Well-connected environmental activist organizations across Alaska are proactively working to stack local electric cooperative boards with candidates who are ideologically aligned with pursuing controversial and largely unproven alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy.
In particular, a group of climate-focused entities is targeting the Mat-Su, Homer and Chugach electrical co-ops, where local elections are currently underway to decide the leadership of these groups.
Given that these elections generally see extremely low participation rates, the aim is to mobilize left-leaning activists to swing the results in favor of green/renewable energy candidates.
ACTIVIST GROUPS WORKING TO INFLUENCE ALASKA
Lead Locally is a national activist group that works to influence local energy cooperative elections in Alaska and across the nation. Its stated goal is to “stop fossil fuels and build the Green New Deal from the grassroots up.”
“We work in partnership with state and local organizations to identify the most critical down-ballot climate elections, and then we do all we can to rally support for those candidates,” the organization’s website states. “By electing climate champions to city councils, county commissions, and state houses, we can block permitting for new pipelines, ban fracking across states, or win majorities that can pass massive green jobs bills.”
Another climate group working to influence Alaska elections is The Alaska Center, a 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 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.
Renewable Energy Project Alaska is a third prominent left-leaning organization that is proactively attempting to sway local elections in favor of green-energy candidates.
ALASKA CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY CLIMATE ACTIVISTS
Matanuska Electric Association
The Matanuska Electric Association is holding mail-in and online voting for two seats on its seven-member board.
Candidates Connie Fredenberg and Daniel Jensen are both endorsed by the Alaska Center and Renewable Energy Project Alaska. Additionally, Fredenberg picked up the endorsement of Lead Locally.
For the MEA election, mail-in ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 27, which is when online voting closes. Members who did not vote by then will still have a chance to vote in-person at the Annual Membership Meeting. which takes place on Tuesday, April 28, at the Glenn Massay Theater. For more information, call the election hotline at (855) 761-9111
Homer Electric Association
The Homer Electric Association is holding online and mail-in elections to fill three seats on the nine-member board.
Lead Locally has endorsed candidates Mitchell (Mitch) Michaud and Patrick Parker as the most aligned with the group’s Green New Deal agenda.
To vote in the Homer Electric Association contest, voters can cast ballots online, via mail or at the annual membership meeting. Online voting ends at 5 p.m. on May 6. The annual membership meeting will take place on May 7 at Soldotna High School.
For more information about the election, click here or call (907) 235-8551 or (907) 283-5831.
Chugach Electric Association
The Chugach Electric Association election includes two open seats on the seven-member board. Voting will run from April 29 to May 29, with results announced at the annual meeting, which is scheduled for Friday, May 29, at 4 p.m. at ChangePoint.
Of the four candidates running, environmentalist groups have endorsed two individuals – Rachel Morse and Penny Gage. Both of these candidates are supported by The Alaska Center as the most likely to support their anti-fossil fuel agenda.
For more information about the Chugach election, click here or call (907) 563-7494.
13 Comments
Vote Todd Lindley for Chugach Electric Board!
All these candidates probably drive a gas powered car and have a kayak made from oil.
If they want to go back to the Stone Age, then go live in a cave, use wood for your heat, walk to all your location and use a spear to get your food.
Just leave us regular people alone to live our life’s as we see fit.
Just like Anchorage’s last election nobody gets out and votes.
How do you know?
.
If the voting’s “on line” what assures the “results” won’t turn out to be just what the greenies want?
exactly…just like that stupid RCV garbage.
I voted for Dan Green because Michaud oozed leftist mentality.
I just voted in the MEA election. It was fairly easy using their SmartHub App. Thank you Joel for posting this, otherwise I would have missed voting as I unfortunately tend to do with coop utility elections. I urge all other members to do the same to help prevent excessive rate increases and much less reliable energy in the future typical of so called “green” energy mandates forced upon our utilities by board members championed by organizations that despise the fuels that are the mainstay of Alaska’s economy.
Please include a way to email your articles to a friend who does not have FB, Telegram or Linked In but who is a concerned conservative voter who supports the oil industry in Alaska. Thank you for this important article.
Your friend can get the articles the same way I do…in my e-mail. Just sign up to be on the mailing list. Easy peasy.
Vote Todd Lindley for Chugach Electric Board. To keep the power working for us.
I voted for Jim Duffield in the HEA election because he has a common sense attitude toward the ‘renewable energy’ fervor. He knows that current ‘renewable energy’ sources are intermittent and unreliable. Jim supports projects that makes sense for the interests of our members.
I would imagine none of these “green on the outside red on the inside” candidates are questioning the recent EV charging station lithium battery fire that just happened in Coopers Landing. I personally would like to know if and how much taxpayer $$$ were used to build/maintain it and how many actual customers charged EV’s on it.
Just like ranked choice voting these organizations can get people elected because too many Alaska conservative have become lazy and can’t even return their ballots mailed to their house. No one to blame but lazy voters. I, for one, are just tired of everyone screaming about the left taking over. They are taking over because you don’t respect this country well enough to vote! Tells me people aren’t really upset about the people being elected. If so, they would do something about it!