Hey yall, Have you ever had the experience of going into the voting booth feeling prepared and ready, started filling out your bubbles oh-so-carefully, only to suddenly find that there’s a vote you didn’t prepare for? Me too!  Luckily, part of our job here at The Alaska Center is to help voters navigate the many questions we’ll all face this November. We’ve already emailed you (a lot) about our state legislative endorsements, but not yet about the ballot measures. We examine ballot measures through the same lens as candidates: what will lead us closer to our vision of a thriving, just, and sustainable future? With that vision in mind, our Board made endorsements on both ballot measures coming up on November 5th: Yes on 1 and No on 2! Yes on 1 is a ballot measure to let Alaskans earn paid sick days, raise the minimum wage, and increase worker…

If you joined us in celebrating some major policy wins with us this summer, you may have started to wonder what comes next. While we set our sights on our next policy goals for 2025, we also have important opportunities to continue to move toward a clean energy future for Alaska by engaging in the world of regulations.  On August 13, Community Solar was signed into law by Governor Dunleavy. Now, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) has one year from the effective date to determine exactly how this program will function. The RCA regulates public utilities and pipeline carriers throughout the state, making decisions about rates, compliance with regulations, quality of service, safety, and more. In addition to support staff and analysts, the RCA is structured to be led by five full-time Commissioners, but currently only has four serving Commissioners.  With our partners, we have written about some of…

Hi Friend, If you turn on national news, it’s probably hard to avoid hearing about the Presidential election. Just the other day, I heard that this week marks “the start of the sprint to the Presidential election.” That might be true—but in Alaska, it’s also the sprint to the fall elections: state elections in November AND local elections! Many municipalities across the state (including, but not at all limited to: Juneau, Palmer, and Fairbanks) have local elections in October, before the November elections. If you’ve followed The Alaska Center for any time, you know that we talk about local elections a lot. That’s because local elections are crucial: they govern our school districts, budget for everyday needs like snow-plowing, invest (or not) in local infrastructure like libraries, pools, trails, rec centers, and more. They’re also crucial to creating and implementing local climate action plans—like the one Fairbanks recently passed. This year,…

This Op-Ed was originally published in the Anchorage Daily News on August 14, 2024. It is authored by our board members, Gavin Dixon and Griffin Plush, who share their insights on the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Alaska over the past two years. Two years ago this week, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed, marking a generational investment in energy and climate infrastructure. This funding is now beginning to flow into Alaska, benefitting our homes and communities in myriad ways. With numerous new tax credit programs, financing tools, and grant funding opportunities, the IRA has created so many funding opportunities that people are beginning to take advantage of all across our great state. Alaskans are starting to benefit from the IRA through a wide variety of programs, including rebates on new efficient appliances such as stoves, dryers, heat pumps and water heaters; tax credits for home energy efficiency…

August in Alaska means our freezers are full, our gardens are bursting, and it’s time to cast our ballots in the Primary Election. Even we (who love elections, as you likely know) have to admit that past partisan primary elections haven’t always been the most appealing of electoral processes – especially if, like most Alaskans, you don’t identify as a Republican or a Democrat. Historically, the primary landscape has been dominated by a duopoly where Democrats and Republicans engage in their annual tug-of-war. Independents are invited (barely). But everyone else is left out. The new open primary system, however, has thrown the ropes aside and the doors wide open. Now, voters can choose from a broader spectrum of candidates, and that means that our votes have even more power.  In 2020, Alaskans voted YES to swap out our old election system for an open primary format paired with ranked choice…

This month, a company named Flatlands Energy has been making the rounds at Southcentral Alaska’s electric utilities, cheerily describing a future where coal power is safe and environmentally responsible. We know better. The vision they present of “carbon capture and storage” on a coal power plant relies on unproven technology and a number of false assumptions, and Alaskans are smart enough to see through these claims and refuse new coal development in our state.  While the rest of the United States, and most advanced economies throughout the world, are working to phase out coal usage, Flatlands proposes developing a brand new coal power plant in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. This is not a conversation about mitigating the emissions from existing projects – this would be starting from scratch with coal, fully aware of its many environmental and health impacts. A new open-pit coal mine along with a power plant fitted with carbon…

Hey Friends! June marks two monumental movements of liberation: Juneteenth and LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Without Black and queer voices represented in our movement, there will be no true equity and justice. We recognize that achieving thriving communities and a robust democracy requires acknowledging our shared histories and the injustices faced by marginalized communities. Progress towards equity and justice necessitates prioritizing these communities in our conversations and efforts towards equity, while also celebrating their invaluable contributions to our society. This is why celebrations such as Juneteenth and Pride Month are so important. This year, the Alaska Legislature passed Senate Bill 22, establishing Juneteenth as a state holiday, pending the governor’s signature to become official. This legislative progress demonstrates our state’s recognition of the history and significant contributions of Black Alaskans. On Juneteenth, Alaskans and others across our country will commemorate and celebrate the historic day in 1865 when enslaved people in…

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…

I can’t say how many times I’ve seen a headline recently asking what is going on with the Eklutna River (Well, actually I can. Twice. Check out Emily Goodykoontz’ and Alex DeMarban’s article or Nat Herz’ podcast. I highly recommend checking out these pieces for a lay of the land understanding of what’s occurred.)  But, my question, and one many people are asking now is: what just happened? And what’s next? On April 15, the Matanuska Electric Association Board of Directors approved a resolution to send the Final Fish and Wildlife Program to the Governor. On April 24, the Chugach Electric Association Board of Directors did the same. The Final Fish and Wildlife Program does not right a historical wrong, and does not give salmon a chance to return to the lake. Instead, it relies on the previously proposed AWWU portal (now called the Eklutna River Release Facility) to restore…

Two weeks ago, several members of our team went to Juneau, in Á’akw Kwáan territory, for the Just Transition Summit. Over the course of four days, we heard from Indigenous leaders, youth, elders, labor movement experts, legislators, and other partners of ours about efforts to transition our economy away from extraction and toward resilience and regeneration.  We discussed a wide swath of issues related to a just transition, including building a true multi-racial democracy, circular economies and waste, and Indigenous Knowledge. We also made time for conversations around healing, and found opportunities to connect with one another between sessions. You can watch some of the keynote panels, and see a complete list of speakers on the Just Transition website. One highlight we are especially proud of: a legislative lunch and learn about transitioning our energy system, featuring three wonderful panelists. Our Alaska Fellow, Marta Ditzler, worked tirelessly on coordinating this…