Keep the Lights On at America's Arctic Bases: Alaska's Second Power Line Is a Defense Project
DOE plans up to $150 million in Defense Production Act funding for a planned $418 million second transmission line between Southcentral and Interior Alaska. In our view, it is a smart defense investment, but construction is years away and the rest of the money still has to be found.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 9, 2026 | 6-min read Alaska is America's front door to the Arctic, yet the power link between its two biggest regions is a single high-voltage line. The intertie that carries power between Southcentral Alaska and the Interior was built in the 1980s, and most of the state's military bases use energy that flows through it, the Alaska Beacon reports [2]. On Monday, the Energy Department announced its intent to put up to $150 million in Defense Production Act money toward a second line [1]. In our view, this is a defense project as much as an energy project, and Washington is right to treat it that way. It also comes with a long timeline that Alaskans deserve to hear plainly. Key Takeaways DOE plans up to $150 million in Defense Production Act funding, alongside $268 million in non-federal funding, for a planned $418 million Beluga-Healy Transmission Project. The $418 million is a preliminary planning estimate [1]. The roughly 223-mile line would create a second pathway between Southcentral and Interior Alaska, serving about 75% of the state's population and major military