The Best Deal in Town: Renewable Energy for Interior Alaska
The best deal in (and out of) town is in the air! Literally. Investing in renewable energy—specifically, wind power—isn’t just about saving money on electricity bills; it’s about creating a more resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective long-term energy system for our communities. Read on to learn more!
resourcing our movement
In order to take care of our community and continue to fight for the just transition we know is still possible, we need to grow our movement, and bring everyone in, in whatever ways people can contribute. Becoming a donor is just as valuable as contributing your time. Becoming a sustaining donor is an especially impactful way of investing in your community and shoring up our movement against the instability of the funding landscape.
Finding hope in local action
Like many, we are feeling the full range of emotions over the implications of this election outcome for climate policy, and the real danger to our community. But we also know that our source of power is in our movements, not in a presidential election. As we face the reality of a potentially grim future for national climate policy, our work on the local and state level becomes even more critical, and our skills in grassroots organizing are more important than ever.
Making good trouble
Reflections from our weekend Non-violent Direct Action & arts Training
Last weekend, we joined with folks from other community groups in town to share skills around nonviolent direct action. This was an incredible experience of community-building and empowerment, and we’re excited to see how the learnings shared will work to grow our movements across issues.
Climate disaster & what we’re fighting for
From Appalachia to Alaska, no matter where we live or what we look like, we’re all fighting for the same things - a safe place to call home, and a livable future for our children. The absolute devastation we’re witnessing now as a result of Hurricane Helene is not an accident, and it’s not an act of God. This is the result of decades of fossil fuel companies’ greed, and paid-off politicians actively working against our future.
Connecting Over Food and Across Faiths
Interfaith Working Group members visited Zion Lutheran Church community garden, which had recently gotten an upgrade, thanks to a $1500 mini grant from the working group. Visitors shared food and discussed ways to collaborate around food security efforts. Read on to learn more!
What does Decolonization Day Have to do with Climate Action?
This weekend we gathered together in our new organizing home with friends from Native Movement and Fairbanks Queer Collective to honor Fairbanks’ liberation history, and to offer more of the story being left out during the Golden Days celebration. We wanted to take a moment now to reflect on the relationship between climate action and decolonization and the importance of acknowledging our whole history in order to build a beautiful collective future.
What we learned over 5 years of organizing for the People’s Climate Plan
Last month, we got to see the fruit of over 5 years of concerted organizing when we stayed up until 2am to finally witness the passage of the FNSB Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. It’s a reminder that when we organize strategically around a long term vision - we win. This win was not simple, and it was not easy. It is a testament to the hard work of many community members over the course of years, and we want to take a moment to acknowledge what it took to get here, and what we’ve learned in the process.
Legal Petition to Interior Department Urges Phasedown of Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline
FCAC recently joined with other Alaskan organizations in the submission of a petition to the Department of the Interior to expedite the planned Dismantlement, Removal, and Restoration of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. Read on for our full statement.
The people’s Climate Plan makes a comeback
After much turmoil last year, the climate plan has another chance this summer. The Borough Assembly is reintroducing it in its near original form and the public will have an opportunity to comment on June 27th. Read on to learn more about where we’ve been and how to get involved now!
GVEA wins and AK LNG on the rocks
In this energy update, we have some good news for friends of renewables in the Interior, and some bad news for the AK LNG pipeline (aka also good news for friends of renewables). Read on to learn more about the results of the GVEA election and what's in store for the AK LNG pipeline.
join us for a workshop!
Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition is excited to offer a new training workshop series to our members and anyone involved in the broader justice movement in Fairbanks! These monthly learning sessions will focus on skills needed to run effective teams and build strong campaigns designed to build people power and win real changes in our communities.
Just Transition Summit Reflections
At the end of March, most of our staff and some of our members flew to Juneau for the Just Transition Summit in Á’akw Kwáan territory. Since the summit, we’ve continued to talk to each other about our learnings and inspirations from that week together, so we wanted to share a few of the themes that have come up repeatedly in our continuing conversations.
Wind now keeps GVEA rates down
Learn more about GVEA’s rate hikes, the GVEA board’s new decision on the Healy 2 coal plant, and what we can do about it all (hint: it’s renewables) in this piece, which was originally published by FCAC member Knicely as a community perspective in the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer.
March energy updates
In this issue, we discuss some of our highest priority bills to watch in the AK legislature this session, both the good and the bad, and give you some updates on where they're headed and how to get involved. We also discuss GVEA's recent rate hike and decision to amend their Strategic Generation Plan. Finally, get the lowdown on the upcoming GVEA elections, and how you can get involved!
Celebrating Black Climate Week
It’s Black Climate Week!
This is a week to celebrate the work of Black advocates, organizers, and agitators within the climate space, and how Black people have been at the forefront of coming together to find creative and innovative solutions to protect our lands, waters, and homes from climate impacts.
FCAC’s new AKLEG Rapid Response Team
This session in the AK state legislature, we have some great opportunities to get climate wins for our state. We know it’s hard to follow these bills as they move through the legislative process, and to stay up to date on when it’s important to reach out to your legislators. We’ve made the process easy by forming FCAC’s AKLEG Rapid Response Team. Learn about how you can join!
FCAC calls for Biden administration to include AKLNG in pause of LNG export approvals
On Friday January 26th, the Biden administration announced that they were temporarily halting approvals of LNG exports (after approving AK LNG exports nearly a year ago). This is a major, and long overdue win for grassroots activists across the country who have been putting pressure on the Biden administration and previous administrations to recognize the dangerous impacts of LNG production and consumption.
February Energy Updates
Learn more about GVEA's recent decision on supporting a statewide Renewable Portfolio Standard, the natural gas spill in the Arctic and what it has to do with the Hilcorp court case we've been following, and how you can take action to get the energy legislation we need for our state.
Spillcorp Strikes Again!
While we wait for an AK Supreme Court decision in the City of Valdez case on whether Hilcorp can keep its financial information secret from Alaskans, the state announced yet another Hilcorp related spill last week–this time involving a pipeline that was part of the BP-Hilcorp deal.