There are still some votes to count -- and maybe a recount after that -- but Rep. Don Young called a press conference Tuesday and said he expects to be the Republican on the U.S. House ballot when the Nov. 4 general election rolls around.

Young said he had not talked to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell and doesn't expect to at least until the last absentee ballots from overseas are counted. But he added that state Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, who finished thousands of votes behind both Parnell and Young, has agreed to "advocate" for him during the next phase of the campaign.

Interviewed later, LeDoux said she made the same promise to Parnell, agreeing to endorse and work for whichever of the two is declared the winner.

Parnell's campaign issued a statement reiterating his position that he's waiting to see the final margin. At present, Young is ahead by 239 votes out of more than 100,000 cast in the race.

"At this point we're going to ensure every Alaskan's vote gets counted," Parnell said in an e-mailed statement. "When the Division of Elections says that is complete we'll assess the final margin between the candidates, and evaluate whether a recount could be meaningful."

Under state law, a recount is automatic only if the two candidates end up in a tie. But if the difference is .5 of a percent or less, the state will pay for a recount if the losing candidate requests one.

The Republican nominee faces Democrat Ethan Berkowitz in the general election.

HEATING BILL STINGS

Speaking to Alaska reporters during a half-hour teleconference Tuesday morning, Young said he'll spend the next three weeks in Washington, D.C., attending to a series of important votes, including an energy bill.

And he sounded a little torqued about an energy issue closer to home: Young said he bought 100 gallons of heating oil during a recent stay in Fort Yukon, and ended up paying $610 for it.

"If you don't think we've got a problem in Alaska, you're sadly mistaken," he said.

Young said the natural gas pipeline deal pushed by Gov. Sarah Palin may be a step in the right direction, but one that's a long way from fruition.

"Well, it's progress, but you know it's sort of like saying, 'I'm taking my shoes off and I'm undressed.' It's not much progress."

A quicker, more efficient in-state solution is needed, he said.

"I'm more interested right now in the state being involved in building a bullet line to serve gas to Fairbanks, on the Yukon River, on the Railbelt to Anchorage because we're running out of gas in Anchorage, all the way down to Nikiski and all the way down to Homer," he said.

"That's the key to the future of the state of Alaska is accessibility to our own gas."

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Young also said he thinks the state should be investing in alternative energy sources for communities hard hit by skyrocketing costs of diesel fuel. Alaska has much potential, from geothermal energy to tidal, wave and wind-generated power, and a nuclear plant under consideration in Galena, he said.

The state could sell bonds to build such facilities, and use power bills paid by local communities to pay off the debt, Young said. When pressed, he said the Alaska Permanent Fund might be used as collateral to secure the bonds. That wouldn't mean spending Permanent Fund money, he said.

"You don't affect the Permanent Fund, you borrow on the fund, you contribute to the fund, the fund stays solvent, and you have the ability to produce things," he said. "Right now we're producing nothing, and that's not right for the future of the state."

Asked about Young's comments Tuesday night, Berkowitz said the 18-term congressman has had a lot of time to do something about alternative energy development.

"He's had the tenure to address these problems, but he hasn't," Berkowitz said. "And there are some problems at the federal level as far as investment in renewable energy is concerned ....