Tag Archive for: the alaska center

Federal Funding Cuts (and Backtracking) Creates Chaos

/in

President Trump’s first weeks in office have produced a flurry of executive orders and confusing directives for federal programs nationwide, with many experts identifying the moves as unlawful. On Tuesday, January 27th, the President’s office released a memo directing a “pause” on grants, loans, and financial assistance from the federal government. This announcement, coupled with an abrupt Medicaid portal outage, sparked distress for millions of Americans whose lives are impacted by federal funding. 

Federal funding supports a large number of crucial social services and public assistance programs that we rely on in Alaska. From childcare to food security to the environment, threatening to take away these sources of support hurts families across our state. Federal dollars are crucial to many of our communities, and President Trump’s executive orders remain a threat to our way of life. The Alaska Center will continue to monitor and advocate for federal funds appropriated to Alaska, but we need your help!

The immediate confusion caused by this directive led to chaos nationwide and at home, leading the administration to rescind the order shortly after the memo was published. The original memo specified that the majority of federal funding would need to be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure alignment with the president’s priorities. The memo explicitly named areas the President seeks to gut, including crucial climate investments that are poised to bring hundreds of millions of dollars to Alaska.

These confusing directives take place on the heels of several recent executive orders aimed at slashing federal spending and agency operations. You can read more about these actions in our most recent blog. 

To further the President’s interests laid out in these executive orders, in the same week, the administration announced a “buyout option” for the majority of full-time federal employees via email. Current employees will have until February 6th to decide if they will resign in exchange for about 8 months of pay. Workers that remain in their roles were told that they would not be provided with certainty that their agency or position would not be eliminated in time.

In the background of all of this, President Trump has appointed Russell Vought to lead the OMB. Vought is one of the primary authors of Project 2025 and a staunch opponent of government spending. Despite a boycott from Democrats, the Senate Budget Committee advanced Vought’s nomination 11-0. A procedural vote for Vought’s nomination is set for Monday, February 3rd. 

We encourage you to reach out to your representatives and let them know how you feel about this disastrous nomination. You can find the telephone number for your Senator here. 

President Trump’s actions stand to put incredible strain on federal programs and resources in Alaska. Our schools, non-profits, and local governments deserve better than the chaotic leadership we are currently experiencing. Together, we need to work to ensure the Trump Administration operates within the bounds of the law, and puts hard working people – Alaskans included – before Project 2025’s wishlist. 

Make your voice heard! Use this pre-filled email form from the League of Conservation Voters to tell your Senators that OMB nominee Russell Vought is the wrong choice for Alaska.

For a thriving Alaska,

The Alaska Center

Alaska’s Clean Energy Future: What’s at Stake Under Trump

/in

During the Biden Administration we saw a wave of unprecedented funding for our nation’s infrastructure. Both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), two pieces of legislation aimed at investing in American infrastructure, included substantial investments for green technology and clean energy projects. While many states have already begun to benefit from these federal dollars, we now risk a rollback that could reverse progress on our energy independence in Alaska. 

Before entering office, President Trump and his transition team promised voters that his administration would make sweeping cuts to our national budget starting on Day One of his presidency. 

On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order on American energy. The executive order directs all government agencies to pause the “disbursement of funds” appropriated through the BIL and IRA. It goes on to direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review plans for future spending against provisions laid out in the order. These actions put unspent funds at risk of reallocation or new restrictions. 

A good portion of BIL and IRA funding has already been obligated, and therefore is more likely to be distributed as planned. This has done little to ease fears for funding recipients still in the early stages of project implementation, however, who worry that unspent dollars could end up being the subject of future litigation – leading to project delays and added expenses. 

Monday’s executive order is likely just the beginning of directives aimed at federal infrastructure funding. The President has made it clear that Congress should not have the final word on federal spending. A president withholding appropriated funds (known as impoundment) is illegal, but Trump has promised to challenge the limits of this process in order to exercise complete control over the national budget. 

President Trump has not been hesitant to test the limits of impoundment in the past. During his previous term in office, the Government Accountability Office determined that President Trump illegally withheld 91 million dollars appropriated for the development of cutting edge energy technologies under the Department of Energy (DOE). 

Programs funded through the BIL and IRA have been very popular in blue and red states alike, particularly as Americans contend with rising energy costs and utilities struggle to meet increasing consumer demand. It’s unclear how precisely this upcoming budget battle will play out. What is clear is that President Trump is putting millions of dollars of investments in Alaska at risk.

In Alaska, planning is already underway for the rollout of Solar for All funding directed to benefit both household and community solar installations across the state funded by IRA legislation. The DOE and Environmental Protection Agency have also awarded funds to Alaska that would increase communities’ energy resilience during extreme weather, and boost the energy sovereignty of Alaska Native communities. Together, these programs would grow economic opportunities within the state and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
As Alaskans are well aware, our building season is short, and even minor delays can have huge repercussions for project success. While the fate of new infrastructure projects born from the IRA and BIL remain uncertain, The Alaska Center is committed to ensuring federal funds for green energy stay in Alaska over the next four years. Join us in advocating to protect these funds while we also seek new clean energy investments from our state and local leaders.

With determination for Alaska’s future,
The Alaska Center

Be Informed + Learn About the Judges on Your Ballot

/in , ,

Hey all! Something a little different this week—our friends at Alaskans for Fair Courts are guest-authoring our blog to share important information about judicial retention elections. With election season in full swing, we wanted to give you the chance to hear from the experts on this crucial part of the ballot. Check it out below!

Greetings from Alaskans for Fair Courts! We feel honored to have this opportunity to chat with you because we know how dedicated and involved each of you are in various community-oriented efforts in our great state!

I want to talk about judicial retention. Why? If you want to protect your values and your Constitutional rights, it is in your best interests to fill out the entire ballot as an informed voter.  Here’s why.

Nineteen judges “standing for retention” are on the ballots this year – fifteen of whom will be on the ballot in the Third Judicial District, home to 2/3 of the state’s population, which includes Anchorage.  

Why does this matter to you? Alaska’s state judges are the bulwark against attacks on the Alaska Constitution and/or the rule of law. They handle 95% of all cases, affecting a myriad of issues that affect all Alaskans, sometimes involving core constitutional rights that you value.  

What is judicial retention? Unlike many other states, Alaska’s judges do not run campaigns to become a judge. Alaska’s Constitutional framers kept money and partisan politics out of judicial selection and retention. Wise folks!

Toward this end Alaska’s Constitution creates an independent, nonpartisan commission – the Alaska Judicial Council – to evaluate judicial applicants and seek the “best available timber.”  The Council is comprised of: three non-attorney members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature; three attorneys appointed by the Alaska Bar Association after polling its members; and the Chief Justice, who serves as an ex officio member who chairs the Council but votes only in those rare instances where there is a tie vote. The framers also concluded that judges should serve limited terms rather than lifetime appointments, requiring judges to “stand for retention” every so many years. Retention offers you an important role –  to make the final decision about whether a judge should remain on the court.

This superior retention system – which is widely admired across the country – has produced judges who are dedicated to protecting the law while serving the community with integrity, professionalism, knowledge of the law, and respect for those who are in their courtrooms. We are lucky to have some of the best judges in the country. 

Here’s why you can be so confident in our state judges. When a judge comes up for retention, the Judicial Council conducts a rigorous investigation of that judge, gathering information from thousands of people who have interacted with the judge, including jurors, court clerks, law enforcement, attorneys and social workers. The public has an opportunity to testify at public hearings. The Council compiles this information, grades the judges against judicial performance standards that reflect “best practice,” and votes whether to recommend the judge be retained. The Council’s findings, research, scores and recommendations are all on the Alaska Judicial Council website.

Unfortunately, since 2000, the “yes” votes in the 3rd Judicial District have declined by 7% – a downward trajectory that has now dipped below 60% for the first time in the State’s history. If a judge does not receive 50% of the votes during retention that judge loses their position on the court.

A number of factors have contributed to this trend:

  • Voters not understanding how judges are selected and why they appear on the ballot
  • Voters not finishing the ballot because they don’t know where to find information about the judges
  • Eroding confidence in the judiciary exacerbated by national hyper-partisanship trends 
  • Individuals/organizations wanting to remove a judge because of an unpopular opinion or because a judge did not rule in their favor
  • Efforts by individuals and groups within Alaska, and others from Outside, trying to destabilize our courts and replace our judges with ideologues
  • Funding coming in from Outside extremist groups seeking to politicize Alaska’s state courts

If you don’t know the judges on your ballot, or don’t have the time to learn more about them, the Alaska Judicial Council has evaluated each judge rigorously and done the work for you! Check out their recommendations here! 

For 64 years Alaskans have benefited from judges who were selected and retained by this process. Alaskans would not be well-served by a system that removes even one judge because of an unpopular decision, ideological differences, or because someone lost a case.  

Please – When You Vote, Finish Your Entire Ballot!

Donna Goldsmith, Co-Chair Alaskans for Fair Courts
Check out the Find My Judges page at: https://akfaircourts.com

Local Elections Matter: Announcing Our Fairbanks Endorsements! Help Shape Alaska’s Future

/in

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.

Check out our endorsements for the
Fairbanks local elections here!


This year, our Political Committee made endorsements in the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Fairbanks City Council elections. Fairbanks is crucial to the political progress we can make in this state. Their October elections will be crucial to implementing the new climate plan, and deciding whether it collects dust or starts being used to make positive changes.

Fairbanks (and statewide November)
endorsements here!


Thank you!

Best,
Jenny-Marie Stryker
Political Director
The Alaska Center

The Alaska Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, Two Years Later

/in , ,

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 improvements; and expanded tax benefits for installing renewable energy and battery energy storage on homes. These new programs help keep money in Alaskans’ pockets, encourage job creation and investment in our homes and businesses, and help reduce energy costs. These direct energy and financial improvements for individuals will be even more important to help mitigate the negative impacts of escalating energy costs on the Railbelt due to the natural gas crisis in Cook Inlet.

Beyond the individual tax credits, the IRA has also established Direct Pay, a system for non-taxpaying organizations such as nonprofits, Tribes, local governments and utility cooperatives to benefit from these clean energy tax incentives for the first time. By enabling creative financing options like this, we are starting to see movement toward clean energy across sectors.

New financing and grant opportunities have also been secured for Alaskans, with many millions more to come. The Alaska Energy Authority and Tanana Chiefs Conference and their partners Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium together received more than $120 million from the IRA’s Solar for All Program, which will support rooftop solar, community solar programs and utility-scale solar for communities all around Alaska primarily benefiting low-income residents and Tribes over the next five years. Golden Valley Electric Association received $100 million from the IRA’s Powering Affordable Clean Energy to develop grid infrastructure that will improve reliability and enable the development of large-scale solar in Nenana. Southeast Conference received nearly $40 million from the IRA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program to install thousands of residential heat pumps all over southeast Alaska to reduce energy use and heating costs for residents. These infrastructure projects will reduce energy costs, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and help to improve the resilience of our electrical systems across Alaska. That’s to say nothing of IRA investments in fisheries research and protection, forest fire mitigation programs, transportation infrastructure and much more.

Alaskans are excited to see the investments of the IRA propel Alaska’s transition towards more sustainable, local and clean energy. We look forward to communities and families around the state fully leveraging the IRA. We are thankful to the federal and state agencies working to implement these programs correctly, and to the elected officials, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Mary Peltola, who continue to support these smart investments that build the framework for growing our state’s clean energy economy, fighting the impacts of a changing climate, and building a brighter, more resilient future for us all.

– Gavin Dixon and Griffin Plush volunteer together as board members of The Alaska Center; they are both lifelong Alaskans who work professionally with energy projects across the state.

Press Release: The Alaska Center and Alaska Public Interest Research Group Celebrate Signing of the Save Act, SB 152

/in

ANCHORAGE, AK – The Alaska Center and Alaska Public Interest Research Group, two statewide nonprofit organizations, joined Governor Dunleavy and Senator Wielechowski for the signing of Senate Bill 152, “Saving Alaskans money with Voluntary community Energy,” (SAVE Act) into law onTuesday, August 13. The signing took place at the future site of Chugach Electric’s community solar program, which will begin accepting participants next year. 

Community energy is a model in which a group of people invest in and share the benefits of an energy installation (such as a solar array) that is not located on their property. This model allows renters, small businesses, and other individuals who cannot host a rooftop solar array, to own shares of a larger solar facility. These subscribers then receive savings on their monthly electric bills.

“We are thrilled to see Community Energy signed into law today,” said Chantal de Alcuaz, Co-Executive Director, The Alaska Center. “Alaskans need access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy, whether or not they are homeowners. At the same time, we have an urgent need to diversify our grid, and allow new energy generation projects to come online by any means possible. Large and small scale Community Energy programs will get us one step closer to an equitable energy landscape for all Alaskans.” 

With growing concerns around the Cook Inlet natural gas crisis, Alaskan utilities are looking to diversify their energy sources with renewables. Most Alaskans support solar and renewable energy development, but most Alaskans have not been able to personally benefit from constructing distributed energy like rooftop solar. 

The private sector has already made financing commitments to invest $5 billion in community solar throughout the country. This legislation ensures that these investments can be made in Alaska, bringing much-needed public infrastructure and clean energy development to our state. 

“The passage of the SAVE Act sends a clear message that Alaska is open for business,” said Phil Wight, Energy Policy Expert at AKPIRG. “This legislation ensures that Alaskans can invest in the cheapest, cleanest sources of power at a pivotal moment for Alaska’s energy transition. Community energy will not only diversify energy supply as we face a looming gas crisis, it will provide clean power for our increasingly electrified economy. With SB152 signed into law, we can start building a new generation of clean energy facilities and create a new environment of energy prosperity for Alaskans.” 

Our Election System Glow Up

/in ,

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 voting for the general election. What does this mean? In a nutshell, all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, run in a single primary. The top four vote-getters then face off in the general election where voters get to rank them from their first choice to their last choice.

With the open primary system, any candidate has the chance to compete directly against candidates from any party and voters have the opportunity to vote for their favorite in every race, regardless of party. The Alaska Beacon’s analysis of 2022 primary election data found slightly more than half of Alaska’s 192,061 voters opted to split their tickets in the races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and state legislative offices. This means people voted for candidates from multiple political parties, an opportunity they wouldn’t have had in the old, closed primary system.

Research shows that candidates in open primaries – who must appeal to every voter, not just their party’s voters – are more likely to work to appeal to a broader base, be more moderate, and cordial to each other. And in open primary elections, candidates with more diverse ideas and identities throw their hat into the ring. When voters see that their choices aren’t constrained by party lines, and more candidates look like them, they’re more likely to head to the polls. This increased turnout and candidate diversity is good for Alaska and makes our democracy more representative of our communities and our Alaskan values.

As you prepare to vote in the Primary Election I’ll leave you with a few dates to remember and some words of wisdom: August 20 is Primary Election Day. You can apply to vote by mail before August 10. Early voting starts at select locations on August 5. This election season will be a very important one for our democracy – do your research, cast your vote, and do your part to make Alaska more just, thriving, and sustainable for generations to come.

Happy Voting,
The Alaska Center

New Name, Same Old Coal

/in , ,

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 capture infrastructure would be constructed near the proposed pipeline to Donlin Mine. 

Carbon capture technology on power plants has not been proven successful. In fact, existing projects have been consistently under-performing when it comes to the actual carbon captured. Notably, Flatlands claimed during its presentation at Chugach Electric Association that coal with carbon capture would put out lower emissions than even wind and solar with natural gas backup. However, that claim relies on the system capturing a whopping 90% of carbon emissions, which is completely unrealistic. Petra Nova, the only coal plant to operate with carbon capture in the United States, also aimed for a 90% capture, but likely only captured 55-70% of emissions while it was online. Including methane emissions from coal mining itself also significantly drops the amount of carbon that can be captured. 

What’s more, these projects fail consistently on economics alone. Even with substantial government funding, carbon capture projects have not been profitable. Flatlands bets on a future of tax credits that is not guaranteed, and key players like the Mat Su Borough Assembly claim this will reduce the cost of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG). However, a new coal mine and coal power plant would certainly not be online soon enough to offset LNG imports. 

Instead of getting distracted by false promises, our electric utilities should continue their work to conserve as much gas as possible and move toward the most cost-effective mix of energy for the Railbelt, which includes 76% renewable energy generation.

Alaskans will not be fooled: coal power is the past, not our future.

Building an Inclusive Future: Celebrating Juneteenth and Pride in Alaska

/in

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

/in , ,

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