Partnership can secure reliable, stable and affordable energy for generations to come
At the U.S.-Japan summit on Feb. 7, President Donald Trump noted that “Japan will soon begin importing historic new shipments of clean American liquefied natural gas in record numbers,” hinting at “a joint venture of some type between Japan and us having to do with Alaskan oil and gas.”
This is a proposal both the U.S. and Japan should rally behind. Japan is one of America’s closest and most important allies, and Alaska is a major reason why. Natural gas from Alaska’s Cook Inlet played a crucial role in Japan’s postwar recovery and economic rise. Indeed, Tokyo’s partnership with the city of Juneau helped transform Japan into a manufacturing and technological powerhouse. Meanwhile, Japan’s dynamism, innovation and industrial output have enriched the American people and cemented Tokyo as a critical Western ally.
At the White House summit, President Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba did not solidify a deal to expand Japanese access to Alaskan energy. But with a U.S. administration that prioritizes energy production and security as well as economic growth — with threats to freedom and prosperity multiplying around the globe — the time is right to take the historically vital Alaska-Japan relationship to a new level.
The case in point is the Alaska Gasline, an 800-mile pipeline that will deliver LNG from Alaska’s energy-rich North Slope to global markets, including Japan. The North Slope holds 35 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas, with another 200 trillion in potential deposits. Pipeline access to these deposits would offer Japan a reliable, affordable and strategically sensible power source while strengthening American energy security and the U.S.-Japan relationship.
America learned early in its history that economic ties have a huge impact on a nation’s strategic prospects. Henry Clay saw U.S. dependence on goods from the British Empire as a hindrance to our independence — and he was right. As Europe’s struggle to wean itself off Russian energy demonstrates, maintaining reliable and stable energy partnerships is more important than ever.
Currently, Japan — the world’s second largest net energy importer — relies largely on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for oil. While these are credible energy partners, they neither share Japan’s moral and strategic interests nor its commitment to security and prosperity in the Pacific.
Alaska, on the other hand, shares these core values. A U.S.-Japan partnership to deliver affordable energy to Japan and our other friends in the Pacific should be a no-brainer. It would ensure that the free world is fueling the free world.
Alaska sits at the crossroads between Asia and North America, and U.S. companies lead the world in clean and efficient energy extraction. We are uniquely positioned to supply Japan and other Indo-Pacific partners with natural gas and clean hydrogen for decades to come.
Japan, for its part, can use its unique expertise in the LNG sector to help distribute American energy to the rest of the Indo-Pacific. Japanese companies are the largest LNG plant builders, the largest gas turbine providers, and have the largest LNG shipping capacity in the region. Japan’s world-class carbon capture technology will also be critical to assuring the carbon neutrality of this project.
As America seeks to rebuild manufacturing capacity to compete with China, we will need to invest in strong, reliable allies like Japan. A new LNG pipeline project would help Tokyo secure this mutually beneficial investment.
For maximum benefit, the Trump and Ishiba administrations should build on their productive engagement and ensure this project gets started soon. Japan and America align on the values of representative government, trade, security, and a world order that supports prosperity and freedom. We have worked together for decades to build a better future. Let us build on this tradition by securing reliable, stable and affordable energy for the next generations.
