The Alaska Journal of Commerce - Parnell zapped for energy fund cuts 06/18/10

The Alaska Journal of Commerce - Parnell zapped for energy fund cuts 06/18/10

Gov. Sean Parnell is taking flak for his June 3 vetoes of state funds for energy projects.

"The governor has talked a lot about how we have to be fiscally conservative, but these are projects that will make our communities more self-reliant and less dependent on diesel, and state Power Cost Equalization funds, in five to 10 years," when petroleum revenues will be sharply lower, said Bob Venables, energy director for the Southeast Conference, the economic development association for Southeast Alaska.

Click above link for full story in the Alaska Journal of Commerce.

Gambling on hydro in Eagle

Gambling on hydro in Eagle

Eagle, a community of 200 far up the Yukon River and just a short snowmachine ride from the Canadian border, faces an issue that affects many remote Alaska communities: Electricity generated by burning diesel fuel, which has to be shipped in on small barges that travel during the ice-free months, is very expensive. So expensive, in fact, that across the state, high fuel costs are being blamed for outmigration to larger communities like Fairbanks and Anchorage.

Click on link above for full story at Alaska Dispatch.

Report of the Alaska Legislature's energy act - Energyboom

Click here for more Coverage of the Alaska Legislature's energy act

The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) has recently published two reports as part of their efforts to update the state’s energy policy. 

The first report provides Alaskan communities with resources to build their own locally relevant energy plans based on their available resources.

The new report, ‘Alaska Energy Pathway,’[pdf] was released by the administration of Alaska Governor Sean Parnell. The new report reaffirms a previous goal to meet 50% of Alaska’s electric power needs through renewable energy resources by 2025, but the key substantive policy difference is a new goal to achieve a 20% increase in energy efficiency and conservation by 2020.

Energy efficiency is a cost-effective way to reduce the need for new energy sources in the first place – an important goal that the Palin plan lacked.  It is a notable improvement, but the plan relies too heavily on fossil fuels to truly move Alaska toward a clean energy future.
Click on above link for full story.

Alaskans mourn death of former Gov. Walter Hickel - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - The voice of Interior Alaska since 1903

SITKA, Alaska - Alaskans on Saturday mourned the loss of former Gov. Walter J. Hickel and remembered him as a visionary and a maverick.

Alaska Democrats, meeting for their convention in Sitka, had a moment of silence in honor of Hickel, who served as Interior secretary under President Richard Nixon until Hickel was dismissed for objecting to the treatment of Vietnam War protesters.

A ripple of "Oh!" and "Oh, my God" rippled through the audience as word of his death, at age 90, was announced Saturday morning.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - No easy path Report outlines costs methods of renewable energy conversion

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - No easy path Report outlines costs methods of renewable energy conversion
The Alaska Energy Authority has completed an informative and useful study of the state’s energy challenges. It’s also rather daunting.

The study, presented this week at an energy conference in Fairbanks, described both the problems Alaska faces in trying to move to renewable energy sources and some ways it can try to overcome those problems.

Among the more interesting items in the report are estimates of how much it would cost to substantially increase the use of renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectric, geothermal and wind plants, throughout Alaska.


Click links above for full story.

Congressman Young states favorable AK-BC Intertie position, Wrangell Sentinel

Wrangell Sentinel - the oldest continuously published paper in Alaska.
Alaska’s lone U.S. House Representative visited Wrangell Apr. 14 and Petersburg Apr. 15 to discuss various topics with residents including hydropower development, the recently passed health care bill, Sealaska and timber production.


Republican Don Young used a meeting with members of the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce to reaffirm his decision to run for a 20th term in the House.
“I am running, and will run hard,” Young said.


Young said that hydropower is as important to Southeast residents as the gas line is to the rest of Alaska. He said that hydropower development should be a priority.
“There should be an abundance of hydro power,” he said.


He said that developing an intertie between Southeast communities as well as between Alaska and British Columbia would benefit the local economy.

Click link above for full story in the online edition of the Wrangell Sentinel

VoteVets.org

I was asked to post this by an Iraq veteran. It makes a lot of sense, whether you agree with climate change or not. America needs to become less dependent upon middle east sources of energy. We have it all here in Alaska from oil & natural gas to a rich renewable energy portfolio. We can choose to have a secure, economic future.