Energy Transition
Dear Editor: On Feb. 15, the City applied for expert technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and three other national labs. NREL will select 8-12 islanded or rural communities in the United States for 12-18 months of consultation in planning for resilience and the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. We attended a briefing by NREL and talked to Renewable Energy Alaska Partnership, a local NREL partner. Both counselled that Sitka’s application would be greatly strengthened by stakeholders who could demonstrate community support for implementation of plans.
We organized 16 letters of support that give reviewers a clear picture of Sitka’s ability to obtain resources needed in the coming years. Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the Baranof Island Housing Authority are eligible for monies uniquely available to Native Americans.
The Rotary has a new priority of environmental protection to guide its support of projects in Sitka. The School Board is considering whether Energy Services Companies can plan and execute building and process upgrades without the need for up-front capital, financed over time from energy savings. City government projects can also move forward with ESCOs. Community groups such as Sitka Rainpower, Sitka Conservation Society, Citizens Climate Lobby, Sitka Sound Science Center, Health Summit, and Youths for Sustainable Futures all described their capacities to educate our community and obtain resources.
The Chamber of Commerce and a local fish processor recognized the importance of energy planning to Sitka’s economic future. UAS in Sitka stepped up to consider how to train our future workforce for renewable energy jobs. Our largest potential energy consumers, Southeast Regional Health Consortium and the U.S. Coast Guard noted how their expansions would bring new energy needs. A Climate Action Task Force member described our commitment to help inform the Assembly about how to get the entire community to lower its carbon footprint. We thank all these stakeholders.
Sitka’s application for technical planning expertise is a critical step in what we need to do as a community to have net-zero carbon emissions. But the quickest way to decrease emissions is to have a federal fee on fossil fuels with a dividend returned to households to protect most of us from increased prices. An increasing price on carbon will send a signal to investors, companies, and households that the green energy transition merits investment. The U.S. is bound to pass such legislation since other countries are initiating border adjustments to protect their economies from countries that do not price carbon.
The national Chamber of Commerce, the Commodity Futures Trade Commission, the Climate Leadership Council of former Republican statesmen, the new Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and even the oil majors have all called for a price on carbon.
To add your voice, contact Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan and Rep. Don Young to support carbon pricing, such as HR763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Acting both nationally and locally is critical to meeting the challenges ahead with the climate emergency.
Kay Kreiss, Kent Barkhau,
Sitka Citizens Climate Lobby
