Alaska Leap Frogs into Top 10 Industrial Project Spending States List with Multi-Billion Dollar Natural Gas, Power, and Gold Mining Mega-Projects

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In the past year, Industrialinfo.com's (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas) research staff has disseminated 6,968 industrial projects in the U.S. These projects represent greater than $395 billion in capital and maintenance spending scheduled for construction kick-off between now and 2010. The Top 10 states for industrial project spending account for 45% of the industrial business in the U.S. Leading the pack is Texas with $38.4 billion in industrial project spending spread across 670 projects. California is second with 368 projects representing $24.5 billion.

Click on the image at right to view the Top 10 Industrial Project Spending States List.

The big surprise on this year's Top Ten list is Alaska coming in third place with project spending at about $20 billion in only 32 projects. That's a whopping $625 million per project average for active projects in Alaska. The growth in industrial project development in Alaska can mainly be attributed to project studies in three industrial sectors: natural gas, power generation, and gold mining. Both Artic Resources Company LLC, Yukon Pacific Corporation, and MEHC Alaska Gas Transmission Company are planning large multi-billion dollar pipeline projects to transport North Slope gas to southern markets. Also, LNG production and distribution terminals are being looked at in the state.

With the price of gold consistently hovering above $400 per ounce gold mining projects are becoming more feasible. Industrialinfo.com has researched ten gold mining projects in Alaska over the past year, including a $700 million grassroot gold mining project (PEC 49000065) at Donlin Creek for NovaGold Resources Incorporated. In addition to the gold mine the project will require an 80 megawatt power plant. NovaGold has proposed a $100 million coal-fired power plant (PEC 49000091) to supply electricity and heat for the project. Granted, most of the Alaskan projects are long term at best; nevertheless, industrial project activity in Alaska is heating up.

There are also eight power projects being developed in Alaska representing $600 million in total TIV affecting 391 megawatts of addition power generation for the state. The largest of these projects is the 232 megawatt Emma Creek Energy Project (PEC 49000082).

For details on the 32 projects in Alaska or on the remaining 6,936 projects in the lower 48 contact Industrialinfo.com's Member Center at 1-800-762-3361.