U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel Tuesday continued to tout the benefits of the proposed North Slope-to-tidewater gas pipeline and LNG export project, contrary to the Biden administration’s commitment to align its actions with a 1.5 °C pathway.  Ambassador Emanuel took the stage during Governor Dunleavy’s Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference. 

“To push the Alaska gas line denies the scientific consensus that the climate can’t tolerate more new fossil fuel developments,” said Kay Brown, Arctic Policy Director for Pacific Environment.  “This project would lock in many decades of methane production and use, deepening the climate crisis. It is illogical to try to solve today’s problems in Europe and Asia with infrastructure that won’t come online for at least 10 years.” 

“The proposed Alaska gas line and LNG export is completely incompatible with the Biden administration’s stated climate goals and promises,” Brown said.

Methane emissions are 80 times more damaging to the climate than CO2, in the short term. Methane is notorious for fugitive emissions which are difficult to account for and occur frequently from production to end use. 

“Alaska can’t afford to keep chasing this incredibly expensive, climate-wrecking, 40-year-old antiquated pipe dream,” she said.

The Alaska gas line project has been unable to secure purchase agreements or financing for decades despite massive federal loan guarantees and has long been deemed uneconomic.

The world already has more than enough methane already in production or under development to meet global demand for decades, as well as many more proposed LNG export projects seeking approval that are less costly to develop than Alaska’s North Slope gas.

LNG is not clean energy. LNG is a false solution that will deepen the climate crisis and increase the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.

The State of Alaska should invest in transitioning to renewable energy and a regenerative economy instead of trying to prop up a dirty, dying industry.