Southeast Alaska Climate Report: New Year, New Opportunities

Written by Matt Jackson

January 12, 2023

SEACC wishes you all a Happy New Year and wants to thank you for reading our first climate newsletter of 2023. We have lots in store for this year, and so does the Biden administration.

New Year, New Incentives

We’re awaiting announcements on big natural climate solutions, like upholding the Roadless Rule, any day now. And effective January 1, tax credits for a whole range of consumer appliances, from heat pumps to induction stovetops, are now in effect. Check out the Rewiring America Calculator for a rundown of how much money you can save on your 2023 taxes, on each kind of eligible appliance!

January 30 Week of Action

I’ll be heading to Juneau for the week of January 30, along with climate activists from around the state, in order to rally for some very modest, actionable climate and energy policies that the state could pass this very year, even in our current political environment. We’re organizing this week of action as a part of the Alaska Climate Alliance, and although you might not have heard much about the ACA so far, SEACC has been a big part of it since it was conceived in 2020! 

We’re finally ready to bring the relationships and coordination we’ve been building for the last two-plus years to bear on the state legislature. We’ll be holding a number of community events that week, including a rally on that Friday, but if you can’t wait to be a part of the action, check out the ACA website. (If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, some of these might look familiar!)

If you’ve already taken our online actions on these policies, consider leveling up your action by calling or writing your legislators directly! In the senate that’s either:

And in the House, it’s:

  • Sara Hannan, 907-465-4766, Representative.Sara.Hannan@akleg.gov if you live in downtown Juneau or Douglas
  • Andi Story, 907-465-3744, Representative.Andi.Story@akleg.gov if you live in the Juneau Valley or out-the-road 
  • Dan Ortiz, 907-465-3824, Representative.Dan.Ortiz@akleg.gov if you live in Ketchikan, Metlakatla, or Wrangell
  • If you live in Sitka or other rural Southeast communities, your rep is incoming freshman Rebecca Himschoot, who has not yet technically been sworn in, but SEACC will let you know once her phone lines are active!

Alaska’s Next Steps

A big part of the Alaska Climate Alliance’s organizing ahead of our January 30 week of action is happening virtually. The keynote event is a webinar SEACC is cohosting with other ACA partners next week on Thursday, January 19, on the next steps for Alaska’s Renewable Energy economy. I hope you’ll RSVP to join me alongside a bunch of other experts who’ll be talking all about climate solutions!

ICYMI: A Southeast Clean Energy Success Story… with more work ahead

To wrap up this newsletter, I hope you’ll take a second to watch this short story describing Inside Passage Electric Cooperative’s successes in developing clean, salmon-friendly hydropower in Kake, and the work that remains to do the same in Angoon. 

If you haven’t made a phone call or taken an action to support the Renewable Energy Fund yet, watching this video is sure to get you pumped up.

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