How Would a “Just Transition” Work in Winter in Alaska? (Hint: It Wouldn’t…)

December 15, 2020

You’ve heard the comments about Alaska.  That it is a frozen landscape.  That it is dark all of the time.  That Alaskans live in igloos and run dogsleds instead of cars.

Well, at this time of the year, the vast majority of the state is covered in ice and snow, and daylight ranges from just under nine hours a day in Ketchikan to 24-hour darkness above the Arctic Circle, so there is some truth to the rumors.

Which begs the question:  If the eco-Left got its way and we did away with fossil fuel-driven electricity and heat, and we lived above the Arctic Circle (where there isn’t always a ton of wind), how would we meet our energy needs?

Short answer: We wouldn’t. At least with the current battery and storage technologies.  There isn’t a way to store enough power for the length of time needed before solar panels could begin to capture energy again.

But that won’t keep the extremists holding positions of power within the potential new administration from pushing for their “just transition” away from fossil fuels to renewables.

This is just another example of why Power The Future will continue to fight the narrative that renewables need to urgently replace traditional energy sources.  Besides the obvious impact on jobs and worksites, there just isn’t a way to build out energy solutions that meet the needs of the majority of Alaskans at this point in time.