One of Alaska’s flagship mines soon could draw energy from the sun
Red Dog is racing to displace costly diesel with solar power before federal tax credits expire.
BY Max GrahamMar 19, 2026
TOPIC ARCHIVE
#MINING
14 story dispatches filed under this topic.
The secret life of sculpin — a tiny fish that helps scientists monitor mines
Behold, the slimy sculpin.
BY Max GrahamAug 20, 2025
In Canada’s ‘Silicon Valley’ of mining, speculators power a hunt for Alaska’s minerals
Vancouver, British Columbia, home to dozens of companies searching the world for minerals, has a special interest in the northernmost U.S. state.
BY Max GrahamJun 17, 2025
Fueled by trade tensions and foreign wars, a rush for an obscure mineral heats up in Alaska
A Texas company recently acquired 50 square miles of mining claims across interior Alaska. Now it wants to start trucking antimony — a mineral used in weapons and solar panels — to its processing plant in Montana.
BY Max GrahamJun 5, 2025
Who will benefit from melting glaciers?
In a remote corner of North America, salmon and mining companies are vying for new territory.
BY Max GrahamMay 22, 2025
How a billionaire’s bet on Donlin mine could inject new life into the huge, slow-moving Alaska gold project
A global mining giant is selling its 50% stake in Donlin Gold. One of the buyers is John Paulson, who made billions betting against the housing market before the 2008 financial crisis.
BY Max GrahamApr 24, 2025
Why a surge in gold prices won’t solve Alaska’s budget woes
New calls to raise Alaska’s mining taxes and royalties come as state officials face difficult fiscal decisions.
BY Max GrahamApr 22, 2025
Record gold prices could mean a banner year for Alaska mines
“Anyone with an operating gold mine is in a happy spot right now,” said one mining executive.
BY Max GrahamMar 21, 2025
Juneau’s push to expand renewable power could boost the region’s mines — or cost them
Amid proposals to electrify Juneau’s cruise docks and build a new hydroelectric plant, one of the area’s major mines has a lot to gain. The other has more to lose.
BY Max GrahamFeb 19, 2025
Could a push to expand winter trails boost a controversial mining road west of Anchorage?
Boosters of a mining road in the backcountry northwest of Anchorage are poised to get a $100,000 federal grant for trail work. Some locals see it as part of an under-the-radar effort to push the road forward.
BY Max GrahamJan 16, 2025
This company helped build an Alaska mine without a tailings dump. Can it build two more?
Touting an unconventional approach, Contango Ore says it can develop mines faster and with a smaller environmental footprint. But some Alaskans fear an influx of ore trucks on state roads.
BY Max GrahamJan 2, 2025
News from, and about, Northern Journal
Two years in, an update on this media business, and hot tips on how to claim your Northern Journal hoodie and stickers.
BY Nathaniel HerzNov 26, 2024
Japanese smelting giant pulls out of major Southeast Alaska mining project
The Palmer development, near a glacier above the salmon-bearing Chilkat River, has for years fueled political divisions in the town of Haines. Now it's getting a new owner, raising questions about the project's future.
BY Max GrahamNov 21, 2024
Dozens of fish died near a Southeast Alaska gold mine. Two months later, state regulators haven’t determined what killed them.
State fish scientists say the circumstances of the fish kill suggest that it stems from a water quality problem. But regulators say they're still waiting from data from the Kensington gold mine's operator.
BY Max GrahamOct 4, 2024