A couple of weeks ago, ads started appearing on a variety of mainstream and online media sites, directing viewers to join the fight against the Pebble Mine by going to StopPebbleMineNow.org.  Once there, options include being able to see the coalition behind the site.  There are the usual anti-Pebble folks (NRDC, SalmonState and others), as well as an organization that was new: The Alaska Heritage Campaign. Having not heard of them before, Alaska State Director Rick Whitbeck dove into their organization, first looking at their mission statement (“Protect Alaska”) and their body of work.  Typical eco-extremist stuff: Stopping Pebble Mine…

It isn’t often that Alaska’s Governor has a chance to speak at a White House event.  But the relationship between Governor Mike Dunleavy and President Trump is exceptional; the men have met eight times since Dunleavy took office in January 2019.  That relationship most likely helped Dunleavy gain an invite to – and speaking opportunity during – a White House event focused on regulatory reform. Dunleavy’s message to Trump and the other attendees focused on how Alaska will benefit from the reduced regulatory burdens facing many Alaskans, as well as how Alaskans need continued regulatory relief from bloated government.  It…

Every Tuesday night from 5:00-6:00 PM local time, Alaska State Director Rick Whitbeck hosts the “Power The Future Energy Hour” on KNVT (92.5 FM, 1020 AM and online at 1020KVNT.com).  The show (also replayed during the same hour on Saturday night) is heard throughout Southcentral Alaska communities, and acts as a recap of Power The Future activities in Alaska, as well as an opportunity to hear from various members of Alaska’s energy community. Since the show’s inception in January 2018, it has had dozens of guests, including members of Congress, Alaska’s Governor, Lt. Governor, State Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners, members…

Last Friday, over objections from Republicans, the US House’s Appropriations Committee inserted language into the Department of Interior’s budget that would erect barriers to opening the 10-02 area of ANWR to responsible development.  This key part of the Trump energy agenda has been vilified by the extreme environmental movement since it was signed by the President in early 2018. Additionally, the Committee injected more anti-development language into the US Forest Service’s budget, with a single sentence shutting down the opportunity for new roads in the Tongass National Forest.  Those roads would have allowed for limited timber development, infusing hope into…

We all remember the stories:  Congresswoman Gabby Giffords shot at a constituent meet-and-greet in Arizona in 2011.  Congressman Steve Scalise and four others shot during a softball practice in 2017 in suburban Washington, D.C. When candidates or sitting politicians host public events, the hopes are that allies will show up and bring emotional and monetary support for the campaign.  The facts are that there is an ever-increasing chance that political opponents – affiliated with rival campaigns and groups who disagree with one or more positions of the event host – will attend.  Sometimes, they even attempt to disrupt the proceedings. …

Astute Americans who have seen one poor decision after another from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – whether it be on gun control, parental choice or especially energy and development cases – may have fallen out of their chairs when the Court handed down a ruling yesterday. In its unpublished decision in National Resources Defense Council, et al vs Bernhardt, the Court upheld (the equally-surprising) Judge Gleason’s US Federal Court decision, and crushed the legal arguments presented by a set of radical environmental organizations, including NRDC, The Alaska Wilderness League, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Northern Alaska Environmental Center…

Life as the Alaska State Director for Power The Future is incredible.  I thoroughly enjoy my job, advocating for the men and women who work in Alaska’s cornerstone energy industry.  Meeting with them – whether on job sites, in corporate offices, or via online interactive opportunities – helps me realize what a phenomenal workforce we have in Alaska, and how imperative it is for me to do my part to provide the best opportunities for them and their families in the future. I spent the 4th of July weekend on the banks of the Kenai River, at our family’s recreational…

The purchase of the oil leases currently owned by BP was approved by the State of Alaska’s Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, setting the stage for the overall deal to be completed sometime in the next quarter. Hilcorp is a known jobs provider in Alaska. It has grown its business by successfully taking mature fields and injecting new life into them, using technology to drive greater production out of the properties and lengthening their lives.  Hilcorp’s success at Milne Point, with a 50% stake purchased from BP in 2014, and a doubling of barrels-per-day production in the years since, has led many to envision what…

Every Tuesday night from 5:00-6:00 PM local time, Alaska State Director Rick Whitbeck hosts the “Power The Future Energy Hour” on KNVT (92.5 FM, 1020 AM and online at 1020KVNT.com).  The show (also replayed during the same hour on Saturday night) is heard throughout Southcentral Alaska communities, and acts as a recap of Power The Future activities in Alaska, as well as an opportunity to hear from various members of Alaska’s energy community. Since the show’s inception in January 2018, it has had dozens of guests, including members of Congress, Alaska’s Governor, Lt. Governor, State Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners, members…

With Joe Biden holding a double-digit polling lead over President Trump as we approach July, many progressives are getting excited about his chances of victory in November. Power The Future knows that whoever lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will have an incredible impact on what the energy economy will look like in the future. As Alaska begins to rebound from the double whammy of COVID-19 and low oil prices, coupled with a budget deficit that could reach $2B annually in the next year or two, it will be imperative that all options for adding responsible development projects into the revenue…