Renewable Portfolio Standards Would be Bad for Alaska

August 29, 2023

If the eco-left has its way, the majority of Alaska’s population will be powered and heated not by its abundant oil and natural gas, but by unreliable wind and solar.

Conveniently overlooking the fact that localities, states and even countries who have embraced those goals have been hit both with exponentially higher costs and decreased reliability, a coalition of environmental groups continue to push for a ‘renewable portfolio standard’ (RPS)  for Alaska’s main population corridor between Fairbanks (to the north) and Homer (to the south).  The RPS would have 80% of the Railbelt’s energy come from renewable sources by 2040, a dramatic change from today’s 15%. 

Parroting talking points from doomsday pundits warning of potential natural gas shortages for the southern part of the Railbelt by the end of the decade, the activist organizations would rather put Alaskans’ health and safety under the whims of wind and solar solutions.  Let’s ignore the long winters and daytime-versus-nighttime imbalances for much of the year, or that wind tends to be minimal for long stretches of time over much of the Railbelt.

Think about the damage to Alaska’s economy, as well as the threats to life, if the wind didn’t blow, the sun didn’t shine and 80% of the energy solution proposed by the extremists failed.  That’s the risk Alaska faces with RPS.  It is time for rational Alaskans to fight back against the plot, by contacting their local and state leaders and letting them know RPS is a bad idea.