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.
GVEA Election Results
In a local win for renewable energy Gary Newman won this year's District 4 election! As an incumbent he faced a tough battle against climate action obstructionist and fossil fuels apologist Harmony Tomaszewski, as GVEA experienced unprecedented rate hikes, largely due to the unavailability of natural gas power from Cook Inlet and unexpected outages at the Healy 2 coal plant.
The Renewable Energy Working Group worked hard to make sure voters were equipped with the facts about renewable energy and the cause of the recent rate hikes, and to make sure member owners had the info they needed to make their voice heard through their vote. We are thrilled that Gary will be able to continue his work as an advocate for renewable energy, cheaper rates, and reliable energy production. We are also looking forward to seeing him push for more energy purchase agreements with independent power producers.
Meanwhile in District 7, none of the candidates met the 40% threshold required to be elected, so incumbent Todd Adams and challenger Krista Zappone will head for a runoff. District 7 includes Nenana, Clear, Anderson, Healy, and Cantwell. If you live in District 7 and want to get involved in voter outreach there, email eleanor@fbxclimateaction.org.
In other GVEA news...
GVEA CEO John Burns is stepping down after 8 years of service as the chief executive. He will be replaced by Travis Million who previously worked as the CEO of the Copper Valley Electric Associate in Glennallen. Million claims to be excited about GVEA’s future and is looking forward to implementing the Strategic Generation Plan as an integral part of that future. We will be keeping a close eye on him in the next months to see what his commitment to a sustainable future looks like in light of GVEA rate hikes and the Cook Inlet gas crisis.
AK LNG's clock is ticking
A lot happened energy-wise in the most recent legislative session. We saw some really exciting renewables bills passed (read more about them here), as well as some interesting developments for the future of AGDC, the entity tasked with developing the AK LNG pipeline.
We’ll delve more into legislative happenings in a future newsletter, but we wanted to draw attention to what’s going on with AGDC right now, because they find themselves in a particularly rocky moment.
During this legislative session, AGDC was funded at noticeably less than requested, and given a year to prove their viability. Called into question was AGDC executives’ extremely high salaries and the lack of new progress or apparent private funding prospects for the pipeline.
Meanwhile, two new legal challenges have been filed in relation to the AK LNG pipeline, both coming just after the end of the legislative session.
Due to this new public scrutiny, AGDC is scrambling for some good press. It seems their next move to try to distract from mounting pressure is a shiny deal signed with London-based north slope supplier Pantheon. But it’s not likely this deal means AGDC will do anything but what they’ve always done: waste money, time, and Alaskans’ hopes for a real energy solution.
Says former federal gasline coordinator Larry Persily: “No one’s putting anything at risk. No one’s spending any money. It’s just another letter. The gasline, over the decades, has walls papered with letters like this.” That includes supply deals that AGDC signed with BP and ExxonMobil in 2018, which have since expired, because the biggest hurdle for the AK LNG pipeline is not supply deals, but demand.
This all puts clean energy advocates in a great position to draw attention to the absolute distraction and waste of money that AGDC has been and continues to be. We must continue reminding our leaders and making our voices heard that we need to invest in real solutions instead. We can also continue watchdogging AGDC meetings to increase public pressure on AGDC and to build awareness around exactly how our state dollars are being squandered.
AGDC is meeting this Thursday, at 5:30 pm at the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center, 3605 Cartwright Ct, Building C, in Fairbanks, Alaska, or online. This is a rare opportunity for folks in the Interior to attend an AGDC meeting in person!
We are hoping that a few members of our community can attend.
For more information, email: alyssa@akpirg.org
