US plans Alaska LNG summit, will urge Japan, South Korea to support project

The United States is set to host an energy summit in Alaska in early June, where President Donald Trump’s administration hopes Japan and South Korea will commit to the $44 billion Alaska LNG project, a major energy initiative aimed at expanding U.S. gas exports to Asia.

The U.S. Energy Security Council, under President Donald Trump, is planning a summit in Alaska in early June aimed at advancing the $44 billion Alaska LNG project, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Organizers hope the event will include commitments from Japan and South Korea to support the long-discussed liquefied natural gas initiative.

The project would transport gas from Alaska’s North Slope fields through an 800-mile (1,300 km) pipeline for domestic distribution and export to Asian markets, avoiding the Panama Canal. Despite being in development for years, progress has been slow due to high costs and logistical challenges.

President Trump, who has promoted U.S. energy exports and urged allies to increase purchases, recently asked Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to back the initiative. Last month, Taiwan's state-run CPC Corp signed a non-binding agreement with the Alaska Gasline Development Corp to purchase LNG and invest in the project — a move President Lai Ching-te said was vital for Taiwan’s energy security.

The summit, tentatively set for around June 2, is being organized by Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, which seeks to boost U.S. oil and gas production. 

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