President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his administration’s commitment to advancing a massive natural gas pipeline project in Alaska, aiming to bolster energy security and attract international investment for a long-stalled $44 billion venture. Speaking during his joint address to Congress, Trump emphasized that the project, which would transport natural gas across Alaska and enable exports overseas, is one of the largest of its kind globally.
“We’re working on a gigantic natural gas pipeline in Alaska, among the largest in the world, with Japan, South Korea, and other nations eager to partner with us, investing trillions of dollars each,” Trump stated.
The comments come amid ongoing discussions between U.S. officials and Asian nations to secure investment and offtake agreements for the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project. While the idea of such a pipeline has been in development for decades, the project faces substantial challenges, including its high cost and the logistical difficulty of building an 800-mile pipeline through Alaska’s rugged terrain.
Trump has made this project a priority in his administration, and his diplomatic efforts are evident. In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in February, Trump secured a pledge from Japan to cooperate on strengthening energy security, including the increased export of U.S. LNG to Japan. Following that, U.S. officials, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, held talks with South Korean representatives to explore further collaboration on the project.
However, the $1 trillion investment figure mentioned by Trump appears to exceed what Japan has committed to so far. While Prime Minister Ishiba has yet to announce a specific investment amount, he has expressed Japan’s intention to increase its foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S. to $1 trillion. Currently, Japan’s FDI in the U.S. is substantial, comparable to the country’s annual budget.
Additionally, the Philippines is considering procuring LNG from Alaska, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to discuss the matter further with President Trump, according to the Philippine Ambassador to the U.S., Jose Manuel Romualdez. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska also revealed that Taiwan officials have shown interest in the venture.
“There’s been high-level engagement happening daily,” said Sullivan. “Things are aligning in a way that hasn’t happened before.”
Trump, who has been vocal about his commitment to reducing the U.S. trade deficit and capitalizing on American energy resources, reaffirmed his support for the project in a social media post just days after the 2024 election. He vowed to ensure the completion of the pipeline to provide affordable energy to Alaska and its global allies.
On January 20, Trump signed an executive order that made it U.S. policy to prioritize the development of Alaska’s LNG resources. The order supports the sale and transportation of Alaskan LNG to both domestic and allied nations in the Pacific region.
Trump’s direct involvement, drawing from his background as a real estate developer with a reputation for securing deals, signals a shift in the project’s trajectory. Senator Sullivan noted that the president’s backing has significantly changed the project’s dynamic, saying, “We now have a federal government, starting with President Trump himself, that is highly motivated to get this project done.”
The Alaska LNG project has garnered interest from several Asian nations, partly in response to Trump’s threat of tariffs and the promise of a shorter shipping route to Asia than alternative U.S. Gulf Coast projects. This also circumvents challenges faced by the Panama Canal, which experienced severe bottlenecks in 2023 due to drought. Proponents also argue the project will offer a more reliable supply than alternatives like Qatar, enhancing U.S. influence in the region.
The project promises significant economic benefits for Alaska. It would provide access to new markets for the state’s vast natural gas reserves, currently stranded on Alaska’s North Slope, and help address declining production from the state’s long-exploited Cook Inlet.
The initiative is supported by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC), a state-run agency, and the privately owned Glenfarne, a company that has proposed building two LNG plants in the U.S., though neither project has yet broken ground.
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