Earlier this year, President Trump delivered a powerful statement to the world when he proclaimed Alaska LNG a top national priority in a joint session of Congress. It was a daring move that unleashed America’s full energy potential. One of the crowning achievements of his presidency may be the Alaska LNG pipeline if his administration can realize that vision and maintain the momentum it has shown thus far in his second term. Once considered a long shot, the Alaska LNG project will start pouring energy out of the earth, sustaining American customers in Alaska, Alaska’s vital military sites, and our Asian friends in the Pacific, before President Trump’s second term ends.
An engineering marvel, the 800-mile-long pipeline would link Alaska’s southern shore to the state’s northern slope. It embodies the core values of President Trump’s administration, which include putting an emphasis on American employment and enhancing our nation’s standing abroad. When fully operational, the pipeline has the potential to transmit 3.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day, according to the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC). This one project alone has the potential to generate almost all of Russia’s natural gas exports to international markets.
This is more than an abstract idea. The most time-consuming element of the process is usually the bureaucratic and legal red tape, but Alaska LNG has already gotten its permits and won every court fight. Following his recent meetings in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has started to gain commitments from these prospective clients. The objective, according to Governor Dunleavy, is to have the pipeline up and running with gas flowing through it in about 2.5 years.
Alaskans will begin to get LNG service the moment the plant goes live. Too long has passed since Alaska built the necessary infrastructure to tap on its vast energy potential. D.C. bureaucrats and environmental agenda extremists have economically marginalized the state of Alaska, but that will all change with the construction of the Alaska LNG pipeline, which will bring in billions of dollars in investment, thousands of jobs, and much-needed tax money. The pipeline offers viable energy security by providing dependable, low-cost power to homes and companies in remote areas that would otherwise have to depend on imported fuel.
The advantages, however, will go well beyond the state of Alaska. This enormous project will increase U.S. exports and significantly reduce our trade imbalance while simultaneously reducing energy prices worldwide. The United States will gain a significant new tool in the global energy market, especially in the Asia-Pacific area, with the construction of the Alaska LNG pipeline. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, three of our allies, are consuming more and more natural gas to meet their energy needs. We don’t have to depend on Middle Eastern and Russian exporters; they may turn to Alaska and the United States instead.
As a result of that dynamic, America will have a strategic edge over China. China has been manipulating international markets and bullying smaller nations for a long time now by taking advantage of its monopoly on energy investments and key sectors. An immediate retaliation is the Alaska LNG pipeline. We can shift the geopolitical balance in our favor and lessen China’s neighbors’ reliance on the CCP if we continue to provide them with reliable American energy. The energy resources of Alaska will increase America’s influence and safety, and President Trump is aware of this. While in office, President Trump will accomplish two goals related to the energy sector: reducing costs and achieving energy independence. No longer will the United States have to beg OPEC for oil or endure gas price spikes caused by interruptions abroad.
For a long time, skeptics and doubters have cast doubt on the Alaska LNG project. The American people have faith in President Trump because he knows our nation can do great things. The Alaska LNG pipeline is expected to be constructed and operational by the conclusion of his current term if top officials in his administration, such as Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, maintain their commitment to this project. That will be a huge victory and a lasting testament to the President’s leadership. Only a strong leader like Trump could carry off a massive, audacious endeavor like the Alaska LNG endeavor. Presumably, President Trump should attend the groundbreaking ceremony before his tenure concludes.