Welcome to the energy newsletter 2.0!
We started the energy newsletter in 2023 as a way to make sure all the energy nerds in our working groups were able to get all that good juicy energy gossip out to a broader audience. We also wanted to talk about energy in a more holistic way than we sometimes do in our working groups, where it's often separated into "build the good" and "stop the bad" conversations that tend to get siloed (Renewable Energy and Keep it in the Ground being our two primarily energy-focused working groups). We've taken a long pause over the last year, since we lost some staff capacity to support the newsletter. But now, we're bringing it back, with a revamped and reinforced volunteer writing crew, from both Keep it in the Ground and Renewable Energy working groups.
We'll be sending these out monthly, and they are optional! If you want to receive these to your inbox, subscribe at the button below!
The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is back in the legislature as House Bill 153 and Senate Bill 149. The RPS would require that energy utilities along the railbelt (the stretch of communities from Homer to Fairbanks) install specific amounts of renewable energy to minimize long-term electricity costs. It has had two hearings scheduled in the House Energy Committee, one on Apr. 1 and one on Apr. 3. They are only taking invited testimony at this point but stay tuned for opportunities for public testimony!
Interested in what an RPS could mean for Alaska? Follow the link below to learn more!
The April GVEA Board Meeting promises to be a big one. On the Agenda: large wind project updates, a proposed change to the mission statement, and a resolution in support of a renewable portfolio standard.
The Renewable Energy Working Group will be hosting a tailgating party the week before to share information on directors, resources on how to engage and talking points to support the RPS. Come by the GVEA parking lot on April 22, at 5:30, for pizza, community, and an opportunity to push the RPS closer to becoming reality.
Email eleanor@fbxclimateaction.org to learn more.
GVEA Tailgating party - GVEA parking lot - April 22, 5:30-7:30
On March 14, Republican Senator Mike Cronk, from AK Senate District R (a huge Interior district with both rural and urban constituents) met with about 25 community members at the Ken Kunkel Community Center in Goldstream. What follows is a summary of the meeting, and some insights into where he stands on energy.
The meeting began with a brief overview of the legislative session to date, mainly focused on education policy and funding. Amid discussion of those policies, Cronk vowed that Fairbanks would not be left out of the LNG pipeline discussion (note: at this point, the Fairbanks spur is not part of current legislation). Cronk speculated that a Fairbanks spur would require approximately $175M, and would likely depend on some sort of bond. A constituent brought up Senate Bill 92, which would close the S-Corp loophole and mining tax gaps. Cronk responded by saying that out of state oil and mining companies are having a hard time with inflation. A long discussion ensued highlighting the contrast between profitability of extraction industries and the lack of local benefits.
On renewables, Cronk was “supportive of whatever will pencil out” but claimed decisions on the role renewables will play is up to private industries. To close the energy discussion, constituents questioned whether the LNG pipeline was economically viable and whether the State budget would benefit from increased fossil fuel and mining production. Cronk replied that more cuts in state expenditures are needed. Constituents raised the possibility of other sources of revenue such as income and other taxes, but the Senator seemed ready to move on.
This meeting highlighted some of the political challenges faced by renewable advocates as the Trump administration has driven a renewed political interest in the long-held AK LNG pipeline pipe dream.
However, several very promising avenues to bring on wider-scale renewables and end giveaways to wealthy fossil fuel companies are on the table in this session, in the form of SB 92 (the one that closes the S corp loophole) and and the Renewable Portfolio Standard legislation, so stay tuned for public comment opportunities, and subscribe at the link below to get updates.
Since the energy world is made up of a soup of acronyms, we plan to offer an alphabet explainer in each issue in order to demystify the language of Alaskan energy! This first one starts with some of the basics, and explains the main acronyms we use in this issue.
FCAC: Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition — FCAC is a local community organization which does grassroots organizing in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
KING!: Keep It in the Ground Working Group — A working group of FCAC working toward a just transition to a socially and environmentally regenerative economy. This working group acts to mount popular grassroots campaigns to end fossil fuel extraction in our state.
REWG: Renewable Energy Working Group — A working group of FCAC dedicated to working together to transition the Fairbanks area to renewable energy as soon as possible. They advance energy justice and decarbonization in order to achieve 100% generation from renewable sources through community organizing, outreach, and engagement with our local utility cooperative.
GVEA: Golden Valley Electric Association — Interior Alaska’s local energy co-op. GVEA is made up of a board elected by membership. Anyone whose name is on an electric bill is a member and has a voice.
On February 26th, Alaska Renewables gave a presentation to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska on the Shovel Creek Wind project.
On April 22nd, Golden Valley will provide members with an update on their progress with the Shovel Creek Wind Project and Delta wind (Come to the tailgate and then listen in!)
In early March, GVEA released plans for its long-awaited on-bill financing program. Read more here.
The Keep It iN the Ground! working group created the spoof announcement below as a "Fossil Fools’ Day" joke, but the truth is that the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) has received $488 million in state funding on a boondoggle that is not economically sound and has yielded no substantive results.
To learn more and take action, click the button below.
Become a member of FCAC!
By signing up for membership, you become part of the climate justice movement in creating a sustainable and equitable future for Alaska. As a member, you can join others and contribute to our Coalition projects and campaigns while getting exclusive resources and engaging in opportunities for climate action, community gatherings, organizing training, and leadership development.
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