Shaping Alaska’s Future: Legislative Advocacy 2025
Legislative session starts in just a week and a half, on January 21st. Are you ready to join us for another big year of advocacy? Here’s what you need to know:
With the election outcomes we saw this year, we’re anticipating that voting rights will be a big part of the conversation this legislative session. As voting by mail becomes increasingly popular, you might be surprised to know that Alaska law still contain serious barriers for those trying to cast mail-in ballots. First, there’s the witness signature requirement. In the 2022 all-mail special election, thousands of ballots were thrown out because voters didn’t include a witness signature. It would be one thing if this rule was making our elections more secure, but in fact, these witness signatures are never checked for authenticity, and state lawyers have been unable to name a single case of this law being used to detect fraud. To make matters worse, if you forget a witness signature, or make any other mistake on your ballot, there is no way for it to be fixed after you mail it in—your ballot will simply be thrown out and your vote will not be counted.
We’re working to fix this in the coming legislative session. Our proposed changes include removing the witness signature requirement and creating a process for “curing” ballots so that a voter’s vote can still be counted if they make an honest mistake on their ballot. We are also working to create a recurring vote by mail list, so that people who vote by mail year after year do not need to fill out a new application every election cycle. These changes would remove unnecessary barriers preventing all Alaskans from making their voices heard. If you believe that all Alaskans should have a voice and a seat at the decision-making table, sign our petition supporting voting reforms!
Last year was an exciting year for clean energy legislation – we had some big wins like passing the Community Solar Bill and establishing a Green Bank. And we know that this session will be another chance to solidify our renewable energy future and Alaska’s chance to be a leader for a Just Transition. But we will need your support to get there. Governor Dunleavy released his proposed budget last month, in which he took steps to continue to expand extraction in our state. He proposed funding to advance the Alaska LNG pipeline project toward construction and support permitting of the disastrous West Su Access Road. This road would literally pave the way for a new coal mine in the Mat-Su Borough, endangering air quality, our climate, and local health.
The proposed budget also includes some investment in renewables, but not a sufficient amount for this critical moment. As gas contracts along the railbelt expire and the climate crisis intensifies, we need to fully fund the Renewable Energy Fund, and continue to build on its success.
In preparation for our legislative advocacy, we hosted Senator Wielechowski and IBEW Business Leader Doug Tansy at our Clean Power Happy Hour this week to discuss clean energy, good jobs, and the upcoming legislative session. Both panelists talked about the importance of state and federal investment in upgrading our transmission system and adding more storage to the grid. Doug Tansy noted how crucial it is that new clean energy jobs provide real opportunities for Alaskans to stay here and raise their families. He specifically emphasized the intersection of other policy areas like affordable housing and robust education funding for workers to be able to thrive here.
Senator Wielechowski further highlighted the need for any general obligation bond to serve the state equitably and include the most impactful renewable energy projects that are shovel ready. He went on to give some background on the Renewable Energy Fund and a Renewable Portfolio Standard. The Alaska Center will be strongly advocating for greater investment in renewables through direct funding and policies like an Renewable Portfolio Standard, which would require the utilities to bring more renewables online or pay noncompliance penalties. Will you join us?
This is shaping up to be an exciting legislative session. Stay tuned for many more opportunities to get involved this spring!
Best,
The Alaska Center
Bipartisan Majorities: A Win for Alaska’s Future
Hey all,
If your inboxes are anything like ours, you probably have many messages about dark days, grief, and moving forward. The federal election results portend a big step backward for climate, democracy, and other issues our organization holds dear–but we will continue working diligently every day to fight for a thriving, just, and sustainable future.
However, this is not a message to process the federal fights to come. This email is a very brief note of hope and an achievement Alaskans can be proud of.
Our electoral goal this year was to maintain a bipartisan coalition in the Senate that’s aligned with our values and gain one back in the House. There’s a goal accomplished: Bipartisan Majorities were announced Wednesday, in both chambers!
This is a huge victory for Alaska. We’ve had a one-chamber bipartisan majority in one chamber since 2016, but this will be the first time since then that we have bipartisan majorities in both chambers. We hope this will mean fewer fights and more progress (shared values, good bills, political strength to do veto overrides when necessary, and more! Think of the possibilities of a functioning government!).
It’s been a hard week. But there are many, many reasons to hope. We wanted to make sure to share this one with you this Friday.
Best,
The Alaska Center
Legislative Highlights: Celebrating Wins and Community Action in Alaska
Is it just us, or does spring feel extra busy this year? In a week with multiple elections closing, we hope you are celebrating Suzanne LaFrance’s significant lead in the Mayoral runoff and plan on joining us Friday for the Chugach Electric Annual Meeting! – we also watched closely as the 2024 Alaska state legislative session came to a close.
During the final few days of the session, we saw many of our clean energy and climate priorities across the finish line. We’ll have more to come on what this means for our next steps, but for now, we’re excited to share this brief recap.
PASSED! Community Solar (SAVE Act)
The Alaska Center has worked closely with Alaska Public Interest Research Group outwardly and behind the scenes over the past year to move a community solar bill forward. The goal of the legislation is to allow more people to access clean energy, by subscribing to solar arrays or other clean energy generation that is centrally located rather than placed on individual properties. We informed the public about community energy, testified ourselves, and encouraged supporters to call or write in to provide testimony, and met with legislators to answer specific questions and concerns about community energy programs. The bill went through many iterations and ultimately became known as the SAVE Act (Saving Alaskans money with Voluntary community Energy).
In late April, the SAVE Act passed the Senate unanimously, with Senators from various parties and districts speaking in favor of the legislation on the floor. We celebrated but knew we had to keep working to get the word out about the bill and clarify any concerns raised on the House side. Finally, this week, the bill passed the House and will head to Governor Dunleavy’s desk for his signature.
We are so excited to see community energy programs launch in Alaska and view this as one step toward a more equitable energy future.
PASSED! Green Bank
Late Wednesday night, before gaveling out for the year, the legislature passed a bill with language to create a Green Bank. A Green Bank is a financial entity that leverages private financing and invests in renewable energy technology like heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations, and more critical new infrastructure that a traditional financial institution is less likely to finance. The bill states that the entity “serves a public purpose benefitting the people of the state” by financing sustainable energy development.
Alaska’s Green Bank will be housed under the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, a community-oriented agency, that will strive to invest in renewables in a way that best serves the people of Alaska. We look forward to finding opportunities to collaborate with the Green Bank to ensure a transparent and just process.
STILL WORK TO BE DONE! Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
Although multiple versions of renewable or clean energy standards were introduced this session, they ultimately did not move forward. Utility providers themselves were heavily involved in the conversation, as both Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) and Chugach Electric Association (CEA) took up the issue in their own Board meetings. CEA passed a formal resolution in support of a general RPS, but raised issues with the specifics of the legislative proposals. Utility providers generally expressed concerns about the grid’s transmission capacity and limitations, the exact percentages included in proposals, and the enforcement mechanisms associated with standards.
Grid transmission capacity ultimately became a major focus of the session (more on that below). In terms of enforcement, we spoke with partners about alternatives to fines or penalties, which utilities said risked raising rates for consumers. One option is to provide significant incentives for meeting goals. Either way, we believe it will only be possible to actually meet these goals if there is some related consequence for achieving them or failing to do so.
The Alaska Center will continue to advocate for a state standard to be set to ensure we are on track to reduce our overall carbon output.
PASSED! Railbelt Transmission
We wrote to you last month to update you on the shift to transmission that took place in the energy space this year. With various bills and conflicting views on the most efficient way forward, this was a complex legislative issue. We weighed in by providing testimony and written analysis throughout the process, as well as meeting directly with legislators about the various transmission issues being addressed.
First, $30 million was included in the budget as the first phase of a state match for GRIP (Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships) funding. This federal grant of $206 million requires a state match, and will be used to upgrade elements of our transmission system, which is key to our ability to send renewable energy from wherever it is generated to wherever the power is needed at that moment.
The final transmission legislation got rid of duplicative charges to reduce the overall costs of sending energy up and down the railbelt, updated requirements for commissioners to serve on the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, and addressed the taxation of new power projects. It also created a new organization under the Alaska Energy Authority called a railbelt transmission organization (RTO) but left planning in the hands of the existing Railbelt Reliability Council. Instead, this RTO will focus on cost recovery of transmission operations.
An efficient and upgraded transmission system is a critical part of our clean energy infrastructure, and we look forward to thinking about the next steps in the coming year.
STILL WORK TO BE DONE! Voting Rights
Voting rights were a hot topic this session and both the House and the Senate attempted to pass substantial updates to our current systems and policies. HB 4 (the repeal of open primaries and ranked choice voting (RCV)) had a hearing on day one of the session, and HB 129 (purging voter rolls), moved quickly out of the House and into the Senate for consideration. The Senate then turned HB 129 from a bad voting rights bill into a good voting rights bill by adding a provision to remove the witness signature requirement on mail-in ballots, adding a system to fix mistakes on ballots, and allowing Alaskans to register to vote on election day.
Unfortunately, the House would not support these provisions and this bill did not make it over the finish line. What does this mean for voting rights? It means that many of our leaders and community members want to see voting rights expanded, and that next year we will work even harder to pass positive voting reforms. The repeal of ranked-choice voting and open primaries will likely be on the ballot this November, so we will continue to update you on how you can take action to protect our democracy.
PASSED! Juneteenth Bill
Finally, at 11:05pm the House voted to pass SB 22 – establishing Juneteenth Day as a legal holiday. Juneteenth is a crucial recognition of our shared history, emphasizing the central role of Black leaders. Specifically in Alaska, many of those leaders were brought up to build both the physical and the political infrastructure of this state, moving Alaska toward statehood. By officially recognizing Juneteenth, we honor the labor and sacrifice Black communities contribute and we join the rest of the nation in one day of celebration and liberation. Thanks to our leaders and community members for helping this get across the finish line! If you are in Anchorage, stop by and say hi at our booth at the Anchorage Juneteenth Celebrations on June 15 and 16!
We are grateful to the many elected officials who worked hard this session to move forward highly technical, politically charged, and crucial bills for our climate and our communities. We are looking forward to a summer full of advocacy to prepare for what the next session has in store for us! Stay tuned!
Powering forward together,
The Alaska Center
Beyond Bill Numbers: Clean Energy Update
It’s the year of energy legislation in Alaska – and we’ve seen lots of big ideas introduced in Juneau. As bills make their way through committees and amendments, none of them come out looking exactly the same as the version that was introduced. To that end, we want to highlight the clean energy issues that have popped up in various bills, and update you on our focus: getting clean energy online now.
THE GOOD NEWS
We have seen multiple efforts to create new standards along the railbelt for renewable/clean energy generation. The Chugach Electric Association passed a resolution supporting a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in general, but has not publicly taken a position on any specific bill. While the details of these proposals look different, the basic effect is that utilities along the railbelt (like Chugach Electric Association, Homer Electric Association, and others) would be required to get some amount of their energy from renewable or clean energy sources by a certain deadline. Many states have standards like this, and it is imperative that we develop similar standards in Alaska to achieve our vision of a Just Transition. Critically, these standards mean nothing unless backed by either an enforcement mechanism or a significant incentive for utilities to meet these goals – we have seen nonbinding aspirations like 50% renewable by 2025 fail to materialize without these things.
Legislation has also been introduced that would make renewable energy more accessible to many Alaskans through a program called Community Solar. This would allow Alaskans who cannot directly install solar panels on their property to subscribe to a solar array elsewhere, opting into renewable energy even if they rent, have a suboptimal property for generation, or do not have the upfront capital to install solar panels. It would also allow Alaskans to develop solar arrays or run of the river hydro projects, and sell the energy generated directly to the local utility provider. This tool for getting more renewables online and in use has been rolled out in 43 states – which gives us the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others as we get things started here.
Bills to create a Green Bank have been introduced in both the House and Senate in Alaska, which would create an energy independence fund to leverage private financing and invest in renewable energy technology. This could fund things like heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations, and more critical infrastructure that a traditional financial institution is less likely to finance. More information about Green Banks can be found here.
And finally, we’ve heard calls to match the federal government’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) funding awarded to Alaska. The U.S. Department of Energy has allocated $206,500,000 to the Alaska Energy Authority for railbelt resiliency, which will allow our state to modernize transmission infrastructure and make our grid more efficient and affordable across the railbelt. This funding requires the state to make a dollar-for-dollar match. We strongly urge the legislature to allocate a state match to federal GRIP funding in order to secure these critical infrastructure upgrades.
THE BAD NEWS
At the same time, we’ve seen some troubling things put forth that threaten Alaska’s energy future. While you may have heard about the shocking inclusion of coal as “clean energy,” here’s what else we find concerning about proposed energy legislation this session.
Rather than focusing on transitioning to alternative energy sources, some legislators are making efforts to expand oil and gas production within our state. One bill suggests creating a working group made up of resource developers and related legislators, whose sole purpose would be “to determine methods to increase oil and gas exploration and production in the state.” Others suggest pouring more public money into subsidizing the oil and gas industry directly, or reducing taxes for gas exploration and production. Whatever the method, we oppose formalizing the favoritism of an extractive industry over renewable energy development.
Finally, we’ve heard concern that new renewable energy cannot be brought online until grid transmission upgrades have been made. We disagree. Though our railbelt transmission system is in need of physical and policy upgrades, we must move forward on every step of the transition process now in order to reach our decarbonization goals by 2040.
THE TAKEAWAY
As we close in on the first half of the 2024 legislative session, you can call your legislators and let them know that you support investment in renewable energy for Alaska. While bill numbers may come and go, our message is simple: we must use every tool we have to transition to renewable energy sources now. In order to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change and secure a liveable future for ourselves and generations to come, we cannot afford to wait.
Thank you for standing with us in pursuit of clean energy. Let’s make 2024 a turning point for renewable energy in Alaska!
Warmly,
The Alaska Center