Alaska's oil industry has been suffering a long, slow decline. Once the premier state for oil production in the U.S., it has now fallen to fourth place, and there doesn't appear to be any change in that trend anytime soon. Alaskan legislators think otherwise, though. They are looking to finalize a bill that would ease taxes on the oil industry by $750 million a year. They hope that by lowering the tax burden on oil producers in the region, it will spur more investment.
While this will certainly help oil production in Alaska, there are several other factors that are holding back the oil industry there. From high-risk exploration to cheaper options in the Lower 48, it will require a lot for Alaskan oil to be competitive again. In this video, Fool.con contributor Tyler Crowe looks at some of the factors keeping Alaska back and at the plans for some of the major players in the state.
