By KASSIE ANDREWS

The Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference kicked off with Gov. Mike Dunleavy hosting a powerhouse panel that featured Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Day one had a distinct tone. The cabinet was serious, unapologetic, and grounded. The adults were in the room, and they didn’t mince words. The message was crystal clear: energy must be reliable, affordable, and serve the people by way of human progress—not special interests or sacrifice under the guise of climate virtue.

What stood out wasn’t just what they said but that they’d been here—boots on the ground in Alaska. The cabinet spent real time in the state, including the North Slope, listening and learning. That experience shaped their words and gave their vision both weight and credibility. A testament to the sincerity of their visit and mission, EPA Administrator Zeldin commented that he wanted to return to a future conference where he would be met with chants about love for the EPA, a notable departure from prior administrations.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum didn’t hold back as he addressed the decades of federal overreach in Alaska, dating back to when Alaska first became a state—saying Alaska has been “fighting for statehood every day since.”

From canceled projects to ignored locals and flat-out illegal interference, Burgum laid it out—the federal government’s role is limited—and this administration intends to fight to make that a reality.

He pointed to key examples where regulation has stifled opportunity, particularly in the timber and mining industries. Despite Alaska’s vast resources, he said the free world has allowed itself to become dangerously dependent on China for critical and rare earth minerals.

The solution? “We have to get back to mining. We have to get back in the timber game.”

Burgum condemned the Biden administration’s cancellation of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) lease sales—sales that were legally held and paid for under President Trump, who had fought to open ANWR for development.

In a sharp rebuttal to media spin, Burgum recounted a recent tussle over the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPRA). When a reporter accused him of “opening wilderness,” he didn’t hesitate: “There’s no wilderness that’s being touched.”

He reminded the audience that NPRA “is a National Petroleum Reserve,” created for the benefit of the American people, to support energy abundance and strengthen our strategic position with allies.

“Yes, there’s amazing wildlife,” he said. “Yes, we can protect all that. But it’s not a wilderness area.”

Ultimately, Burgum framed Alaska’s “real potential” not just in untapped resources—but in finally stopping the federal overreach and overlap that has held the state back for generations.

Midway through the discussion, Gov. Dunleavy spoke about the Inupiaq people of the North Slope, pointing to the rebound of bowhead whale populations as proof of their long-standing stewardship. He emphasized that real sustainability comes from those who live closest to the land and highlighted past failures to include local voices in major decisions. “This is all about people,” he said, making clear that respect, cooperation, and listening must guide the path forward.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin laid out a hopeful and pragmatic vision for Alaska and the country through the Trump EPA initiative: powering the Great American Comeback.

It’s built on five pillars:

Clean air, land, and water for all Americans

Unleashing energy dominance

Advancing cooperative federalism and permanent reform

Making America the AI capital of the world

Bringing back American auto jobs

Zeldin spoke on the EPA’s reconsideration of the particulate matter 2.5 rule (PM2.5). Fairbanks faces unique challenges with particulate matter during the winter months and risks being unfairly penalized under current federal standards. In March, the EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, announced a review of the Biden-era PM2.5 rule.

DOE Secretary Chris Wright delivered more hope with a clear-eyed, data-driven message focused on energy, economics, and human flourishing. His central theme: follow the math and serve the people.

Wright made it clear: energy is the biggest driver of human progress. We’ve spent $3–6 trillion on wind, solar, and batteries—just for 3.5 percent of global energy.

Oil, gas, and coal? Still at 85 percent, same as 50 years ago.

He dismantled the idea of “clean” or “renewable” as anything more than “inaccurate marketing terms,” reminding the audience that every energy source requires land and materials and comes with trade-offs. As he put it, “So they’re not really focused on climate change, but it’s sort of the license to turn off your logic switch when you talk about energy.”

He argued that the only metric that matters is total system cost—what it really takes to deliver reliable, affordable energy to people. From Wright’s perspective, Alaska has tremendous opportunity and a challenge, and under the right leadership, from Gov. Dunleavy, Secretary Burgum, and Administrator Zeldin—”it is not a stretch at all to quadruple Alaska’s total energy production in the next 10 years. One hundred percent achievable.”

The bottom line: with the right leadership, the next ten years should see an explosion in Alaska’s energy production—to the economic benefit of everyone, with massively lower costs for Alaskans, regardless of where they live.

Together, the message from the Energy Cabinet was unmistakable: Alaska’s future is bright, if its leaders are bold, its people are heard, and federal barriers are torn down. The path forward is built on energy reality, not ideology, on unleashing what Alaska already has and returning power to those closest to the land. With the right leadership and renewed federal partnership, the best is yet to come.