Tag Archive for: alaska

Building an Inclusive Future: Celebrating Juneteenth and Pride in Alaska

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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 Texas finally learned they were free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In Alaska, many Black leaders played important roles in building both the physical and political infrastructure of our state. Their contributions were monumental in moving Alaska toward statehood and in shaping the community we know today. Black Alaskans have been influential in various sectors, including education, politics, and the arts. Their achievements enrich our communities and strengthen our collective identity. This Juneteenth, we honor the incredible work and leadership of Black Alaskans. This is a time for allies to listen and learn from those on the frontlines of oppression, gaining insights into the intersections of race, democracy, accessibility, and climate justice.

The celebration of Pride Month is also important as it honors the struggle and contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals who have fought and continue to fight for equity and justice. Just as Juneteenth represents the struggle and triumph over oppression for Black Americans, Pride Month celebrates the achievements and ongoing battles faced by the LGBTQ+ community. Both movements highlight the necessity of acknowledging and uplifting marginalized voices to create a truly equitable society. Our work at The Alaska Center is deeply intertwined with these values, advocating for environmental justice that includes and respects all.

As a part of our celebration of Juneteenth, we will be tabling at the Juneteenth celebration this weekend in Anchorage. This month, we also celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride, recognizing the intersectionality of our environmental advocacy. A just transition requires the inclusion of all communities, especially those historically marginalized. At The Alaska Center, we believe our work must be intersectional, ensuring that our advocacy is equitable and inclusive of all.

Join us this weekend to celebrate Juneteenth and later this month to honor LGBTQ+ Pride! Together, we can continue to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for all Alaskans.

Please come say hello at these important community events. We look forward to seeing you!

Happy celebrating,
The Alaska Center

Energizing Change: Reflections on Chugach Electric Board Elections and Future Goals

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Early this spring, we endorsed two pro-renewable, pro-union incumbent candidates for the Chugach Electric Association Board: Mark Wiggin and Sam Cason. We worked hard alongside volunteers and partners to knock nearly 3,000 of our neighbors’ doors, call over 15,000 community members, and send over 4,500 texts to friends, family, and other voters about the candidates. 

This year’s total turnout was 14%. While this is slightly lower than last year’s record-breaking turnout, it is still significantly higher than the historic average of about 10% participation. As we spoke with folks in person and on the phones, we heard our hopes confirmed: many of our community members are aware that they have a right to vote in utility elections. We are thrilled to see this greater awareness, and hope the trend continues.

One of our endorsed candidates, Mark Wiggin, won his seat for another four years, while opponent Dan Rogers beat out our other endorsed candidate, former Board Chair Sam Cason. At the first Board meeting after the election, Mark Wiggin was voted in as the new Chair of the Board in a 5-2 vote. 

We are eager to see Chair Wiggin continue his leadership on this Board, and for the entirety of Chugach Electric Association to move forward with its work to get more renewable energy online. After we have rested and recharged, it is time to support the Directors in charting the course that is best for our communities and achieves the triple bottom line of reliability, affordability, and sustainability. Member-owners of the utility are always permitted to attend and comment at the public meetings of the Board, which you can find listed on the Chugach website. 

Some of the Board’s current focus areas include: the new 500-kilowatt community solar project that will start taking subscriptions later this year; a potential wind power development which could provide 20% of Chugach’s total power needs; updating its facilities to include solar panels on site; and the One Campus plan which will bring all former Municipal Light & Power employees onto the same working campus as the pre-existing Chugach Electric teams. 

Additionally, the Board is hearing from experts on emerging technologies, like tidal power. At the most recent Board meeting, Ocean Renewable Power Company presented about the potential in Alaska, which is home to the vast majority of tidal energy in the United States. 

If you are interested in getting more involved with your electric utility, but aren’t sure where to start, contact Alex Petkanas at alex@akcenter.org to figure out the best way for you to plug in. Board elections are over – now it’s time to get to work!

With Renewable Enthusiasm,
The Alaska Center

Legislative Highlights: Celebrating Wins and Community Action in Alaska

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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

Murky Waters Ahead, Troubled Waters Behind: What’s Happening with the Eklutna River?

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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 just 11 miles of the river. The best that it does is offer extremely limited “reopeners” – opportunities for the Project Owners to revisit the project 10 years after the implementation of the proposed Final Program – this would, at the latest, take place in 2042. These reopeners are only helpful if a new technology comes along to allow for cheap fish passage (the project owners have maintained that they won’t pay for it), or inflows to the lake increase dramatically. 

We’re entering the final phases of approval of the plan. Although the plan was sent to the Governor, the ball is now in a couple of resource agency’s court: US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service now have 60 days to submit comments on the final program. After that, the owners of the project will have 30 days to submit responses to these comments. 

As it stands, all of this information will be sent to Curtis Thayer, Executive Director of the Alaska Energy Authority. Curtis will then compile a report and submit it to the governor. The governor has to make his decision by October 2nd. 

The Alaska Center will continue to call on our utility cooperative to exercise their power to right a historic wrong and restore a free-flowing river from the ocean to the lake that can support salmon – the heartbeat of Alaska.

Four out of five Alaskans who submitted comments on the draft program supported river restoration and/or fish passage. We thank you for lifting your voices throughout these last months. Stay tuned and stay with us!

Stream regards,
The Alaska Center

Shifting to Transmission

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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 over the past few months with support from the rest of our team, and we are so grateful for her work.

From left to right: Sally Rue (The Alaska Center Board Chair), Leila Pyle (AYEA Program Manager), Chantal de Alcuaz (Co-ED), Alex Petkanas (Climate and Clean Energy Program Manager), Marta Ditzler (Organizing Fellow), Jenny Marie-Stryker (Political Director), Vicki Long-Leather (Co-ED)

While there, The Alaska Center staff met with twelve legislators to discuss our energy policy priorities for the remainder of this session. We outlined the importance of things like Community Solar, a Renewable Portfolio Standard, annual net metering, and opposing any new coal projects. All of our conversations, however, turned to one key topic: transmission planning and upgrades.

The “transmission system” refers to all of the infrastructure that allows us to send energy from one place to another along the railbelt – which serves about 75% of the population in Alaska. When we talk about transmission planning, we are referring to a process that currently rests with the Railbelt Reliability Council. This group has been carefully organized to include stakeholder representation of small consumers, environmental groups, labor, regulators, and utility providers. They have been tasked with the responsibility of coming up with a holistic, efficient plan for the railbelt to get energy to everyone from Fairbanks down to the Kenai Peninsula. 

Multiple issues are popping up related to this transmission system in the legislature. One current bill (SB 257) would take planning responsibility away from the Railbelt Reliability Council and create a new organization with less oversight and stakeholder input to handle planning. The Alaska Center has raised concerns about this proposal, as we believe this would result in less public input and transparency in planning. Other proposals would reduce the cost of sending energy back and forth by removing something called “wheeling fees” which utilities currently charge to one another. Another crucial issue is providing a state match for the federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) funding that will go toward transmission upgrades. 

As the legislative body focuses on energy and transmission, The Alaska Center strives to be a resource on energy policy. We are working collaboratively with our partners to advocate for clean energy and transparency, and have provided legislative staff with our positions on these transmission issues while continuing efforts to bring our other policy goals to the forefront. We will continue our work throughout the rest of this session and will keep our supporters updated on opportunities to provide public testimony or otherwise get involved.

Whether you write to your representatives, call in to testify during public hearings, or author op-eds about your priorities, you are a key part of making sure the Alaska state legislature is acting in the best interest of the people. Looking for ways to participate? Sign up to volunteer with us!

Together for Alaska’s Energy Future,
The Alaska Center

Beyond Bill Numbers: Clean Energy Update

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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

2024 Chugach Electric Association Endorsements

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At The Alaska Center, we work to elect Alaskans who stand up for our clean air and water, healthy communities, and a strong democracy at every level of public leadership: from the federal government down to local board elections. One of these local elections this spring is so small that many people don’t know they have the right to vote – but this Board holds a key role in transitioning us to a sustainable and independent energy future. 

Chugach Electric Association is the largest power provider in Alaska, servicing over 144,000 customers in the Anchorage area. Most of that power currently comes from natural gas – which is rapidly becoming less available in Alaska. As the Board holds elections for two open seats this spring, we must elect leaders who can set realistic goals to achieve energy independence in Alaska quickly. 

Director Sam Cason and Director Mark Wiggin will do just that. Both of these candidates have been serving on the Board and have filed for reelection this year. The Alaska Center is proud to endorse both candidates, and support them in their efforts to continue their hard work of setting and implementing policy goals for Chugach Electric Association. These candidates are proven community leaders who support harnessing renewable energy here at home, rather than paying exorbitant fees to rely on importing liquefied natural gas long term. We believe that re-electing Directors Cason and Wiggin will keep us on the right path for a fiscally and environmentally sustainable future in Alaska. 

“Reliable and cost-effective electric power is an essential part of maintaining a stable community and robust economy.” said Director Mark Wiggin on why he’s running for re-election. Director Sam Cason, when asked why he was running again, stated: “I view this as a generational opportunity to move towards a sustainable and prosperous future for our system, our economy, and our kids.”

Do you get an electricity bill from Chugach Electric Association every month? If so, that means you’re a member and you can vote in Annual Elections to make your voice heard! 

Mark your calendars: Voting opens on April 17. Members will receive an email with information on electronic voting. If you do not receive your ballot or have other questions, call (907) 762-4489 to make sure your information is up to date. Electronic voting closes May 17th, but members can also vote in person on May 17th at the Chugach Electric Association Annual Meeting. 

Your vote in this election is crucial in shaping our energy future in Alaska. Vote Cason and Wiggin to ensure that the Chugach Electric Association Board keeps Alaska’s best interests at heart.

Spring Into Action: Protecting Democracy in Alaska’s Elections

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Dear Friend,

It’s spring (or at least false spring) here in Alaska, and that means local and state-wide elections are right around the corner. Whether you’re refreshing your browser, waiting for national primary results, or attending cozy coffee shop chats put on by your favorite mayor or state leg candidate, voting is on the mind of many of us – including our state legislators.  

We’re one month through the session, and our Representatives have been busy bees when it comes to voting legislation – HB 4 (the repeal of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)) had a hearing on day one of the session, and HB 129 (purging voter rolls), has already moved out of the House and into The Senate State Affairs Committee. Purging might sound like something you’d do to your closet during spring cleaning, but it’s anything but tidy when it comes to voting rights. “Purging” or “cleaning up” the voting rolls involves deleting voters from the rolls when they have moved, passed away, or become ineligible to vote. Maintaining the accuracy of the roles is important, but when done irresponsibly – like removing large swaths of voters, for instance –  it can be used as a tool for voter suppression and disenfranchisement. Imagine voters discovering they’re no longer listed as eligible voters when they arrive at the polling place on Election Day. This particular bill seems benign on its face – but a lot can change over the course of a session. Purging voting rolls paired with the repeal of Automatic Voter Registration, for instance, would be a recipe for disaster for voters. That’s why we are watching this bill closely.  

If you’ve ever been torn between two candidates and wished you could vote for both, then RCV is your political cup of tea. But the real tea is the work happening to repeal it. With RCV, voters can rank their candidates in order of preference, ensuring their voice is still heard even if their top pick doesn’t win. RCV has been shown to elect more BIPOC, women, and moderate candidates (that’s why we support it) and, therefore, has struck the ire of those with polarizing political ideologies. As we mentioned, HB 4 (the current vehicle for RCV repeal) has already had a hearing this session and has passed out of committee despite the overwhelming public testimony in opposition last year. This Senate has been protecting our right to vote like a mama bear protecting her cubs, so we don’t anticipate an RCV repeal passing this session. But if you have been watching the news, you may know that it’s possible a repeal could be on the ballot this November. Whether through legislation or ballot measure, a repeal of RCV would be bad for voters and bad for Alaska. Many of you showed up and testified last session, we will likely need that support again soon. We will keep you posted. 

Democracy is not a spectator sport – it’s an interactive experience where every voice matters. Whether embracing new voting systems like RCV, ensuring ballot integrity through curing, or fighting for equal access to the polls, we must remember that democracy is a journey, not a destination. Democracy isn’t just about casting a vote – it’s about shaping the future. So keep paying attention and taking action! And, of course, please vote like your rights depend on it! 

With commitment to our shared future,

The Alaska Center

Breaking Down the Alphabet Soup: Big Win for Renewable Energy!

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Navigating the clean energy world can feel like staring at a bowl of alphabet soup. “Did you hear GVEA & CEA voted for an RPS that would fall under RCA and RRC jurisdiction?” For those of us who didn’t totally follow that, we’ll break down what happened during the first few weeks of the legislative session, and what that means for clean energy in Alaska – without using any acronyms. 

During the week of January 22, the two largest electric utility providers in Alaska passed resolutions in support of a Renewable Portfolio Standard.

A Renewable Portfolio Standard would establish a timeline for utility providers along the railbelt to transition to more renewable energy sources. We believe that this transition is not only critical for addressing our rapidly changing climate, but also for securing stable and reliable opportunities for Alaskans as the clean energy sector jobs continue to expand and oil and gas jobs decrease. 

In Fairbanks, the Golden Valley Electric Association unanimously adopted a statement that indicates general support for the goals of a Renewable Portfolio Standard, but outlines specific concerns about the current version of the bill in the state legislature. The following evening in Anchorage, the Chugach Electric Association passed a resolution supporting the establishment of a Renewable Portfolio Standard for the state. 

We are thrilled to see these utility providers recognize the importance of a Renewable Portfolio Standard, and now we’re asking the legislature to take the next step.

The current Renewable Portfolio Standard bills in the state legislature are Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 121, which propose a transition to 80% renewable energy by 2040. In order to work out the details and address concerns raised by utilities, legislative committees must hold public hearings on these bills and allow the legislative process to function. Call your legislators and let them know you would like to see a hearing scheduled! 

Also before the end of January, the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 152, which would establish a Community Solar program. This program would allow Alaskans to purchase shares in solar gardens that are not on their own properties, opening solar power up to many more consumers and creating more job opportunities in our state. It would create standards for all utilities along the railbelt that are subject to the oversight of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. 

Great news: this is widely popular! Several of you called or wrote in to testify in support of Community Solar, and many more of you signed a petition online supporting the bill. No action was taken on the issue following the hearing, as legislators had additional questions for utility providers who were unable to be present due to weather conditions. 

Don’t let the alphabet soup get in the way of advocating for your community. All of these acronyms add up to big potential for our state, and you don’t have to be an energy expert to take action now. Sign up here to get involved with our advocacy, and stay tuned for how you can continue to support these major policy issues throughout the legislative session!

Together for a renewable future,

The Alaska Center

Hot Takes in a Cold Place: Something Smells Fishy in Southcentral Alaska

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Have you ever attended a public comment meeting that didn’t want the public to comment? 

I have. 

Six, actually. 

All in one week!

The owners of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project held information–erm, “public comment”–meetings last week in Palmer, Anchorage, and Eagle River. 

They were certainly “informational,” to say the least. Charts, numbers, and graphics, oh my. Cherry-picked information to intentionally mislead information could be found throughout, such as:

  • Intentionally skimming over the fact that sockeye will be unable to spawn and rear their young in the lake with the current proposed plan
  • Claimed to restore 99.6% of habitat (below the dam – failed to mention the miles of potential habitat above the dam).
  • Pointed out that 11 out of 12 miles of river will be restored. Which sounds pretty good, if you forget that this is only about 1/3 of historic fish habitat destroyed by the dam.
  • Failed to mention that the dam currently supplies just about 2-3% of electricity on the grid. They’d rather mention the percentage that it makes up of their renewables portfolio – why is that, you might ask? Well, potentially because they’ve refused to build their renewables portfolio for so long. But what do I know?

Perhaps the most important thing that the project owners (represented by an out-of-state consulting group…) failed to mention is the century of cultural harm that this dam has inflicted upon the Native Village of Eklutna. 

They were, however, eager to mention the negotiation meeting they held with the Native Village of Eklutna in December.

The negotiations meeting… from which NVE’s position was not taken into account in the project proposal. 

And I forgot to mention; the Native of Eklutna, on whose land the dam was installed without consultation nor consent, did not get a voice at the meeting. The project owners, quite literally, refused to give the Native Village of Eklutna a seat at the table. 

After stripping them of their fish and river for one hundred years, after Eklutna, Inc. has provided land for schools, power plant sites, and utility easements, and at a time in which the country is finally recognizing the need for reparations and tribal sovereignty. 

They couldn’t find the time, nor humanity, to give Eklutna people an effective voice in the decision-making about their traditional Eklutna River salmon resources. 

Not one chair. 

Shameful, rises to mind. A few other words too, but I won’t include those here. 

These were not public comment meetings. Sure, they had a table (out of the way of their posters and presentation and scientists) to receive written comments. But the public was not allowed to voice their concerns in a forum for others to hear. When folks did begin to ask questions or provide comments in a public forum, as is typically allowed at a public comment meeting, representatives from MEA and CEA shut them down and directed them to talk with one of their “experts,” in private. 

Shameful. Shady. Something smells fishy in Southcentral Alaska. It’s not the Eklutna River.  And it doesn’t seem like it will be, anytime soon. 

Unless we take action. Join me in telling the project owners what we think about their plan, and their treatment of Eklutna people.

Eklutna, Inc. continues to take the stance that fishing access will be open to all Southcentral anglers once the fish return. Together, we can make this change for the better. For the future.

The most impactful thing you can do right now is submit a unique comment. If you don’t have time, here’s a prefilled comment.

The fish still have a chance. The Native Village of Eklutna still has a chance. Justice still has a chance. 


In solidarity for justice and the Eklutna River’s future,

Julian Ramirez, Salmon and Clean Water Organizer

The Alaska Center