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,…

When he isn’t faking ‘being green’ by staging a bike ride to a cabinet meeting, or bungling the fallout from train derailments, among many other gaffes, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg’s day job should have him focused on roads, bridges, airplanes, ports and ships. The Secretary has expended tremendous efforts during his tenure to make transportation less carbon-intensive – part of the larger Biden Administration goal of saving the planet from the so-called ‘existential crisis’ of climate change.  Drawing on his (ahem) successes with electric buses while Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Buttigeg has preached the need to electrify America,…

When then-President Barack Obama named Anchorage’s Sharon Gleason to an open seat in the U.S. District Court in 2012, he could have only hoped she would be a stalwart radical when it came to environmental rulings.  Even then, he would have had a hard time imagining how much damage her decisions would have on the state’s economy, jobs and energy future. We’ve written before on Gleason being a darling of the eco-left with her rulings against responsible development, and yesterday’s 74-page ruling in favor of the Biden Administration’s shuttering of Congressionally-mandated oil and gas leasing on the Coastal Plain of…

The last two weeks notwithstanding, it has been a lackluster summer so far throughout most of Alaska, with temperatures throughout the state below normal levels for May, June and early July.  That came on the heels of a longer, wetter winter season that had Alaskans pleading for a beautiful summer, with plenty of sun and warmth. But don’t tell that to the extremists who, on one hand, say that weather has nothing to do with climate, but on the other hand, say that extreme weather is a direct result of the climate crisis. That nonsensical approach to correlations between weather…

Let’s play a quick word association game.  I say “Patagonia”, and you’ll probably say “outdoor clothing”, “microfleece”, “all-weather gear”, or “Chilean and Argentinian wilderness” if you’re a geography buff. After this week, you can add “hypocrites” to the list. Patagonia’s entire brand might be woven around activism and eco-sustainability, but their complete production and distribution network wouldn’t function without oil, gas or mined materials included in every facet of its business. Yet, in a 30-page filing in U.S. Federal Court, Patagonia made it clear they think Alaska’s Willow project should be shuttered.  Its filing was full of the type of…

Finally!  With story after story unfolding about the hundreds of billions of dollars being wasted on ‘green’ energy projects that won’t make any significant difference to everyday Americans, it is great to see money being spent that will. Currently, America imports 100% of its domestic graphite requirements.  That’s right; 100%.  We don’t have an operational graphite mine in the country. But that can soon change, if Alaska’s Graphite One project continues on its trajectory and begins operations in a few years. This morning, it was announced that the project, located on the Seward Peninsula outside of Nome, was awarded a…

For nearly 50 years, Alaska’s lone Congressman, Don Young, fiercely advocated for responsible development of Alaska’s natural resources.  Young understood that Alaska’s entry into the United States was approved on the condition that the state be able to pay for itself – and not be a drain on the federal treasury – by safely and ethically bringing its enormous oil, gas and mineral deposits to market. Alaska’s seat in Congress is currently held by Mary Peltola, whose campaign slogan, “Fish, Family, Freedom”, has sometimes found itself at odds with development opportunities.  Her full-throated support of the Willow project notwithstanding, Peltola’s…

If you think about it – really hard – you could possibly see the rationale behind holding a two-day conference focused on strategies to enhance Arctic mineral development in Washington, D.C.. But it would be much easier to see the University of Alaska hosting the affair, or Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center, or even Centennial Hall in Juneau. Tomorrow and Thursday, guests will ‘have dialogue’ with representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, officials from the University of Alaska and the RAND Corporation in D.C.’s Woodrow Wilson Center.  While anyone can sign up for a few keynote sessions, the entire event is…

No matter how much lipstick is put on a pig, it is still a pig at its core. That analogy applies perfectly to Alaska’s largest electric utility’s latest action as it proposed a rate increase for its 90,000 customers in a filing this week.  The spin around the proposed 5.9% hike, with Chugach noting they are leveling out costs between all ratepayers. They pair that excuse by adding higher costs due to inflation and reduced energy demand among its Southcentral Alaska service area. We’re sure there are higher costs due to inflation (thanks, President Biden,) and with Anchorage’s dwindling population,…