Inletkeeper Blog
The West Su Industrial Access Road: Legislative Outcomes and What’s Next
The proposed West Su Industrial Access Road, a 100+ mile road built with public funds that would open up a new mining district west of the Susitna Valley, garnered attention from Alaskan lawmakers during this spring’s legislative session.
Energy Tax Credits
Energy burden is the percentage of a household’s annual income that is spent on heat, electricity, and fuel. The average U.S energy burden is 2.7%. Alaska’s is 4.3%.
Lawsuit Filed to Shield Belugas and Waters from Johnson Tract Mine
Cook Inletkeeper has joined with partner organizations in a lawsuit to stop the Johnson Tract Gold Mine. If it proceeds, the mine will threaten one of Alaska’s last truly wild coastal ecosystems.
The Su Dam is Not the Way to Energy Independence
The Su Dam isn't the way to energy independence – why is it coming up now? Electric cooperatives are run by leaders elected by their member-owners – that is, everyone who pays an electric bill. These boards are meant to vote on the direction of the co-op and to...
Johnson Tract Gold Mining Exploration Threatens Lake Clark National Park, Beluga Critical Habitat
Inletkeeper joined the Center for Biological Diversity, the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, and a local stakeholder who fishes in Tuxedni Bay in a lawsuit aimed at protecting the vital ecosystems and the human economies of the Johnson River and Tuxedni Bay from impacts related to the proposed Johnson Tract Gold Mine.
Tilt of the Earth
Thanks to our high latitude and the tilt of the Earth, Alaska has summer days when the sun barely sets and winters when it barely rises. As daylight stretches out, home solar owners are now entering their most productive time of the year. At the peak of summer, some...
How to cast your ballot in the HEA election
The 2025 Homer Electric Association Board of Directors election is going on until April 30, but if you've been eagerly waiting for HEA to mail your ballot, stop waiting -- no paper ballot is coming in the mail. Instead of mailing physical ballots to members this year,...
Addressing the Hilcorp-Shaped Elephant in the Room: Why Alaskans Should Support SB 92
SB 92 aims to close a glaring loophole in Alaska’s tax code—one that allows pass-through entities, known as S corporations, to avoid paying state corporate income taxes. While most large corporations contribute to state revenues through corporate income taxes, oil and gas S corporations, such as Hilcorp, do not pay a dime in state income tax under current law.
The High Cost of the Homer Electric Association’s Lost Time
Between next month and April 2026, Homer Electric Association will rely on what is practically a Potemkin village of a gas supply contract – a propped-up, two-dimensional facade with no building behind it. The best deal HEA could get after losing its Hilcorp contract a year ago was a one-year agreement with ENSTAR, which now faces its own challenges supplying gas for HEA.
Public Comments Needed: Don’t Fund the West Su Access Road
Comments are due March 20th. Speak out about this misuse of public funds today. Tell the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) not to fund the controversial West Su Access Road (STIP Projects 34206 & 34461) in their Amendment #2 to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program proposal!