program

• Benefits.Gov Energy Assistance (105)

• DSIRE - Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (N ARUC) 

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**7/ 15/** **2015 http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=AK** • National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)

• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)-Issues a nd Research - News Highlights: Issues and Research - Energy

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-Dynamic Map s, Geographic Information System (GIS) Data and Analysis Tools - Maps

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Maps, Imagery, and Publica tions - Maps

• Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission

• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

• Regulatory Commission of Alaska

• Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

• Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil an d Gas

• Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Data Center - Fed eral and State Incentives and Laws

• United States Department of Health and Human Services -Administration for Children and Families - Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Email suggestions for additional Alaska website resources to: states@eia.gov
. 

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