A Christmas Wish List from Alaska

December 22, 2021

As Saturday quickly approaches, and husbands everywhere begin to think about what to get their wife and kids for Christmas, it seems like a good time to take note of the Alaskan energy community’s ‘wish list’ for the year ahead:

1. A federal administration stopping its all-out assault on Alaska’s traditional energy projects.  According to Congressman Don Young, during his appearance on the Power The Future Energy Hour this week, since January 21, 2021, no less than 20 administrative and executive orders from the administration have shuttered, stifled and slowed development projects across the state. That is an incredible number, and if its pace continues, Alaska’s bright energy future faces a decades-long setback.

• An election season that keeps Alaska’s resource community front-and-center in its priorities.  With one of Alaska’s two U.S. Senate seats, our lone U.S. House seat, a Governor and Lt. Governor and 59 of the 60-member state legislature in-play next November, there will be many voices talking over each other about where to prioritize election campaigning.  Power The Future won’t be taking sides on races, but will bring our message of the importance of our energy workers to incumbents and challengers alike, whenever and wherever possible.

• Journalists who understand Alaska’s unique challenges and amazing opportunities.  Should a journalist decide to visit Alaska next year to see with their own eyes why and how Alaskans balance responsible development with environmental stewardship better than anywhere in the world, we’d be happy to help with logistics, setting up meetings with industry and more.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency to ‘trust the science’ and approve the Pebble Mine’s permits.  The overreach by the Corps to deny Pebble’s permits by hijacking the regulatory process in late 2020 was nothing short of despicable.  After all, the Corps’ final environmental impact statement was clear: the mine and the Bristol Bay fishery could – and would – co-exist without danger.  The radical environmentalists’ calls to the EPA to invoke a veto of the project would set back the local Native communities’ ability to rid itself of much of its unemployment and government/social service dependence.  With trillions of dollars of components that would provide ‘green’ energy zealots with a way to build renewable energy solutions, you’d think this administration would embrace – not extinguish – Pebble’s proposed plans.

While this isn’t a comprehensive list by any means, it’s a good start.  The Grinch in the White House has damaged Alaska this year.  Let’s hope the jolly old man from the North Pole can bring holiday joy to our state moving forward. Merry Christmas!