“The next two months are going to be some of the most exciting months in Alaska’s history,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on November 29, 2025 at a Republican fund-raiser in Fairbanks.

“I’m not making that up. I wouldn’t stick my neck out to say something stupid.”

“So December a updated economic study of the pipe will be done. I talk with Glenfarne every week. I talk with the president and his people often. Everyone is excited about where this pipeline is gonna go. In terms of it’s gonna happen.”

“And then FID, what they call final investment decision, will be January. Spoken to them again yesterday, they see nothing standing in the way. So when February, or when January comes, you’re probably gonna see an announcement before the end of January that they’re gonna start to order pipe. And it’ll be here by August of this next year,” said Dunleavy. “So you will have gas.”

This was a only a month after Dunleavy said he would be “shocked, shocked, not surprised, shocked” if Glenfarne did not make a final decision by January 2026 to build the project.

Dunleavy was wrong on every point

On Thursday, he called another special session starting July 27 to give Glenfarne a tax break that Dunleavy did not see coming last November.

Glenfarne has not decided to build a gas pipeline because it does not have financing.

Dunleavy opposed the gasline bill because it included a provision to close the Hilcorp loophole, which allows one of Alaska’s largest oil companies to avoid an income tax paid by the likes of ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil.

Dunleavy is angry at Sen. Bill Wielechowski and Sen. Cathy Giessel for pushing the plan to close the Hilcorp loophole as part of the gasline bill.

Wielechowski said Glenfarne had planned to support the bill before backing off.

Dunleavy called Wielechowski a “bullshitter” after a press conference Thursday night and complained about Giessel.

No one should be shocked or surprised that Dunleavy stuck his neck out and said something stupid.

“Wielechowski said he’d love to know specifically what the governor ‘thinks I’m bullshitting about,’’ the Anchorage Daily News said.

“Looking for a scapegoat is a normal response, so I don’t blame him for that,” Giessel told the Daily News. “Considering he’s been absent (from Juneau) this whole time, he wouldn’t know the Senate Majority views this as a priority.”

The Senate approved the gasline bill 11-8 while the House rejected it 19-19, with two members absent.

Dunleavy opposed the bill on the grounds that it would close the Hilcorp loophole.

Most of the Republicans in the state House had the same complaint, alleging that the state’s credibility will be destroyed if the Hilcorp loophole is closed.

Wielechowski said the opposition of Hilcorp owner Jeff Hildebrand was key to blocking the gasline bill.

Earlier, in the Senate, waffler Sen. Matt Claman, a failed Democratic candidate for governor, continued to oppose what remains the easiest oil tax vote in the history of oil tax votes.

He spoke at length on the Senate floor Thursday against a provision to close the Hilcorp loophole, claiming that it was not a loophole.

He voted against closing the loophole. But moments later he flipped his vote, ensuring the gasline bill would pass.

The measure would have died on a 10-9 vote with Claman’s “no” vote.

Claman changing his vote made it 11-8, approving the measure, which is up for a final vote in the House.

Claman has given different answers about why he has opposed closing the Hilcorp loophole.

I suspect his vote today was aimed at improving his chances to become a leader in the Senate next year or a future statewide race.

In his speech claiming that billionaire Jeff Hildebrand of Hilcorp does not enjoy a loophole over the other oil giants in Alaska, Claman said this:

“When they came to Alaska there was no tax on them. There was no loophole. They came up with the existing structure,” said Claman.

“And if we wanted to talk about a loophole, we could talk about a Moose’s Tooth loophole for the pizzeria in Anchorage that is an LLC that I think is quite profitable and keeps building more restaurants around the city.”

“We could talk about a Mount Alyeska loophole because they too are set up as the kind of company that doesn’t pay corporate taxes, but instead would be taxed—if there was a personal income tax—but we don’t have that. We could talk about the Pike’s Waterfront Lodge loophole. They too are an LLC or a different form that is not paying taxes. We could talk about countless construction companies and enterprises across the state,” said Claman.

“So it’s not a Hilcorp loophole. It’s almost every business in Alaska loophole,” said Claman.

Claman said that part of being pro-choice is allowing Hilcorp or any other company to decide on its corporate structure.

Hilcorp is not at all similar to the companies that Claman named. It should be compared to ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil, companies that don’t enjoy the Hilcorp loophole.

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Dunleavy calls new special session; attacks Wielechowski as 'bullshitter'

Dunleavy was wrong on every point