The Permanent Fund Division at the State of Alaska’s website has posted a notification saying Alaskans may receive an email that looks like it is from the division, but is not. If you clicked on a link in the email, it would be advisable to go into the myAlaska portal, log in, and change your user name and password.
“WARNING! Some PFD applicants have received fraudulent emails requesting they login to myAlaska or the PFD site and update their Alaska Residency verifiers. These emails WERE NOT sent by the State of Alaska. We recommend anyone who clicked on links in these emails to update their myAlaska password and security question/answer immediately. myAlaska does not send unsolicited emails or texts to users requesting they update their passwords or account details,” the state’s website says on one place.
“*MYALASKA WARNING! There are reports that some myAlaska users are receiving phishing text messages requesting users change or update their passwords. Do not respond to these messages. myAlaska DOES NOT send text messages or emails to users requesting that they change their passwords,” the notice says at the PFD website.
Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one’s own original work. Indeed, it is a shameful and unprofessional intellectual practice; just like stealing someone else’s property. In my opinion, however, a fabrication is even worse practice — the act of inventing false information in order to deceive someone.
I have no tolerance for either — plagiarism and fabrication. In my upbringing I learned an enduring lesson of unintentional plagiarism when I was a second-grade student (8 years old) in the elementary school in Kiev, former Soviet Union (today Ukraine), in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
In the former Soviet Union, during my school years, the 10-year school term was split into elementary (years 1–4), middle (years 5–8), and senior (years 9–10) classes. All grades occupied the same large building and school complex. The academic year was from Sept. 1 through May 30, five days a week, with one short break in the winter and another in the spring. Kindergarten was a separate institution from the secondary school system.
The school curriculum was compulsory for all, carefully censored by government’s officials and standardized throughout the entire country. Textbooks and instructional material were contextually harmonized, for example, from schools in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East to Kiev in Ukraine or to Tashkent in Uzbekistan.
The school discipline was strict and teaching methods demanding, requiring intense drilling and repetitions to learn natural sciences and math subjects, and frequent memorization of the texts in social sciences, history and literature.
My elementary school teacher, Lyudmila Sergeevna Kozlova, was a strict disciplinarian; she demanded from her students absolute obedience, respect and compliance to her orders. One time, our homework assignment was to compose a short verse that would describe our patriotic feelings, commitment and love for the country — the Soviet Union. I was a reasonable chess player for my age, but creative writing was not my “cup of tea.”
So, I chose an easy way out—at home I copied one of Alexander Pushkin’s verses from his famous novel Eugene Onegin. This Pushkin’s novel in verse is considered a classic of Russian literature.
Alexander Pushkin (1799–1937) was a Russian poet, playwright and novelist. He is considered to be the greatest Russian poet, as well as founder of modern Russian literature. In Russia, even today, he is synonymous with William Shakespeare. In fact, my parents had a small library at home and Pushkin was a centerpiece of it.
So, on the following day, I selected a short verse associated with a romantic illustration in the book, a scene where Eugene Onegin confessed his love to Tatyana, another key character of the novel. The next day I submitted “my (i.e., Pushkin) verse” to my teacher. I speculated that in the absence of a better literary option, Onegin’s confession of his love to Tatyana could suffice my love for the mother-Russia:
I loved you. And, it might well be, this notion Is not extinguished in my soul just yet; But may it cease to bring on your commotion; I do not wish to make you feel upset.
I loved you mutely, hopelessly, and dearly, With bashful, jealous suffering one can’t know; I loved you tenderly and so sincerely,
May God grant that another love you so.
~ Translation by David Mark Bennett
At the end of the class, Lyudmila Sergeevna collected classmates’ verses for correction and verification of the students’ homework.
The day after she came to the class with visible enthusiasm and excitement. “We have a genius in our class,” she announced proudly to all classmates. “It is Alexander Dolitsky, our young and talented poet!”
She read “my (i.e., Pushkin’s) short poem” to the whole class, then with a friendly smile asked me to stand up and accompanied by my classmates’ cheerful ovation she re-seated me from the last row to the front of the classroom. My classmates stared at me in amazement, with a sense of admiration and curiosity. I, however, was trembling, terrified inside and wanted to run far away in space or hide under the thick blanket.
Later that day, Lyudmila Sergeevna shared “my verses” with a teacher of Russian literature and language Lilya Gregorievna Dobrova. This teacher, of course, immediately recognized the original author. “Yes, this is Alexander alright,” she declared. “But not Dolitsky, it is Alexander Pushkin!”
Lyudmila Sergeevna was embarrassed that she failed to recognize a legendary Russian poet. She came back to the classroom steaming with anger, ordered me to stand up, grabbed my left ear very hard and pulled me to the back row of the classroom. Then she loudly announced to all classmates, “Alexander Dolitsky is a thief; he stole verses of our famous poet Alexander Pushkin as his own, shame!” She finally released my ear that probably grew up several centimeters longer from her hard grab.
School teachers and my parents were notified of the incident; and for me there was no place to run away or hide from this unintentional plagiarism. My situation in the school was doomed; I was picked on and laughed at by fellow students and teachers.
My mother also was an elementary school teacher in a different school district in Kiev. She was not pleased with my wrongdoing, but realized that some damage control must be done in order to rectify the situation. Several weeks after the incident, my mother set aside a little bottle with red ink in it and commanded me to give the bottle to Lyudmila Sergeevna, as a gesture of goodwill and forgiveness. Evidently, the red ink was a deficit in Kiev; it was used by teachers for correcting students’ work.
The winters were cold in Kiev in the 1950s and 1960s. This winter day was exceptionally cold, about –30C. I walked to school holding a little bottle with red ink under my clothes on my belly so it would not freeze before my meeting Lyudmila Sergeevna. While in school, I sheepishly approached Lyudmila Sergeevna, pulled out the bottle from my shirt and whispered, “This is from my mother, I am sorry.” Lyudmila Sergeevna decisively rejected my offer with a stoic and uncompromising demeanor, resembling Joseph Stalin in a short “woman’s skirt.” “Tell your mother not to send me gifts anymore, go to your place,” she ordered.
So, the gift was not accepted and, therefore, a compromise and forgiveness could not be reached between us. Indeed, for one day I was a talented and promising young poet and the next day my fame turned tragically into “slipping on the banana peels.”
In the following academic year, my mother transferred me to another school in order to provide me a safe environment and fair treatment in the new setting. In reality, an innocent plagiarism of Alexander Pushkin’s verse resulted in severe punishment for my wrongdoing.
Plagiarism is not illegal in the United States in most situations. Instead, it is considered a violation of honor or professional ethics codes and can result in disciplinary action.
Fabrication, however, is making up data or results and manipulating research materials or changing results so that the information is not accurately represented, altered or reported. Obviously, fabrication of data and research are extremely serious forms of misconduct because it can result in an inaccurate information or scientific record that does not reflect a factual truth.
Presently, far-left media and pro-Palestinian “Hamas lovers” notoriously and intentionally fabricate information, misinterpreting history of Israel and the Middle East, and manipulating facts in relation to today’s Israel/Gaza/Hamas war. These progressive “Hamas lovers” continuously misconstruing the history of Judeo/Israel and, subsequently, falsely accuse Israel in genocide, apartheid and the occupation of Gaza.
Dixie Belcher’s article published in the Juneau Empire on February 26 and Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs letter published in the Juneau Empire on March 19 are remarkably erroneous, with no fact checked by the editor of the Juneau Empire. These two pieces are clear and indisputable examples of the fabrication and manipulation of information on the Israel/Gaza/Hamas war. Were these fabrications published in the Juneau Empire an editor’s oversight or were they done by an intentional design of the authors?
As Golda Meir, an Israeli fourth prime minister from 1969 to 1974, observed: “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”
Alexander B. Dolitsky was born and raised in Kiev in the former Soviet Union. He received an M.A. in history from Kiev Pedagogical Institute, Ukraine, in 1976; an M.A. in anthropology and archaeology from Brown University in 1983; and was enroled in the Ph.D. program in Anthropology at Bryn Mawr College from 1983 to 1985, where he was also a lecturer in the Russian Center. In the U.S.S.R., he was a social studies teacher for three years, and an archaeologist for five years for the Ukranian Academy of Sciences. In 1978, he settled in the United States. Dolitsky visited Alaska for the first time in 1981, while conducting field research for graduate school at Brown. He lived first in Sitka in 1985 and then settled in Juneau in 1986. From 1985 to 1987, he was a U.S. Forest Service archaeologist and social scientist. He was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Russian Studies at the University of Alaska Southeast from 1985 to 1999; Social Studies Instructor at the Alyeska Central School, Alaska Department of Education from 1988 to 2006; and has been the Director of the Alaska-Siberia Research Center (see www.aksrc.homestead.com) from 1990 to present. He has conducted about 30 field studies in various areas of the former Soviet Union (including Siberia), Central Asia, South America, Eastern Europe and the United States (including Alaska). Dolitsky has been a lecturer on the World Discoverer, Spirit of Oceanus, andClipper Odyssey vessels in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. He was the Project Manager for the WWII Alaska-Siberia Lend Lease Memorial, which was erected in Fairbanks in 2006. He has published extensively in the fields of anthropology, history, archaeology, and ethnography. His more recent publications include Fairy Tales and Myths of the Bering Strait Chukchi, Ancient Tales of Kamchatka; Tales and Legends of the Yupik Eskimos of Siberia; Old Russia in Modern America: Russian Old Believers in Alaska; Allies in Wartime: The Alaska-Siberia Airway During WWII; Spirit of the Siberian Tiger: Folktales of the Russian Far East; Living Wisdom of the Far North: Tales and Legends from Chukotka and Alaska; Pipeline to Russia; The Alaska-Siberia Air Route in WWII; and Old Russia in Modern America: Living Traditions of the Russian Old Believers; Ancient Tales of Chukotka, and Ancient Tales of Kamchatka.
Maine lawmakers are moving toward joining a Democratic-led multi-state compact that calls for scrapping the Electoral College system to elect presidents.
The state Legislature narrowly approved a proposal to ratify the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact this week, assigning the state’s Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote instead of the winner in its two congressional districts.
If Gov. Janet Mills approves the legislation, Maine would join 16 other states that have ratified the compact, representing 205 Electoral Votes. The pact needs at least 270 Electoral College votes to be activated.
Democrats who pushed the bill through the House and Senate argued that switching to a popular vote system would make Maine and other smaller states more relevant in presidential elections.
“The way states award electoral votes today is creating problems for our nation,” state Rep. Arthur Bell, D-Yarmouth, said in recent testimony supporting the bill. “The current system has elected the second-place candidate twice in our lifetimes and five times in the country’s history. Five out of 46 presidents is a pretty bad error rate. Elevating the 2nd place candidate erodes trust in our democratic system.”
Most Republican lawmakers voted against joining the compact, arguing that it would circumvent the U.S. Constitution and diminish the state’s influence in presidential elections.
In a statement, House Republicans blasted the measure’s approval, saying it shows that Democrats “do not care about everyday Mainers, their rights, their opinions, or their protections under the U.S. Constitution.”
In a statement, House Republicans blasted the measure’s approval, saying it shows that Democrats “do not care about everyday Mainers, their rights, their opinions, or their protections under the U.S. Constitution.”
The move to upend the Electoral College comes ahead of a contentious presidential election that could be decided in a handful of states — including Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania — where Trump currently leads Biden in the polls.
Maine divides its four Electoral College votes between its two congressional districts, often splitting the vote in presidential elections. In 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump peeled away the largely rural 2nd Congressional District from Democrat Hillary Clinton, winning one electoral vote, while Clinton won the statewide race and the 1st District, giving her the state’s other three electoral votes.
Trump carried the 2nd District handily in the 2020 elections, cinching one the state’s four electoral votes. The other three votes went to Democrat Joe Biden, who went on to win the presidency.
Mills, a Democrat, has 10 days to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without her signature.
Maine Democrats also pushed through ranked-choice voting before Alaska adopted the new voting scheme that Democrats favor.
Alaska’s Education Commissioner Deena Bishop has strongly pushed back against the U.S. Department of Education’s attempt to manage the state’s K-12 education funding through federal “guidance.”
During the Covid pandemic, the Congress appropriated funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help states fund their K-12 education systems, which could suffer from reduced state revenues.
For the first time, the federal government implemented a “Maintenance of Equity” clause to ensure that states did not reduce their K-12 funding and use the ARPA funds for other needs.
Now, the U.S. Department of Education is using its “4,000 mile screwdriver” to tighten the hold on Alaska’s K-12 funding formula.
The U.S. Department of Education implemented the Maintenance of Equity clause through “guidance”, not the usual mandatory regulations.
Basically, if a state must cut education funding, it must not cut a disproportionate share from schools with a high population of low-income students and high need students.
It seems that the federal bureaucrats are having a difficult time understanding Alaska’s unique K-12 funding formula. It is unique among the other states because it has an extra funding factor for the remote rural schools due to the very high cost of providing education.
Understandably, it is difficult for a Washington, D.C. official to understand the remoteness of some of Alaska’s schools and its complex K-12 funding formula.
Commissioner Bishop pointed out that our education funding is constitutionally based and equalizes funding among rural and urban school districts. She also says that we did not reduce per pupil state spending to take advantage of federal funds—what the Maintenance of Equity guidance prohibited.
Alaska has a “hold harmless” factor in its K-12 funding formula. If a district loses more than 5% of its students in a particular year, then it still receives 75% of those students’ funding. This is to permit a “soft landing” to a district’s finances.
This hold harmless factor came into play during the pandemic.
During the pandemic, many schools closed and went to remote student learning. Because of this, some students left the brick-and-mortar schools and enrolled in Alaska’s correspondence schools. The brick-and-mortar schools in Kenai, Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks districts lost students and lost the per student funding as well. This is perhaps why the federal bureaucrats believe these districts were short-changed and require about $30 million more from the State.
On the other hand, the MatSu School District remained open during the pandemic and gained students. It apparently was not short-changed.
Commissioner Bishop states in her letter, “For fiscal years 2022 and 2023, USDOE determined that Alaska passed the disparity test and has an equalized program of education funding.” So, why is the federal agency now saying that Alaska is not equitably distributing its ARPA funds?
The U.S. Department of Education put out ARPA guidance to the states in 2021, 2022, and again in 2023. It was very difficult for states to adhere to the continually changing guidance.
For Alaska, the amount of funding owed to school districts was a moving target. In December of 2023 the USDOE said the state owed the Kenai, Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks school districts nearly $8 million. In March 2024 the number was raised to nearly $30 million.
It’s unclear from where the increase came.
This eventually comes down to a question of state sovereignty. The state has the plenary power to establish and fund a K-12 education system. The federal government has no role in a state’s funding of K-12 education.
Austin Reid, National Conference of State Legislatures, briefed this issue to the Senate Education Committee on April 3, 2024. He noted that, “To my knowledge, the Maintenance of Equity provision is the first time the federal government has been given a direct interest in state education finance decisions.”
This overreach by the federal government is very troubling, especially when it comes to funding the education of Alaska’s children.
How far down will the federal government reach its tentacles into Alaska’s K12 funding?
Will the federal government eventually propose a universal K12 funding formula for all states?
Will other states also be subjected to this overreach?
One reporter asked, “When will the Department of Education and Early Development ask the legislature to fund the extra $30 million?” He didn’t seem to understand the concept of federal overreach interference in Alaska’s K-12 system.
As a compromise, the commissioner wants the USDOE to remove the hold harmless and pupil transportation factors from the Maintenance of Equity calculations. She says that this would lower the amount and resolve the problem.
Commissioner Bishop wants both parties to meet to discuss the issue so it can be resolved quickly.
She is more than willing to resolve this issue, while maintaining Alaska’s sovereignty in K-12 education.
David Boyle is Must Read Alaska’s education writer.
Melania Trump has joined the campaign trail. She will be present April 6 at a fundraiser that is being billed as the largest single fundraiser of the 2024 presidential campaign cycle so far, to be held at Mar-a-Lago. It is predicted to raise tens of millions of dollars for the Donald Trump campaign.
On April 20, she will host an event for Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay Republicans known as “the nation’s original and largest organization representing LGBT conservatives and straight allies who support fairness, freedom, and equality for all Americans,” according to the group’s website.
The group did not endorse Trump in 2016, but endorsed him in 2019, a year before the primaries.
Log Cabin Republicans has state and local chapters nationwide, full-time staff in Washington, DC, a federal political action committee, and state political action committees. The group’s website says: “Log Cabin Republicans are LGBT Republicans and straight allies who support equality under the law for all, free markets, individual liberty, limited government, and a strong national defense.”
Log Cabin Republicans have a “proud history of fighting to build a stronger, more inclusive Republican Party. LGBT Republicans and straight allies have chosen to transform the GOP from the inside, working to overcome the forces of exclusion and intolerance.”
The name of the organization refers to the first Republican President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who was born in a log cabin.
When the organization was founded, the name, “Lincoln Club” was already taken by another Republican group, so organizers settled on calling themselves Log Cabin Republicans.
“President Lincoln built the Republican Party on the principles of liberty and equality under the law. The party should return to its roots,” the group says.
The Log Cabin Republicans will launch its 2024 “Road to Victory” initiative during the event at the resort in Florida, which is owned by the Trumps and is where they reside.
Join host John Quick in a thoughtful conversation with Democratic presidential candidate Jason Palmer on the latest episode of the Must Read Alaska Show.
As a Republican, Quick engages in a civil dialogue with Palmer, who recently made headlines by securing three delegates after defeating Joe Biden in American Samoa.
In this episode, Quick delves into Palmer’s motivations for running for president, his background, and what sets him apart from other candidates.
Out of 91 ballots cast in the U.S. territory’s caucus, Palmer won 51; Biden wound up with 40 for a total of 91 votes. As a territory and not a state, American Samoa doesn’t cast electoral votes for president of the United States after the November general election. However, it does hold presidential caucuses and has 11 delegate votes in the Democratic National Convention.
Trump won the Republican caucus in the seven South Pacific islands and atolls, where Pago Pago is the Capital on the largest island, Tutuila, the largest island. The Republicans, all 110 who voted at the caucus, will send nine delegates to the 2024 Republican National Convention.
American Samoa is not exactly Biden country. In 2020, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the Democratic winner over Biden, who took the nomination.
Palmer and Quick discuss the significance of Palmer’s victory over Biden, his excitement about taking delegates to the Democratic convention, and the possibility of bipartisan collaboration, including the consideration of Republicans in Palmer’s cabinet, however much a long shot that is.
Tune in for an insightful discussion that demonstrates the importance of respectful discourse across political divides.
This episode and all others of the Must Read Alaska can be found at all iTunes, all other podcast platforms, on Facebook, and on YouTube.
The deadline to purchase tickets for the highly anticipated McNeil River State Game Sanctuary Raffle is April 7 at 11:59 p.m. Alaska time.
Organized jointly by the Alaska Zoo and the International Association for Bear Research, the raffle aims to raise funds for wildlife conservation initiatives while offering lucky winners an unforgettable experience.
As of this writing, 8,311 tickets have been sold to 1,546 purchasers. Each ticket is $20.
The raffle presents an opportunity for patrons to delve into the heart of Alaska’s wilderness. Winners will be drawn on Monday, April 8.
The prize package includes two permits for bear viewing during M Block, from July 25-28, 2024, granting unparalleled access to observe Alaska grizzlies. Additionally, winners will get a two-night stay in a local Homer hotel and airfare for two with Kachemak Air Service to and from the sanctuary.
Beluga Air outdoor gear packages are also included for two persons so that winners will be adequately prepared for the unpredictable weather.
Those residing outside the United States and Canada who wish to participate should direct contact with IBA via email at [email protected]. Other inquiries or concerns regarding the raffle can be addressed by reaching out to [email protected].
All contributions will directly support vital wildlife conservation efforts. Funds raised through the raffle will bolster the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s non-game species conservation initiatives, as well as contribute to bear research, conservation, and awareness efforts led by the Alaska Zoo and IBA.
Fish and Game manages visitor numbers and activities in the sanctuary. The access permit program was developed after many years of excessive and uncontrolled public use of the area that often put people and bears in danger, the Department says. The goal of the access permit program is to provide the public with an opportunity to view and photograph bears while minimizing their impacts to bears and wildlife habitats. The program limits the number of people who may be present at McNeil River Falls (or the other viewing locations) to no more than 10 individuals between June 7 and August 25.
No one has ever been injured by a bear at McNeil River and since the permit program was initiated, no bears have been killed by visitors who felt threatened.
“To maintain this record, visitor activities at the sanctuary are closely managed and evaluated. However, it is always important to remember that the McNeil bears are wild animals with all the potential for aggressive behavior, so visitors are accompanied by armed department staff. Visitors are encouraged to maintain respect of the brown bear’s home, follow the rules of the sanctuary and your guide, and to have a truly memorable experience,” Fish and Game says on its website page devoted to the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge.
No Labels party on Thursday said it has ended its attempt to back a “unity” candidate for the presidency. For months, the group has courted centrists like Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, and others to make a presidential bid. But it could not convince candidate that it had enough of a base of voters and donors to win.
“Americans remain more open to an independent presidential run, and hungrier for unifying national leadership, than ever before. But No Labels has always said we would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged, so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down,” the group said in a press release. The group had talked to Republicans Chris Christie and Nikki Haley, but both declined.
The party was seen as a threat to Joe Biden’s bid for reelection. It has gained ballot access in at least 16 states, including Alaska.
Asked who he will vote for now, No Labels National Director and former Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto he will vote for Biden.
Last week, the founding chairman of No Labels, former Sen. Joe Lieberman, died after suffering from a fall while in New York City.
I continue my effort to encourage all Alaska government personnel, legislative personnel and business leaders and private citizens to support whatever actions are needed to, ensure continued and increased production of Cook Inlet natural gas for distribution to the Railbelt power system and local distribution of natural gas.
It is imperative that we do what is necessary, to allow the continued flow of natural gas until a dependable, long term base energy source is established that can adequately replace Cook Inlet natural gas. This commentary will contain a lot of what I have recently written on this topic, as this is one of the most serious problems we have to solve immediately.
I have been assured that if the tax and royalty burden for all the Cook Inlet gas producers is equalized, that would go a long way to encouraging the drilling of new wells in yet untapped gas reservoirs of Cook Inlet. So I support HB 276, SB 194 and possibly HB 223 and other related bills that encourage and enhance the increased production of new Cook Inlet Gas.
Some innovation to control or isolate the value of Cook Inlet natural gas, to ensure the world commodity market does not drive our fuel prices to unacceptable levels would be of great help. There must be some way to establish a rate that is fair to all producers that will provide a reasonable rate for heat and electric energy fueled by Cook Inlet natural gas. The future of Anchorage and of all Alaska depends on this energy.
Once we have secured the continued flow of Cook Inlet natural gas we have a good start for our long term energy plan, as we will have a good starting point. This will give us time to work out (plan) renewable and whatever (yet not selected) alternate energy source might become the replacement base energy source that will replace natural gas. We do have an energy storage mechanism that can be charged with excess wind and solar energy, which is Cook Inlet Natural Gas Storage Alaska (CINGSA) on the Kenai Peninsula. (SB 220 is related to natural gas storage, and it encourages continued Cook Inlet gas, I can support this effort.)
Even though the wind and solar are not considered as dispatchable energy sources the compressors for the gas storage can be operated while there is excess energy from the wind and solar resources.
I have read HB 368 and have made negative comments about this bill. I find the bill to be premature in that it is an attempt to force utilities to accept the connection of renewable resources to the utility whether or not they are beneficial to the rate payers.
We do not need to implement RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standards) and that the IPP developers should be encouraged to offer a design that will provide power at a reasonably low rate, not complicate or disrupt the control and stability of the Electric Power System, and that they be free to negotiate agreements with the Utilities concerned.
I think the free market system should be allowed to function without compromise in the development of our power system. If HB 349 (“An act relating to leases of public land for renewable energy projects”) offers benefit to Alaska, and encourages the development of energy resources for connection to the utility without unnecessary burden to Alaska then I might be supportive of this bill. The free market has already been compromised where Cook Inlet Gas is concerned by ESG and other actions designed to increase cost of hydrocarbon fuels.
Since Alaska does not have a pumped hydro storage facility that can accept any and all wind and solar power produced, we must next focus on developing sufficient Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES), to permit IPP (independent power producers) to allow beneficial and profitable connection to the railbelt system. With sufficient LDES it would then be relatively easy, as all excessive production of variable energy sources be diverted to pushing excess energy into the storage mechanism.
A new Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) means by Cache Energy has been recently introduced and could be an affordable mechanism for installation on the Railbelt or in remote communities. We will remain alert for other LDES which can store energy in June for use in January.
In the meantime those who desire to install utility grade wind and solar projects that are to be connected to the Railbelt electrical system, should be encourage to do so, as long as the projects are financially attractive and compliant with appropriate codes, regulations and standards. Without a stable base energy source to depend on when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun does not shine we must depend on Cook Inlet Natural Gas.
A Cook Inlet Tidal Energy project has been funded, but we will not know for a while when and what the Tidal Energy contribution could be. We cannot afford to be restrictive in our energy sources to only allow “Clean Energy” to be added. We can encourage alternate energy sources and other modifications to our power and energy systems
I began writing about the need for a long term energy plan and long term energy storage for Alaska in January of 2016. There is still no plan (I have just seen bullet list of possible solutions, but without implementation) and now that we are running out of natural gas, there still is no reliable long term energy storage. Now is the time for action on Cook Inlet Natural Gas. It will take a paradigm shift to get it worked out, but this time we need to get a plan developed so that we have guidance on what and how to add energy sources to the system to ensure cheap energy, that encourages economic growth, industrial progress, and a very positive future.
Alaska does not need and RPS to encourage alternate energy sources to be developed and added to our system. It would help if each source added was provided with a reasonable estimate of cost per kWh, whether from an IPP or utility. If we have cheap energy it would allow consideration for a lot of new industries in Alaska.
Efforts to upgrade our Railbelt Transmission system should not be done in any manner that would dismiss the natural gas fueled generators as the primary goals should be cheap electrical power and reliable power when conditions are worst (i.e. winter).
Robert Seitz is a PE Electrical Engineer and lifelong Alaskan.
