by Ben Boettger | Feb 26, 2024 | Civics, Climate Change, Energy & Alaska, Government, Homer Electric Association, Local Economies
In a deliberative democracy, ideas that may start off rough have a chance to be polished and cleaned on the way to becoming policy. In legislative hearings, bills are scrutinized from many angles by many stakeholders. Although the process can be frustrating to watch,...
by Ben Boettger | Oct 17, 2023 | Civics, Energy & Alaska, Government
In February, Gov. Dunleavy created the Alaska Energy Security Task Force by executive order and charged them with making plans to lower the state’s energy costs. The Task Force intends to deliver a Statewide Energy Master Plan by Dec. 1 and is now taking public...
by Ben Boettger | Aug 16, 2023 | AK LNG, Climate Change, Energy & Alaska, Government
The Paris Agreement seeks to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to give the planet a decent chance of avoiding the worst outcomes of climate change. To hit this target, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calls for reducing...
by Ben Boettger | Jul 14, 2023 | Climate Change, Energy & Alaska, Government, Homer Electric Association, Local Economies
It’s been a little over a year since Hilcorp warned the local utilities, which depend on their gas supply, not to rely on future supply contracts from them. Since then, our four regional electric co-ops and gas distributor ENSTAR have been studying the cost and...
by Ben Boettger | Jun 16, 2023 | Clean Water, Climate Change, Energy & Alaska, Government, Healthy Habitat
In a recent decision hitting Hilcorp with a $265,500 fine for violating an approved drilling plan, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) cited the company’s “track record of regulatory noncompliance.” It sounds a lot like the...
by Cook Inletkeeper | May 8, 2023 | Clean Water, Government, Healthy Habitat, Salmon
On April 25th, Senators Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) introduced the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act – a bill that represents an unprecedented rollback of protections for federal public lands and prioritizes the interests of mining...
