Vice President JD Vance unveiled a new $400 million investment in Alaska’s power grid in a speech in support of Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK).
Vance flew to Alaska on Monday to speak alongside Sullivan, as he faces a tough race in the typically red state. To add a sweetener for Alaskan voters, Vance announced a new investment plan to bring down utility costs.
“Today, we’re taking another major step towards making that promise of energy dominance a reality,” Vance began.
“I’m excited to announce the Alaska Railbelt Transmission Project, which is going to devote $400 million to building out Alaska’s power grid,” he said. “With this project, the Trump administration will help develop more than 200 miles of new transmission line, lowering costs and strengthening grid reliability for 75% of the population of the state.”
Sullivan’s speech also focused on energy, addressing concerns from voters and outlining what the Trump administration had done to bring prices down. He also advocated that the state produce its own energy.
The infrastructure effort is dubbed the Beluga-Healy Transmission Project, and will provide a second high-voltage connection along the Railbelt, according to a press release from Sullivan.
“My team and I have pushed hard for this project, which will also lay the groundwork to integrate new power sources that could be on the horizon—whether from hydroelectric, tidal and other renewables, or natural gas and coal—making Alaska’s energy future more resilient up and down the Railbelt,” Sullivan said in a statement. “I want to thank [Energy] Secretary [Chris] Wright for joining me recently at the Alaska Energy Authority with local utilities in our state to learn more about this important project and for working to unlock these funds for the benefit of Alaskans and our national security.”
VANCE: ‘YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A COMPETITIVE SENATE RACE IN ALASKA’
The effort was also celebrated by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who said it was the best way to improve affordability in the state.
“The Beluga-Healy project will help facilitate new generation and strengthen reliability by creating a second pathway to move power across the Railbelt and adding redundancy to our grid,” she said. “The delegation has been pushing for this for years, and we’re grateful to the Department of Energy for partnering with us to advance this important investment in Alaska’s energy infrastructure.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
