Renewable Energy
The renewable energy working group of the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition has been the wing of our organization focused on the transition towards clean, renewable energy sources to meet the needs of the Interior and the rest of Alaska. This work includes everything from socially-oriented community events to raise awareness of the viability of solar, wind, and energy efficiency in our region to hands on work with renewable energy installations to working with the Golden Valley Electric Association, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, local nonprofits, and financial institutions in order to arrange for clean energy expansion. This group is among our busiest working groups and we welcome a range of projects and initiatives with it–and we have plenty more to come. Sign up below to get involved!
Organizing works!
In a near-unanimous vote on June 27th, GVEA decided to decommission the largest coal plant in the state, and invest in a wind and battery project that will be the largest of its kind in the state. Although surprisingly, they decided to shut down the Healy 2 coal plant, as opposed to Healy 1, THIS IS STILL A HUGE WIN!!!
After years of organizing from our members, we have helped to initiate a significant shift away from coal and toward renewables that would not have happened otherwise.
In the midst of national decisions taking away fundamental human rights and local ever-present reminders of the reality of climate change, this is a reminder that ORGANIZING WORKS. This wasn't an accident. Today is a day to celebrate. And it's also a day to re-invest in the organizing strategies that work. We have more work to do. This decision unfortunately comes with the burden of continued investment in coal with Healy 1. But we're far from done. If you're not yet, now is a great time to get involved!
See the form below to sign up!
Many members of the Fairbanks community are rightly concerned. If GVEA chooses to spend the $30 million to refurbish Healy 1 in order to keep it open, it will lock the community into a reliance on coal for years to come…