Tag Archive for: alaska

OPINION: Time to prep your solar garden

/in

Alaskans understand working together to help each other thrive. We have community hunts, mutual aid networks and community gardens all across the state. We come together to use a common plot of land to increase the harvest for all, but we can garden more than food: We can garden electricity!

Gardening is a great way to boost your mood, spend some time outside and save a bit of money on food. We could all use the extra sunshine and a few dollars saved on groceries, but how do you garden if you live in an apartment? What if your yard just doesn’t get the sun you need, or you’re not quite sure how to make those nice raised garden beds? Join a community garden! You can build community, share space with your neighbors, and get all the benefits of a garden in your backyard without needing a backyard. Solar gardens can solve the same problems for people looking to invest in renewable energy.

Solar energy has been gaining a lot of popularity in Alaska over the last few years. The same summer sun that grows us record-breaking veggies also produces power that helps Alaskans all across the state save money on their energy bills and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. I help facilitate Solarize programs in Mat-Su and Anchorage communities whose goal is to help people get solar on their homes, but as the renter of a log cabin hidden in the woods, I can’t put solar on my roof. It wouldn’t get enough sunlight, and I would have to pay for structural remodels of a house I don’t own. A solar garden would let me, and others like me, invest in a solar setup located in a clear sunny patch and save money on my electric bill without the cost of a remodel.

Solar gardens are made possible by community solar programs. Community solar is a system where individuals can invest in and share the benefits of a solar array not located on their property. Each person who holds a share of the community solar array will see their portion of clean, sustainable energy on their utility bill each month. Programs like these significantly reduce solar costs, helping make solar more accessible to folks who don’t have a roof to put their solar on and who can’t afford to put solar on their roof.

While Alaska does have the second-highest energy prices in the U.S., we do not have legislation permitting community solar. Forty-one other states already have community solar projects up and running, and we can join them if our legislators pass a bill allowing us access to solar gardens. For many of us, access to energy is just as important as access to food, and both commodities’ prices are increasingly challenging to afford. If you want to grow some electricity in a solar garden near you like I do, then we will need our leaders to make policy decisions to ensure community solar is possible here. It’s time to plant those seeds for community solar this legislative session.
Rachel Christensen is a community organizer for The Alaska Center who loves clean energy, dog walks and new crafts.

Originally published on January 27, 2023 by the Anchorage Daily News.

Tall Mike tap dances carbon policy?

/in , ,

[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]Predicting the actual future from a Governor’s State of the State address is often pointless. They are crude indicators at best. As a ceremony, they are at least consistent: handshaking upon entry, some levity, the introduction of noteworthy Alaskans including the love of their life spouses, lots of clapping, people standing awkwardly in the gallery for recognition, then onto the meat and potatoes of the speech – usually, no, definitely always – this is an aspirational monologue containing bits about hope for the future, the promise of our people, the threats we must face and fight, being open for business, having lots of trees and gold and fishes and petroleum, looking ok or bad financially, etcetera, add a personal story here or there and a wrap up with god blessing us all each and everyone and the great state as well amen.
Governor Dunleavy is noteworthy because, in his State of the State speeches, he is very tall. He also looks seriously P.O.d most of the time. When he says he will go after criminals and lock them away for good, you tend to believe he is serious in his intent and means to do it himself physically. As he has warmed to the job of Governor and is looking at a whole new four years, many commentators and lawmakers noted that his State of the State seemed more conciliatory than in the past. But wait! In the middle of his address, he stated he wanted Alaska to be the “most pro-life state” in the nation. Historically, the Governor has wasted a lot of time with controversy, so throwing anti-choice bombs is in line with his former approach. The rumor is that pragmatic strains could be emerging on the third floor. There is certainly plenty of work to do, as the Governor alluded to, from fentanyl overdoses to food security, that will benefit from a working relationship with the lawmaking body.
One area the Governor highlighted as a policy direction is the exploration of the carbon sequestration credit market for Alaska. We have yet to see the specifics. Generally, a carbon credit represents 1 ton of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. A company can purchase credits to make up for carbon dioxide emissions that come from industrial activities, delivery vehicles, or travel. The State of Alaska currently needs a legal structure in place to participate in existing carbon markets by designating forest, tundra, peat bog, and other lands, and kelp forests as carbon sequestration acreage.
If he devotes time, energy, and resources to this policy option, he could score a win. The catch is that it might require cooperation with hippy states like California – California’s carbon cap-and-trade program is one of the world’s largest multi-sectoral emissions trading systems. It will also require a solid ground-game in the legislature to convince skeptical members of the benefit of leaving certain forests un-clearcut, certain wetlands un-mined, etc. It will be a delicate dance, and we have yet to see this Governor step onto the ballroom floor. Perhaps he is a secret Fred Astaire.
Valuing forests and tundra for their ability to sequester carbon naturally can mean that these green things are afforded more protection. The whole “mechanically capturing carbon from the atmosphere and pumping it into caverns in the earth” is a bit vaguer of a concept. The jury is out because no bill has been introduced, but we will be watching with interest. It is by no means a simple fix or a simple issue. Some of our good friends and allies in the climate fight view the carbon market issue with great skepticism. Other friends like The Nature Conservancy have worked for years to promote the carbon market in Alaska and America.
The last time the legislature paid heed to carbon sequestration was in 2004 when former Representative Ethan Berkowitz sponsored, and Governor Frank Murkowski signed legislation requiring the state to investigate the issue. Many elections and events transpired after that, causing the issue to fall by the wayside. The recent success of Alaska Native Corporations gaining revenue by committing lands to carbon sequestration has provided some concrete evidence. Of course, there is the whole issue of the planet heating rapidly due to carbon emissions, and some adults in the room better do something soon, or we will all broil, but that is the part not said out loud. It will be a tacit recognition of the fact implicit in the policy action. There is plenty of that in the Dunleavy Administration, from last year’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and Green Bank bill to the current carbon discussion.
Many in the legislature and the Governor recognize that renewable energy is critical to addressing high energy prices. The Alaska Center applauds this and encourages bold policy action during this session. We will be hitting the ground running next week in Juneau, meeting with members of the legislature to discuss our top legislative priority this session which also seeks to address high energy costs: Community Solar. Here is the elevator pitch:
The majority of Alaskans support solar power. Net Energy Metering has proven to be extremely popular on the Alaska Railbelt. However, most Alaskans cannot install their own solar panels because they rent rather than own their homes or cannot afford the upfront installation costs. Community Solar allows communities and individuals to come together and purchase shared solar arrays at affordable prices. Community Solar puts the power in the hands of communities and individuals to decide where their energy comes from.
We will be shopping the concept around, addressing questions, and learning about concerns next week. Stay tuned for legislation shortly. All Alaskans deserve to benefit from solar energy, and we intend to help bring it to them.
See you soon,
The Alaska Center

\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”6″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”7″ ][cs_element_button _id=”8″ ][cs_content_seo]Bills To Watch\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”9″ ][cs_element_button _id=”10″ ][cs_content_seo]More Hot Takes In A Cold Place\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

The old vintage rock band is back together in the House

/in , ,

This week, an old pattern emerged in the State House – a Republican majority created through the addition of the Bush Caucus Democrats and Independents. News broke Wednesday morning that the razor thin Republican majority conference appeared to coalesce. Western and Northern AK Dems agreed to help make what appears to be at least a 23-member majority. This structure has been in place for most of the legislatures since the early 1980s, since the famous legislative coup in the 12th State Legislature. Such longevity makes one marvel at how unique the majority Democratic Tri-Partisan (Democrat, Republican, and Independent) body that ran the House between the 30th and 33rd legislatures was.

The rise of the oil industry in Alaska created Republican rule, and the decline of the oil industry is making way for dynamic political arrangements. This is an oversimplification and is mostly true.

The formation of a Republican/Bush Caucus majority in the House doesn’t represent a solid return to the played-out extractive narrative, just a pit-stop on the way to the future. For reassurance, one just has to look over to the state Senate where a massive 17-member Bipartisan Majority has formed thanks to the Ranked Choice Voting citizens initiative that tossed a hand grenade into party-run primaries and opened the door for more moderate candidates. While the Governor now has an ally in the House, the Senate will be a formidable backstop against anything too wacky. And who knows, the House Majority will see the wisdom in focusing on the same items as the Senate has chosen to rally around: decreasing high energy and healthcare costs, improving teacher and public employee retention, and providing adequate education funding. It is not a radical agenda by any means.

Early statements by the apparent Speaker-Elect, Cathy Tilton, hint at a willingness to dust off the report of the Bipartisan Fiscal Policy Working Group. Some fairly far-out players on the right flank could easily blow up any policy effort deemed too moderate or progressive. The Democratic Caucus left outside the majority are now free to loudly oppose weak-sauce fiscal efforts. The House will need steady communication with the Senate and strong leadership if they are going to make headway on fiscal issues.

The Governor will have an outsized influence on the House leadership, and what this wild-card Governor wants to do is anyone’s guess. It could be he wants to provide unrealistic permanent fund dividends; it could be he wants to have the permanent fund invested into boondoggle projects in Alaska, like a natural gas line. We just don’t know. A second term gives him some breathing room from future elections – unless he is planning for a run for U.S. Senate sometime. Either way, he has four years to think about it and about his “legacy,” for what that’s worth. Without a mega-project or a spiffy new building as a reminder of his greatness through the ages, a decaying fleet of Marine Highway ferries and a considerably declined state population might be the relics of his rule.

We hope that this is the year everyone decides to work on a few things together and does them well enough with the tools at hand. It is not asking for a lot. Let’s think practical and hope big. Baby steps, Alaska!
Stay tuned,
The Alaska Center

A New Year In Youth Engagement

/in , , , ,

[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]With each new year comes new opportunities. Many of us sit down with family, friends, and loved ones to make resolutions: exercise more, eat better, and scroll less. With these resolutions, we want to build a better, brighter future for ourselves. But what about our communities? What resolutions can we make this year to build ourselves and each other up? The answer lies with the present and the future. It lies with young people.
Young people are the next generation of community leaders. They are coming into leadership now through elections, organizing, and programs like AYEA. Although young people are ready to harness their voices and work for their communities, they are frequently left out of vital decision-making. Corporation CEOs, Governors, United States Senators, and people in power making money from big oil avoid facing youth who bear the burden of climate change and climate anxiety. In Alaska, where the arctic is warming at double the global average and communities face more extreme impacts of climate change, this issue is particularly prevalent. Alaska’s teens deserve the tools, the network, and the hope to leverage their power against these giants and create a bright future for themselves and their communities. You can help them access it.
This past fall, 12 young Alaskans gathered in Anchorage for AYEA’s annual Youth Organizer Summit to imagine a better future together. Youth Organizers chose and began to plan their statewide project to protect & increase Alaskans’ access to local food through action & education. Throughout the pandemic and as climate change impacts worsen, the challenges surrounding food access and Alaska’s supply chain have become increasingly evident and extreme, showing that food security and access are significant issues across the state. AYEA Youth Organizers hope to make a difference for their local communities and Alaska through their ongoing project. They have big plans this next year. They will build out local AYEA chapters and raise awareness around the issue of food insecurity and access by bringing attention to food costs and access in rural Alaska. Collectively they will uplift the stories of those most impacted, learn and teach about traditional foods and subsistence practices, provide hunter training, and build greenhouses and community gardens. They will continue their advocacy throughout the year, culminating in Juneau during our annual Civics & Conservation Summit.
As our ocean rise, our climate becomes more extreme, and our food systems destabilize, leaders continue to invest in false solutions. It’s time leaders prioritize youth. It’s time they hear the facts and face the truth.
Alaska Youth for Environmental Action will be helping young people make their voices heard in Juneau at the 2023 AYEA Civics & Conservation Summit. The Civics & Conservation Summit is a unique opportunity for Alaskan teens to travel to Juneau, learn more about the AK State Legislature, connect to their representatives, and impact the passage of bills. The summit breaks down barriers between delegates and the Alaska State Legislature. By focusing on specific bills within the current Alaska State Legislative session, delegates will gain communication, advocacy, and civic participation skills. The summit culminates with constituent meetings between delegates and their legislators – when they can advocate for the bills and topics they care about!
Alaska’s young people are smart, creative, and passionate. With the tools, network, and support they deserve, young people can leverage their power and influence positive change for their communities. Any Alaskan teen 13-18 can apply to attend the summit themselves, and adults are encouraged to nominate delegates.
The new year is a time to be hopeful, and there’s good reason to be. At The Alaska Center, we work with inspiring, brilliant young Alaskans working tirelessly towards healthier, happier communities. It’s hard not to be hopeful. Help us kick off AYEA’s 25th year to a great start, and know that you are an integral part of the fight for a better tomorrow. Join us this year in making a new resolution: to support Alaska’s youth in becoming our next generation of community leaders and changemakers. 

P.S. Make good on your promise by nominating a young person today as a delegate to the 2023 Civics & Conservation Summit, March 17-21 in Juneau.
Nominate a teen by Jan 7th, apply to be a delegate by Jan 15th, or learn more at ayea.org or by emailing ayea@akcenter.org.
The Alaska Center

\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][cs_element_button _id=”6″ ][cs_content_seo]More Hot Takes In A Cold Place\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

National climate draft document highlights dangers for Alaska

/in

The public comment period for an update on the National Climate Assessment closes Jan. 27 as the U.S. seeks to shore up efforts to address climate change.

The draft update, now the fifth, is considered “the preeminent source of climate information for the United States, used by hundreds of thousands of people across the country and around the world,” according to a news release from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The National Climate Assessment first published in 2000, with its last update released in two parts between 2017 and 2018.

The 1,695-page draft report evaluates everything from rising ocean levels and shifting weather patterns to economical and social impacts. The draft includes a 63-page chapter on Alaska’s role in climate change, including threats and reactions.

Citing a 2018 study, the draft states that Alaska is warming two to three times faster than the global average.

The draft report notes climate change presents some positive impacts for Alaska’s food security, including longer growing seasons.

Twenty-four people from federal, state, environmental, science and academic backgrounds contributed to the Alaska chapter.

Alyssa Quintyne, the Alaska Center’s Interior community manager, served as one of the Alaska chapter’s contributing writers.

“Alaskans are the best people to tell the story about climate crisis in Alaska,” Quintyne said, adding that public comments from Alaska residents are essential.

“We don’t want our chapter to go out without Alaskan eyes on it,” Quintyne said. “We want to engage with our fellow leaders and community members, and we want to make sure we got the story right.”

Noticeable impacts include thawing permafrost, shrinking sea ice levels and a sharp, noticeable drop in several fish and crab populations, which have led to several fisheries crashes over the last years.

Other elements highlighted in the draft report include prolonged summer wildfire seasons and the adverse health affects caused by the smoke, shifts in wildlife migration patterns.

Quintyne noted health impacts from wildfire smoke struck a personal note.

“A lot of my friends developed bronchospasms,” Quintyne said. Bronchospasms are cause by airway muscles tightening, which results in wheezing and coughing.

Quintyne noted some people had to receive breathing treatments as a result. Several things trigger it, including emphysema, chemical fumes and allergens — and wildfire smoke.

“To see healthy people that are normally out there running or exercising all of sudden developing these conditions hit me personally,” Quintyne said.

The report references some of the most recent severe weather events, including the harsh 2021-2022 winter season that hammered the Interior with freezing rain and snow.

The Alaska chapter also cites personal stories from residents, including Fairbanks resident and tax preparer Marjorie Casort’s testimony on the 2021-2022 snowpocalypse.

“In April we are still feeling the effects, with an inch of ice stubbornly clinging to roads,” Casort wrote. “Many of my elderly clients are housebound, unable to even cross the road to check their mailbox because of the dangerous ice conditions.”

The draft report is available online for review and comment at review.globalchange.gov. People wishing to comment will need to create an account to view, download or comment.

Quintyne encourages people to comment.

“We greatly appreciate having this chapter written and edited by Alaskans, so we appreciate any comment and we want to make sure we got the story right,” Quintyne said.

Originally published on January 4, 2023 by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Together For Tomorrow

/in

If you are a supporter of The Alaska Center, you are likely abundantly aware that we are in the heart of this year’s End-of-Year fundraising campaign, Together for Tomorrow. You may have received a letter (on paper!), an email, or even a phone call from one of our staff asking you to donate to help us start the new year strong.

Our campaign, Together for Tomorrow, recognizes that we, the staff and board, do not do this work alone. We need your help. We believe that to realize our vision of a just, thriving, and sustainable Alaska, we must engage and empower Alaskans who share our values and are willing to take action. We are a movement-building organization. We do this work together.

Support Our Work, Donate!

Charitable giving statistics indicate that 30% of all giving happens in the last month of the year. In other words, a third of charitable giving happens in less than a tenth of the year. Next month you might receive an invitation to join us in Juneau to talk to your legislators or at a phone bank to get out the vote. In this season of giving, if you can, we ask you to be together with us in this work by contributing to power those efforts.

Our vision of a just, sustainable, and thriving Alaska is not just for us here today but is explicitly “for future generations.” We know that the work we do today to advance climate solutions and help restore salmon to our rivers is for our children, their children, and all the people and animals who will come after us. Your support powers our work today, and is also an investment in tomorrow.

We have grand and ambitious plans for 2023. We will advocate for community solar legislation to make clean energy solutions more accessible. We will celebrate and protect the salmon that we cherish. And, of course, we will be prepared to defend our democracy against ongoing attacks.

As we enter the final two weeks of the year, we are mindful of you who are a part of our work and make it possible. And we invite you to be with us Together for Tomorrow by donating today.

Contribute Today & Power Our Work Tomorrow

Thank you,
The Alaska Center

Climate Progress Ahead

/in , , ,

There is a thread in these facts. Joe Biden is arguably the most aggressive president on climate we have had, and this administration has shepherded through Congress the most significant investment in clean energy our country has ever seen. A national party has a majority in the U.S. Senate and will hopefully treat climate change as the dire threat it is. Alaska just elected the first Indigenous Alaskan woman to Congress who knows first-hand the impacts of climate change on northern lands, waters, and communities. The Governor, no great champion of Salmon or Democracy, has put forward bold renewable energy policies in the past and is compelled to diversify energy sources by a looming Southcentral natural gas shortage bearing down.

Similarly, major electric utilities are awakening to the fact that they must quickly diversify. The State Senate has organized a moderate bi-partisan majority with the goal of driving down energy costs as a key pillar of the coalition. While the State House has yet to organize, it will be hard for any majority to oppose further clean energy investment and legislation if it helps drive down costs for Alaskans. If we mind the connections, progress seems inevitable – but that is never the case. Progress will take a lot of work, a lot of voices, and a little time.
The Alaska Center understands that there are enormous resources now available to states, local governments, and utilities from the Inflation Reduction Act and that the political stars are fairly aligned. For our climate-oriented legislative priorities we will be working to pass a suite of state legislation that will move the needle on climate impacts. Our top priority is a bill that authorizes and provides clear guidelines for community solar projects. We will also be working with a coalition of organizations to pass legislation that sets a renewable portfolio standard for railbelt electric utilities, creates a clean energy investment bank, and extends the Renewable Energy Fund to facilitate utility-scale renewable energy projects.

All Alaskans should have access to the cost reductions and pollution reductions available to those with the financial means to take advantage of residential solar. Alongside individual and large-scale solar, Community Solar is a way for everyone to benefit from solar energy, even if they cannot afford or install a solar PV system. An array is built, and residents, from homeowners to business owners to organizations, can invest in the array. The production of that array will be reflected in our energy bills. This array can be managed by a utility or a community for off-grid regions and villages. Electric utilities like Chugach and Homer Electric Association have come close to adopting versions of community solar programs. We believe that providing a clear statutory framework for utilities and the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to follow will provide for community solar arrays in underserved communities.

Electric utilities in Alaska have been told by the sole provider of natural gas in Southcentral Alaska that long-term natural gas contracts will end after 2024. This injects instability into future budget forecasting for utilities, and monopolistic control of the gas supply generally guarantees utility customers will pay increased premiums for the cost of power from natural gas. A renewable portfolio standard bill must be re-introduced to push our utilities toward the inevitable and the cost-effective: more renewable energy, lots more, and fast. When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act this year, they authorized a provision that non-profit rural electric cooperatives across the nation have sought for years – direct payment equivalent to the federal tax credit that for-profit utilities and Independent Power Producers claim. This means that our utilities have significant federal backing for numerous shovel-ready renewable projects, which also deeply undercuts the utility manager’s argument that individual utilities cannot afford a massive transition to renewables and battery storage. As envisioned by the Governor last session, a renewable portfolio standard would have utilities reach 80% renewable generation by 2040. We will be working to see this framework pass the legislature.

Our other policy goals align with and will help our state achieve the 80% goal. Reauthorization of the Renewable Energy Fund (REF)-due to sunset this year, will maintain an essential space for new utility-scale renewable projects to be vetted and funded. Funding for the REF has lately been derived from the earnings of the Power Cost Equalization endowment. When the state was flush with oil money, the REF was capitalized by appropriations from the general fund. We must maintain a way to provide direct grants for large-scale renewable projects as we simultaneously mandate that utilities incorporate more renewable energy.

Alaska needs a clean energy investment organization to help coax the private lending industry into making low-interest loans for large-scale energy efficiency projects, clean transportation, and clean energy programs. The Inflation Reduction Act authorized the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), a $27 billion clean energy deployment bank housed at the Environmental Protection Agency. The GGRF is the largest single pot of funding enacted in the IRA. It gave EPA broad discretion to invest in clean energy technologies through Green Banks (entities that leverage public funding to attract private financing and advance green energy or energy efficiency projects). We will be working this session to ensure a state office is established to take advantage of federal GGRF funds, a significant portion of which is designated for investment in underserved communities.

The Biden climate investment, favorable political conditions in Alaska, decreasing natural gas supply and price certainty, and the upcoming legislative session are primed for clean energy progress.

2023 can be the year for clean energy progress in our state if we keep pushing our leadership to enact policy that works with and for all Alaskans.

To the future!

The Dust Settles and the Future Takes (a bit of) Shape

/in , ,

[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]After the fanfare of the general election fades away and the nail-biter races are called, the action moves to the task of legislative organization – who will be in charge of what, who will wield the levers of power, and who will not. This can take no time or a very, very long time, depending on the ideological schisms of those elected.
The State Senate has rapidly coalesced around a 17-member bipartisan majority. Likely this formation was in the works after the August primary numbers came in, given the patchy trend (but trend indeed) of voters electing the more moderate candidate. This organization has many strong champions of education at the helm, and recent statements indicate that the coalition’s focus will be to protect education, grow the economy and address high energy costs in Alaska. At this point, we are prepared for a pretty low-key fireworks show in the Senate compared to the last four years. We anticipate the Senate will be a strong barrier against Governor Dunleavy’s more damaging budget proposals.
The fact that the Governor previously proposed a Renewable Portfolio Standard and a Green Bank for clean energy investments last session, the fact that long-term natural gas supply contracts in SouthCentral Alaska are ending in 2024, the fact that the floodgates are open on federal clean energy infrastructure program money, and the fact that the state Senate is clearly indicating it wants to work on energy costs – are good facts for our legislative priorities at The Alaska Center.
Our priority goals to help Alaskans lower energy costs and to address climate change are as follows: 

Pass a Renewable Portfolio Standard that will allow Alaska Railbelt utilities customers to purchase energy from 80% renewable sources by 2040.
Pass Community Solar legislation that will allow more Alaskans to benefit from renewable energy.
Extend the Renewable Energy Fund. 

Stay tuned for more on these and other clean energy priorities in our next blog!
Whether the State House will rally around similar general goals (education, economy, energy) as the Senate is now an open question. The House is in a more protracted organizing process and will not know until after December 21 if one member is eligible to take his seat until the courts determine if he is in violation of the Alaska Constitution’s Disloyalty Clause. However the House organizes, the numbers trend toward moderation with 6 Independents, 13 Democrats, and 21 Republicans. We hope for a continued Bipartisan Coalition in the House that will work towards a more thriving, just, and sustainable future.
If the Governor is moderated by the Senate bipartisan coalition, the House Republicans will be moderated by the Governor’s goals – that is our prediction anyway. It bodes well for meat and potato issues like driving down energy costs for Alaskans through increases in clean energy, and we can work with that.
Talk to you soon,
The Alaska Center\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][cs_element_button _id=”6″ ][cs_content_seo]More Hot Takes In A Cold Place\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

The Results Are In

/in ,

Hi friends,
We finally know all the election results!

Alaska voters had to decide on quite a lot this year: 59 state legislative seats, the Governor, our US Congressperson and Senator, and whether to hold a Constitutional Convention. The Alaska Center Board of Directors’ endorsements included more than 30 state legislative candidates (with multiple ranking recommendations), as well as Mary Peltola for the US House, and Les Gara and Bill Walker for Governor.

The Alaska Center Independent Expenditure focused the political program on maintaining the bipartisan coalition in the State House and building the opportunity for one in the State Senate. While we won’t know whether these bipartisan coalitions come to fruition until announcements are made, the future is looking bright for a new Senate bipartisan coalition. We’re hopeful for a continued coalition in the State House.

Multiple newly elected leaders in the House make a bipartisan coalition possible. Cliff Groh in North Anchorage has unseated David Nelson and was the focus of much of The Alaska Center Independent Expenditure’s program. We encouraged voters to rank both progressive candidates in this race, and we’re pleased that so many used their votes to their full power. Two new women are headed to the legislature, Maxine Dibert from Fairbanks and Donna Mears from East Anchorage, who have a lot to be happy about. Both are long-time community servants and leaders, and we’re ready for their time in Juneau.

As with every election, there are tough losses for some of our endorsed candidates, including Ted Eischeid and Denny Wells. We hope to see these leaders run again to serve their communities, and we will continue to fight for candidates who will support a thriving, just, and sustainable future. Additionally, Denny Wells’ loss by four votes should remind us all that every door you knock, phone call you make, and friend you speak with matters.

Finally confirmed by ranked choice vote tabulation, Mary Peltola is our re-elected Congressperson! We’re thrilled that Alaskans re-elected the only pro-fish candidate in the race. We’re excited to work with her and the newly re-elected Sen. Murkowski to effect positive change for Alaska.

Alaskans said no, as they have again and again, to a Constitutional Convention. With the prospect of that off the table, we know we’ll have work to do in accountability with Governor Dunleavy’s re-election to a second term.

We should know better now than ever that our democracy is sacred and that we must protect it. Even when we don’t like the results of an election, the fact is that Alaskans used their voices to elect leadership, and that’s an amazing right we must maintain. We’ll keep defending our right to vote–plus, we’re expecting that ranked choice voting and open primaries will be under attack next year.

We will continue to inform you how to get involved to protect our system. Thank you for voting and working to make our democracy strong–we’re in this with you.

In solidarity,
The Alaska Center

The Youth Are Alright

/in ,

Young people showed up in this midterm election in record numbers, the second-highest youth voter turnout in thirty years. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) estimates that 27% of young people (ages 18-29) turned out to vote.

Millennials and Generation Z are quickly becoming a larger voting block than Baby Boomers. Young voters know their futures are on the line, having grown up and come into adulthood in a turbulent time amidst escalating inequality and the climate and economic crises (to name a few) and a total lack of adequate response from the government. They are voting for leaders they hope will address the issues facing today’s youth.

It’s not just in the polls; young people are also showing up on the ballot. Florida voted in the first Gen Z U.S. Representative, 25-year-old Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who won nearly 60% of the vote. At home in Alaska, we have a long history of electing young leaders, several of whom are headed to the state legislature this year, including Genevieve Mina. Gen Zers also are stepping up to work on progressive campaigns and have been successful in electing candidates who share their values for the future.

Many political commentators also noted that youth voters were crucial in stopping the “red wave” that many expected in this election. Such a turnout should force leadership to evaluate how they engage with this demographic and push forward policies that work to ensure a future where young Americans can thrive.

Elections are far from the only time to invest in young voters. Our Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) program has engaged young people from across the state for over twenty years. AYEA’s mission is to create a statewide movement of diverse young Alaskans with the skills, connections, and inspiration to advocate for their communities. From climate strikes to lobbying in Washington D.C., AYEA youth can engage with their peers and advocate on important issues. Outside of the AYEA program, since 2020, The Alaska Center Education Fund has hired Alaskan youth from rural and urban areas to engage in voter education with our Youth Civic Engagement Fellows program. Fellows have made an impact through phone calls, emails, and community events. The latest cohort alone had over 1,000 one-on-one conversations with voters about ranked choice voting to ensure Alaskans were prepared at the polls.

As the new year approaches, we look forward to engaging young Alaskans in voter education and Democracy policy defense. Some in our legislature will assuredly take aim at ranked choice voting. There will be continued attacks on Automatic Voter Registration tied to PFD applications, which would disproportionately impact young voters. These policies have greatly improved our Democracy, and we will work to preserve these laws to continue working towards a more just and sustainable Alaska for today and future generations.