One of Alaska’s most radical climate-alarmist organizations is throwing its endorsement behind two like-minded candidates running to serve on the powerful Chugach Electric Association Board of Directors.
The Alaska Center is catch-all organization that advocates for a whole host of progressive causes including extreme opposition to fossil fuels and a transition to so-called “green energy.” The group consistently backs hard-leftist candidates in local, state and national elections, and helps to sponsor controversial social causes such as LGBTQ Pride events.
The Alaska Center is also a strong supporter of the Alaska Climate Alliance, a coalition of more than 50 organizations united by a quest to address “climate crisis head on at all levels of society,” while pushing an agenda that aims to gradually dismantling Alaska’s fossil fuel economy by the year 2050 through increasingly onerous “benchmarks” that the energy industry must achieve. Alaska Climate Alliance members also support anti-oil and gas legislation and green energy bills.
Naturally, The Alaska Center is keenly interested in who sits on electric association boards across the state, including Chugach Electric, which is the largest power provider in Alaska, servicing more than 144,000 customers in Anchorage and surrounding areas.
For the upcoming election, The Alaska Center is endorsing Sam Cason and Mark Wiggin as the candidates who they believe will push a radical green agenda by transitioning Anchorage away from liquified natural gas, the number one source of energy production by Chugach Electric.
“Director Sam Cason and Director Mark Wiggin will do just that,” The Alaska Center’s endorsement proclaims. “Both of these candidates have been serving on the Board and have filed for reelection this year.”
Cason is current board chair, and has said one of the main reasons he’s running for reelection is because he sees the contest as a “generational opportunity” to move towards a sustainable and prosperous future…”
Wiggins said his “first and foremost goal” is “much greater penetration of renewable energies into the Chugach grid in the future.”
The other two candidates running for the Chugach Electric Board are Todd Lindley and Dan Rogers.
Lindley is a mechanical engineer who has spent the majority of his career in the oil and gas industry, focusing on oil production, transmission, process surveillance and power generation.
“I believe that there are entities, external to Chugach Electric that are looking to impose an environmental ideology that could be to the detriment of the rate payer that will drive costs high, as well as bring unreliable sources to our grid,” Lindley said in a recent campaign video. “So, I’m looking to bring a fresh perspective.”
Rogers is an electric power systems controls engineer who has been involved with the Cordova, Kotzebue, Kodiak and Nome electric systems. In a campaign statement he said he is “not an ideologue,” but as an engineer he aims to “look at each situation to determine the best (best being a combination of cost, efficiency and reliability) solution for a given problem.” Rogers said he has experience with renewable systems that include wind, hydro and other technology, but he maintains that this work is only ever successful “if a dispassionate look is taken at the options available.”
TAKING ACTION
Anyone who receives a monthly electricity bill from Chugach Electric Association is qualified to vote in the election, which opened on April 17. Members should have received an email with information on electronic voting. Those who did not receive ballots can call (907) 762-4489. The election goes through May 17, and in-person voting is also an option, which will be available on May 17 at the Chugach Electric Association’s annual meeting. Click here for details on voting options.
7 Comments
green energy isn’t and renewable isn’t with the immense geothermal resources in the area stop and plot a sustainable course…
It’s hard to know what to say that would be effective. A lot has been said to convince people that a natural gas shortage is upon us. Yes, it is true that both the state and federal government are doing everything they can to manufacture this shortage in an effort to create fear so they may redistribute your money from the private sector in the form of inflationary federal tax credits and matching funds. It seems it’s all Juneau knows these days as they gaslight their own constituents, and every vote that goes that direction, either from a co-op ratepayer or a Juneau representative, only makes us more federally dependent, like a welfare case. The best way to control somebody is to give them free money, money that the fed or state had to take from everyone equally so that they may give it to a small select group of people that wish to grift off of the rest of us. Ask yourself why some poor sap in Montana has to pay for solar panels in Alaska and what benefit he or his family might get from such a transaction. At this point in time, the government is borrowing $98,000.00 every second. Yes, that’s right, and to do so is costing 1.9 billion in interest every 24 hours. Does this sound like a healthy economy? Anyone who reads history knows all too well that empires rise and fall on the value of their currency. Every time Kevin McCabe or the boy from Scranton, PA, M Dunleavy, say we need these renewables and CCUS, I weep for Alaska and its children. We are the richest state in the union by minerals & energy alone, yet we are the most federally dependent. Does it sound as if Juneau is doing the people’s work? We must vote against anything that keeps us in federal dollar chains. We are not a federal enclave; we are supposed to be an independent state with sovereignty. If I could vote, it would be for Todd.
Cason’s an attorney and self described “utility nerd” (which is code for unqualified self important knob).
Wiggin is confused. If you manage an oilfield services company and think that solar and wind are Alaskan solutions you need to be on that board like I need a dose of herpes.
Lindley? I don’t know him but he would appear to be properly credentialed objective thinker.
Rogers? Known him for roughly 30 years. Sharp guy and the best of the four for that position, easily.
This is an important vote. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. I believe Todd Lindley is the candidate we need. He understands the imminent threat of the climate czars.
radical climate-alarmist organizations should all take a powder and sail out on the outgoing tide.
It’s all B.S. — 100%
I wish Rogers would have put his short video up in the website (like the other three) for voting. Let’s see how this plays out at the meeting.
This board is right up there with the Anchorage Assembly in terms of corruption. They dismissed concerns of a blatant conflict of interest regarding one of the green board members, Jim Nordlund. He was the chair on REAPs (Renewable Energy Alaska Project) board! He is STILL on REAPs board but not as the chair – as if somehow him stepping down from a chair position makes it any better. This conflict was pointed out just before the board was to vote in SUPPORT of a disasterous Renewable Portfolio Standard, which REAP HEAVILY supports – its plastered all over their website while the CEO (Chris Rose) is continually in Juneau lobbying our representatives and called in for invited testimony on the Green New Deal energy bills. The attorneys at Chugach Electric decided that Nordlund was NOT a conflict of interest because the vote to support the Renewable Portfolio Standard hadn’t occurred! He voted yes on it, near unanimously this board voted to adopt disasterous legislation where rates have skyrocketed everywhere implemented. Luckily, Todd Lindley and Dan Rogers will do what is sensible for the ratepayers. The incumbents have got to go!