In a major push for U.S. energy dominance, President Donald Trump’s Energy Security Council is planning a high-stakes summit in Alaska in early June. The goal? To secure official commitments from Japan and South Korea for the $44 billion Alaska LNG project, according to a source familiar with the planning.
President Trump has been a vocal supporter of the Alaska LNG project, which involves transporting natural gas from the North Slope fields through an 800-mile (1,300 km) pipeline. The gas would be used domestically and exported to Asia as liquefied natural gas (LNG), strategically bypassing the Panama Canal.
Last month, Taiwan’s state energy firm CPC Corp took a step forward by signing a non-binding agreement with Alaska Gasline Development Corp, the state-owned company behind the project. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te described the agreement as a crucial step in securing the island’s long-term energy stability.
The upcoming Alaska summit is being organised by the National Energy Dominance Council, an entity set up under Trump’s administration to boost oil and gas production. The event is tentatively scheduled for around June 2, and was first reported by The New York Times.
When asked, The White House and Interior Department did not provide immediate comments.
Meanwhile, interest in the project is growing. Officials from Thailand — which may become a future buyer of Alaskan LNG — and South Korea are expected to visit Alaska in the next two weeks to discuss the initiative further, the source added.
For Thailand, this marks the first official visit to Alaska to explore energy cooperation under Trump’s second term.
As for South Korea, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, speaking in Washington on Thursday, said he had no knowledge of a confirmed announcement yet. He emphasised that “there are still a lot of things that need to be done”, including due diligence, before any firm decisions can be made.
“We are dispatching an inspection team,” Ahn said. “The results of the due diligence will need to be seen to see how discussions will proceed.”
