US President Donald Trump has ordered up to $150 million in Defense Production Act funding for a major Alaska power line project. Vice President JD Vance announced the move at a rally in Fairbanks on October 5. The money will go to the Beluga-Healy Transmission Project.

The project is a 223-mile, 230-kilovolt transmission line. It will connect Southcentral Alaska to the Interior region. It is expected to serve about 75 per cent of the state’s population. The total project cost is estimated at $418 million.

Non-federal funding of $268 million has already been secured. The federal money fills the remaining gap. The administration framed the project as a matter of energy and national security.

Vance announced the funding at a rally in support of Senator Dan Sullivan. The project has been discussed for years but struggled to close its funding. The Defense Production Act lets the president direct federal money to projects deemed vital to national security.