See how much gas prices have risen in your community.

The Iran war. Alaska’s energy costs. Two different records.

Alaska produces the energy. Alaskans pay the price.

AlaskaAvg. regular
U.S.Avg. regular

62¢ a gallon above the U.S.

AAA · Oct. 16, 2026

Today, Oct. 16, the average gas price in Alaska is $4.94, 62 cents higher than the national average.1

Read the facts

Mary Peltola vs. Dan Sullivan

Two candidates. Two records.

Mary Peltola, left, and Sen. Dan Sullivan, right.

Photos: U.S. House of Representatives; U.S. Senate.

Mary Peltola

Opposes the war in Iran and supports efforts to end it.

Peltola told the Alaska Beacon the conflict in Iran “is doing more harm than good” and, asked about a war powers resolution, said: “I would support a war powers resolution.”2

Dan Sullivan

Voted against repeated war powers measures.

Sullivan cast 14 votes against measures to restrict or end unauthorized U.S. hostilities with Iran, including procedural motions.3

Mary Peltola

Fights to lower Alaska fuel costs.

Her plan uses targeted federal tax incentives, federal financing and fuel purchase agreements to refine more Alaska oil in Alaska and bring down prices.4

Dan Sullivan

Asked campaign donors to help pay for gas.

His campaign’s May 11 fundraising email asked for $3, $5 or $10 and listed “Pay for gas as we visit isolated rural areas of Alaska” among the costs.5

Mary Peltola

Proposes more in-state refining.

“I’ll fight for in-state refining capacity so we stop buying back our own oil at a markup,” Peltola told the Alaska Beacon.2

Dan Sullivan

Took oil and gas industry PAC money.

OpenSecrets data shows his campaign has taken more than $100,000 from oil and gas industry PACs this cycle, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell.6

Mary Peltola

Supports multiple energy sources.

Peltola proposes oil and gas development, permitting reform, renewable energy tax credits, and Railbelt modernization.4

Dan Sullivan

Defended the Iran war as fuel costs climbed.

After the Sept. 24 war powers vote, Sullivan told reporters: “A war powers vote is about removing American forces from a region. … And when there are troops in contact, I don’t believe in doing that.”7

The votes are on the record.

Sullivan opposed efforts to restrict the Iran war.

Senate records document Sullivan voting against Iran war powers resolutions and procedural motions 14 times in 2026. These measures addressed the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities not authorized by Congress.3

  1. Mar 4Vote 46S.J.Res. 104Motion to discharge · Rejected 47–53Nay
  2. Mar 18Vote 58S.J.Res. 118Motion to discharge · Rejected 47–53Nay
  3. Mar 24Vote 69S.J.Res. 116Motion to discharge · Rejected 47–53Nay
  4. Apr 15Vote 79S.J.Res. 123Motion to discharge · Rejected 47–52Nay
  5. Apr 22Vote 88S.J.Res. 114Motion to discharge · Rejected 46–51Nay
  6. Apr 30Vote 113S.J.Res. 184Motion to discharge · Rejected 47–50Nay
  7. May 13Vote 118S.J.Res. 163Motion to discharge · Rejected 49–50Nay
  8. May 19Vote 129S.J.Res. 185Motion to discharge · Agreed to 50–47Nay
  9. Jun 16Vote 174S.J.Res. 172Motion to discharge · Rejected 47–48Nay
  10. Jun 23Vote 184H.Con.Res. 86Resolution vote · Agreed to 50–48Nay
  11. Jun 24Vote 192S.J.Res. 185Motion to proceed · Rejected 47–50Nay
  12. Jul 23Vote 207S.J.Res. 180Motion to discharge · Rejected 47–49Nay
  13. Jul 30Vote 216S.J.Res. 181Motion to discharge · Rejected 49–50Nay
  14. Sep 24Vote 244H.Con.Res. 89Resolution vote · Rejected 49–50Nay

The cost of the war is hitting home.

$26.82per gallon

Price of gas in the Northwest Alaska village of Shungnak in August.8

$7.97per gallon

Average summer 2026 heating fuel price across 90 communities in the state’s fuel survey, up 22.8% from winter.9

Nearly 25%

Jump in the average Fairbanks home electric bill this summer, as fuel costs climbed after the Iran war began.10

$2,186

Top round-trip fare between Unalaska and Anchorage, after the island’s only commercial airline added a fuel charge.11

What Alaskans are paying

Gas. Heat. Electricity. Freight. Airfare.

The economic consequences extend beyond gasoline pumps. Higher diesel and aviation fuel prices affect fishing operations, electricity generation, village heating, shipping, and the delivery of essential goods.12

Sullivan acknowledged the connection.

The war was driving higher gas prices.

“With the conflict in the Middle East driving higher gas prices for hard-working Americans, it’s more imperative than ever that we have policies promoting American energy independence and dominance.”

Sen. Dan Sullivan on X · March 26, 202613

Sullivan has maintained that military action against Iran serves U.S. national security interests. His office has argued that war powers restrictions would undermine the military mission.14

Gas prices soar while Dan asks for more.

Four publications reported on a Sullivan fundraising email that asked donors to help pay for gas while he was voting against measures to restrict the war.

Excerpt of the email: Your donation will instantly go to the funds to: Recruit volunteers. Run digital ads. Invest in integral mailpieces to keep Alaska voters up to date. Pay for gas as we visit isolated rural areas of Alaska.
Sullivan campaign fundraising email, “Alaska needs you!!”, May 11, 2026.5

Mary Peltola’s energy plan

More Alaska energy. More refining. Lower costs.

Peltola’s published energy plan proposes several specific federal actions:4

  1. Refine more Alaska oil in Alaska

    Targeted federal tax incentives, streamlined permitting, federal financing and loan guarantees, and federal fuel purchase agreements to get more of Alaska’s oil refined here.

  2. Cut federal permitting delays

    Permitting reform that streamlines Alaska energy projects, including oil and gas, so development moves “at Alaska’s pace, not DC’s.”

  3. Support Alaska LNG and Willow

    Continue supporting major resource development, including the Alaska LNG pipeline. Peltola has also emphasized her work supporting approval of the Willow project under the Biden administration.

  4. Modernize the Railbelt

    Targeted investments to modernize aging grids, including the Railbelt, and federal funding to diversify its energy supply.

  5. Expand rural energy infrastructure

    Federal funding for village microgrids, bulk fuel programs and modernized rural energy distribution.

  6. Restore renewable energy incentives

    Restore federal tax credits for solar, wind and hydropower projects as part of a broader energy portfolio.

The policy difference

Alaska’s energy future is bigger than one project.

Both Peltola and Sullivan support significant Alaska oil and gas development. Their documented differences include their positions on congressional authority over the Iran war and the particular energy investments and federal policies each has emphasized.

Peltola’s proposals include increased local refining, permitting reform, grid investments, rural energy assistance and renewable incentives. Sullivan has called for a temporary diesel export moratorium, backed an emergency fuel waiver for Arctic diesel and touted added federal energy assistance.415

Compare the full plans and voting records using the sources below.

See how much gas prices have risen in your community.

Gas prices in 74 Alaska communities, before the Iran war and after. Tap the map or pick a town.

Anchorage+38%Fairbanks+25%Juneau+25%Craig+20%Dillingham+42%Savoonga+9%Arctic Village+20%

+$1.33a gallon

In Anchorage, up 38% since the war began.

AAA Anchorage average: $3.52 on Feb. 21, 2026, a week before the war; $4.85 on Oct. 16, 2026.

All 74 communities
CommunityBeforeAfterChange
Kake$5.29$8.79+66%
Nenana$3.06$4.73+55%
Healy$3.36$4.80+43%
Dillingham$6.19$8.82+42%
Larsen Bay$6.10$8.45+39%
Homer$3.80$5.25+38%
Anchorage*$3.52$4.85+38%
Minto$5.45$7.50+38%
Glennallen$3.72$5.01+35%
Petersburg$4.00$5.20+30%
Valdez$3.94$5.11+30%
Cordova$4.60$5.95+29%
Fairbanks$3.34$4.19+25%
Delta Junction$3.84$4.79+25%
Juneau$3.65$4.55+25%
Togiak$7.56$9.32+23%
Seldovia$6.11$7.48+22%
Unalaska$4.74$5.75+21%
Sand Point$4.60$5.54+20%
Gustavus$4.99$5.99+20%
Craig$4.05$4.86+20%
Thorne Bay$4.05$4.86+20%
Arctic Village$10.00$12.00+20%
Chenega$7.58$9.07+20%
Scammon Bay$9.38$11.16+19%
Kodiak$4.40$5.23+19%
Chitina$4.36$5.16+18%
Pelican$5.64$6.41+14%
Nulato$6.60$7.50+14%
Hughes$11.50$13.00+13%
Nelson Lagoon$6.45$7.21+12%
Kotzebue$8.00$8.94+12%
Quinhagak$7.16$7.98+11%
Shishmaref$6.44$7.00+9%
Savoonga$6.70$7.27+9%
McGrath$7.95$8.59+8%
Ruby$7.00$7.50+7%
Upper Kalskag$8.00$8.50+6%
Marshall$8.11$8.50+5%
Nunapitchuk$7.96$8.28+4%
Angoon$5.48$5.65+3%
Teller$7.11$7.25+2%
Hooper Bay$8.44$8.55+1%
Akiak$7.24$7.26+<1%
Akutan$6.50$6.500%
Alatna$11.50$11.500%
Anaktuvuk Pass$9.97$9.970%
Anvik$7.50$7.500%
Atqasuk$8.80$8.800%
Clark's Point$6.00$6.000%
Eagle$6.00$6.000%
Gambell$6.90$6.900%
Holy Cross$8.75$8.750%
Huslia$7.00$7.000%
Kaktovik$7.50$7.500%
Kotlik$8.52$8.520%
Mountain Village$8.71$8.710%
New Stuyahok$10.00$10.000%
Nuiqsut$7.70$7.700%
Pilot Station$8.90$8.900%
Russian Mission$7.50$7.500%
Stebbins$7.97$7.970%
Unalakleet$5.74$5.740%
Utqiagvik$6.90$6.900%
Wainwright$6.96$6.960%
Wales$6.89$6.890%
Bethel$6.71$6.67−1%
Emmonak$8.29$8.16−2%
Tuntutuliak$7.85$7.58−3%
Hoonah$5.83$5.58−4%
Saint Michael$7.97$7.50−6%
Ouzinkie$5.00$4.63−7%
Galena$10.29$9.05−12%
Point Hope$7.60$5.85−23%
*AAA Anchorage average, Feb. 21, 2026 and Oct. 16, 2026.

Before: the state’s winter 2026 fuel price survey, taken Jan. 6–28, before U.S. strikes on Iran began Feb. 28. After: the summer 2026 survey, taken July 15–Aug. 24. Regular gasoline, one retailer per community. Communities without a traditional gas station are left out. Anchorage is not in the state survey; its figures are AAA’s Anchorage averages on Feb. 21 and Oct. 16. Prices rose in 44 of the 74 communities. In the state’s 2023, 2024 and 2025 surveys, the average gas price moved less than 3% from winter to summer; this year it rose about 14%.1691


Sources & receipts

  1. AAA, Alaska average gas prices (regular unleaded; Alaska, national and Anchorage averages). Updated daily. Anchorage before the war: the same page on Feb. 21, 2026, archived by the Internet Archive.
  2. Alaska Beacon, Voter Guide: 2026 General Election, U.S. Senator (Mary Peltola’s answers on war powers and refining).
  3. U.S. Senate roll call votes, 119th Congress, 2nd Session: Nos. 46, 58, 69, 79, 88, 113, 118, 129, 174, 184, 192, 207, 216 and 244, each linked in the list above. See also the Senate’s 2026 roll call list and Sen. Sullivan’s own voting record.
  4. Mary Peltola, “Making Energy Affordable for Alaskans” (energy plan).
  5. Alaskans for Dan Sullivan, fundraising email “Alaska needs you!!”, May 11, 2026, via the Archive of Political Emails. The email’s footer reads “Paid for by Alaskans for Dan Sullivan” (the archive’s sender profile mislabels it as an Arkansas state senator).
  6. OpenSecrets, Dan Sullivan, PACs, PAC Contribution by Sector/Industry, 2025–2026, data as of July 17, 2026.
  7. Theodoric Meyer and Alexei Koseff, “Senate rejects measure to block Trump from ordering more strikes on Iran,” The Washington Post, Sept. 24, 2026.
  8. James Brooks, “Gasoline hits $26 per gallon in the northwest Alaska village of Shungnak,” Alaska Beacon, Aug. 24, 2026.
  9. Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Fuel Price Report: Summer 2026, Aug. 28, 2026. The survey covers 100 communities outside Anchorage/Mat-Su; its heating fuel average leaves out the North Slope, where the borough subsidizes heating fuel.
  10. Alex DeMarban, “As Iran war and gas shortage continue, Fairbanks power prices to jump almost 25% this summer,” Anchorage Daily News, May 28, 2026.
  11. Sofia Stuart-Rasi, “War in Iran raises Unalaska plane tickets toward $2,200,” KUCB, May 28, 2026.
  12. Alaska Public Media: “Alaska freight shipping costs set to spike amid war in Iran,” April 3, 2026; “Alaska fishermen uneasy over high fuel costs, as war-driven price surge hits water workers hard,” June 4, 2026; “Western Alaskans bracing for high fuel prices expected to linger,” June 18, 2026. Also sources 10 and 11.
  13. Sen. Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan), post on X, March 26, 2026.
  14. Hannah Lee and Lars Hanson, “Alaska senators split as Senate vote to end Iran conflict fails by one,” Alaska’s News Source, May 13, 2026 (Sullivan’s office: “We should be supporting our troop’s mission, not undermining them”); Liz Ruskin, “Sullivan is steadfast in support of the war, saying Iran started it long ago,” Alaska Public Media, March 3, 2026; Sen. Dan Sullivan, post on X, March 4, 2026.
  15. Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan, “Sullivan Calls for Diesel Export Moratorium,” Sept. 22, 2026 (also covers the July 17 EPA fuel waiver and $10 million in added energy assistance).
  16. Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Fuel Price Report: Winter 2026 (survey Jan. 6–28, 2026) and source 9 (survey July 15–Aug. 24, 2026); community prices from the state’s fuel survey data.

Headlines shown on this page

Photos: Mary Peltola, U.S. House of Representatives (public domain); Sen. Dan Sullivan, official U.S. Senate portrait. Map: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary file. Gas prices on the hero sign are refreshed from AAA.