Dunleavy creates new office of energy innovation

22
367

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy today signed Administrative Order No. 340, creating the Office of Energy Innovation to address the evolving energy needs of Alaska.

The order is issued amid recent destabilizing global events that have illustrated the importance of energy independence and with recognition of the positive economic impacts that come from domestic energy production.

The Office of Energy Innovation, operating within the Office of the Governor, will develop policies to support the centralization of the state’s efforts to provide safe, sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy resources for all Alaskans. 

The Office of Energy Innovation is formed with the purpose of developing policies that enable Alaska to capitalize on its vast energy potential to lower cost of energy and enhance the stability of energy delivered to Alaskans; to collaborate with public and private institutions to develop pragmatic, market-driven solutions; to assist all communities in accessing innovative technology and necessary funding to secure low cost reliable energy; and support efforts that enhance Alaska’s role in a national clean energy future through the development of a strong and responsible critical minerals mining program and the investment in emerging energy technologies.

“Alaska is an energy giant in all its forms. We’ll continue to be an oil and gas giant, but we are all in for every form of energy – wind, solar, hydro, tidal, geothermal, micronuclear, and hydrogen. The Office of Energy Innovation will coordinate this pursuit of sustainable, dependable, and affordable energy,” Dunleavy said. “From AEA’s electric vehicle charging station plan to the U.S. Air Force this week releasing a RFP for the Eielson Air Force Base micro-reactor pilot program, Alaska has seen a number of exciting developments recently. This is an exciting time for energy and the Office of Energy Innovation will make sure we don’t miss a single opportunity to support Alaska’s energy independence.”

Dunleavy announced the Office of Energy Innovation at Alaska Energy Authority in Anchorage, alongside Department of Natural Resources Acting Commissioner Akis Gialopsos, AEA Executive Director Curtis Thayer, President & CEO John Burns of Golden Valley Electric Association, CEO Tony Izzo of Matanuska Electric Association, Associate Vice Chancellor Gwen Holdmann of University of Alaska, and President Frank Richards of Alaska Gasline Development Corporation. 

“Alaskans need energy supplies that are stable and secure,” Commissioner Gialopsos said. “A coordinated effort under Governor Dunleavy’s Office is a tremendous step forward that focuses agencies’ efforts on Alaska becoming a leader in both carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and building the critical minerals of this state and nation.”

“As the State’s energy office, we are committed to ensuring that all Alaskans have access to safe, reliable, affordable energy,” Thayer said. “This Administrative Order builds on and reaffirms the work that the State of Alaska has already undertaken with our partners here today, and will contribute to economic growth and job creation, as we accelerate our transition to a clean energy economy.”

“Alaska has tremendous capacity to produce clean and affordable hydrogen in the form of ammonia to meet the growing demand from Alaskans and world markets. The Alaska LNG project can deliver North Slope natural gas to re-start existing and jump start future ammonia production in Nikiski,” said Richards of AGDC. “Governor Dunleavy’s new Office of Energy Innovation will foster vital collaboration between numerous Alaska stakeholders to craft a versatile and innovative energy future for Alaska and the nations around the world who look to us for energy abundance and security.”

The order takes effect immediately and will utilize existing personnel and resources within the Office of the Governor. 

22 COMMENTS

  1. He’s. In big trouble!! He said the “n-word” that is anathema to the greenie-weenies. Nuclear.. There, I said it

    • Alaska has a rich history w/ nuclear power that gets talked about very little. Our Military completely botched a U235 plant at Fort Greely years ago including multiple events where the plant was fully vented to atmosphere.

      Eventually the coolant was drained directly into the aquifer and the facility was shut down. It’s been monitored closely in recent decades and IIRC there was an RFP to finally dismantle the facility such that it could no longer be pointed at as the blight on our Military’s management history.

      Want to look it up? Google Ft. Greely SM-1A nuclear reactor. If you’d like the government’s lie about the intended use of the facility (some nonsense about primary and secondary use w/ no reference to enriched uranium) you can at least confirm for yourself that this is not a new thing. The plant was built in 1958 w/ initial criticality achieved in 1962.

      Paste the following link into your browser and change the prefix from ww. to www. in order to keep the traffic from being routed through Suzanne’s site.

      ‘https://ww.akleg.gov/basis/get_documents.asp?docid=92731

      Trusting your government has always worked out well.

      • That has nothing to do with the proposed plant which is a different design generation as different asaV2 is from aFalcon9

      • The SM1A neededuranium at a higher percentageel, because of the small size. The small modular ones being planned don’t , different fuel arrangement.ceramic coated Pellets, rather than zirconium clad rods.

  2. This may seem an odd step to some but just wait until the our Demented in Cheif extends an olive branch to Europe. First he told the world he’d take out the Russian pipeline and now he looks like a mean spirited stupid man. Next he’ll tell Europe that he’ll pass some gas for them and you’ll see your home heating bill rocket northward because that’s the way a free market works.

    He’s about to make a promise that you’ll pay for if there isn’t a stop gap measure in place.

    • Bosk,

      The last paragraph says “The order takes effect immediately and will utilize existing personnel and resources within the Office of the Governor.” No new bureaucrats, just using existing ones.

      • With respect, we note the last paragtaph does not say “… and will utilize -only- existing personnel and resources within the Office of the Governor.”

  3. Why not cut to the chase…
    .
    Is this festival meant to revive the gas pipeline boondoggle so China Bill Walker’s people can maneuver Alaska into a debt-trap deal like they did with Sri Lanka, for example?
    .
    What, Governor Dunleavy, will protect productive Alaskans from the rampant waste, fraud, mismanagement, bid rigging, and plain ole racketeering that inevitably accompanies megaprojects generated by the very groups which, to date, have a spectacularly dismal record of spending themselves into oblivion while producing little or nothing worthwhile?

  4. I like this approach. The main problem I have had with the so-called green energy approach is that the promoters have been at this for a few decades, but have not been able to put forth a technology to actually make this happen, especially in colder climates like Alaska. Compare this with the big push to put a man on the moon, which was done in 10 years. There doesn’t appear to be a real concerted effort to get this project done by the so-called green forces. However, sometime in the future this will be done, and this looks like a good bet to not only keep Alaska in the game, but combine all the resources that Alaska has in one office to better keep up with all the technology coming down the pike and be able to react quickly. Also, Alaska can also coordinate its own efforts and get ahead of the curve.

    • Joel, good point, value added like the Urea plant that used to operate down on the Kenai. Urea is in short supply these days.

  5. Nice of him to set up a department for Bill Walker to finish destroying Alaska while making himself richer.

    Dunleavy is like the guy who stops when you have a flat tire and watches while you change it. He means well but delivers nothing useful.

  6. Run of the river water power that works under ice, which does exist, is the most economical and consistent. It’s only recently that the feds allowed it to be used, but only with a permit. The feds have stopped smaller water power in the usa for the last 100 years or so. Even now, put a paddle wheel in a creek and see what happens. Corrupt!

  7. It’s just another couple hundred grand do-nothing think tank that will get tacked on to our property taxes.
    If a single one of those agencies listed had any value at all, or a shread of common sense, we could dispense with all the rest of them.
    This is an industry, fleecing the taxpayers.
    Nothing more or less.

  8. The only thing I can think of is that he is too much a Coward to call his own shots.
    That, or he is spreading money about for political reinforcement.
    This is pure, refined and distilled B.S. on our dime.

  9. The Free Market fills voids that need to be filled. Government shoves square pegs into round holes that the Free Market knows should be left alone.

Comments are closed.