OPINION: National security and domestic energy production go hand in hand

Recent world events are pushing the United States to strengthen its energy and mineral independence, which creates an opportunity for Alaska to meet the needs of our country. When we consider the unpredictability of geopolitics, whether it’s Chinese aggression, escalating tensions with Russia, or ongoing unrest in the Middle East, there is an urgent need to bolster our domestic energy production. My message to our leaders in D.C.: Why not look to Alaska? Between our strategic location on the globe, our lethal military, and our world-class energy sources, Alaska is the key to America’s national security and energy independence.

As a proud U.S. Navy combat veteran, strengthening our national security remains one of my top priorities in the Alaska State House of Representatives. So too does increasing Alaska’s — and our entire nation’s — energy independence by continuing to pursue an all-of-the-above strategy that supports domestic energy production and critical minerals development. Fortunately, these are complementary goals that lawmakers from Juneau to Washington, D.C., can advance simultaneously.

The role of American energy and critical mineral development in strengthening national security cannot be overstated. We simply cannot have one without the other. In Washington, D.C., Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski have been advocating on Alaskans’ behalf to strengthen our energy independence, advance critical minerals development, and support vital national security initiatives. Sullivan in particular deserves credit for his efforts to advance legislation that would help secure U.S. critical mineral independence from China and other adversarial nations. Together, Sullivan and Murkowski have made significant progress in ensuring Alaska has the Congressional and funding to support our growing presence in the Arctic.

As a state, Alaska has incredible potential when it comes to advancing an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes clean energy technologies, such as wind and solar power, as well as electric vehicles. Last year alone, roughly one-third of our state’s total electricity came from clean energy resources. With additional projects on the horizon — a large-scale solar farm in the Mat-Su region and an impressive geothermal project out in Unalaska — we can expect to see a robust energy grid that, ideally, will lower energy costs for much of the population across the state.

In Juneau, we have leadership who is eager to usher in these emerging technologies. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has been an outspoken advocate of tapping into Alaska’s diverse energy potential, through both his policy and hosting the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference for the third year this spring. I agree with Dunleavy’s sentiment of employing all available options to the benefit of our people.

This progress is encouraging, but we are just getting started. These emerging clean resources and technologies require vast amounts of critical minerals. Fortunately, Alaska is rich in these materials — including the abundant zinc and copper resources in the Ambler Mining District — and the U.S. is capable of developing these resources more efficiently and cleaner than any other country in the world.

However, the U.S. remains far too reliant on foreign adversaries, including China and Russia, when it comes to securing the critical minerals needed to support emerging clean energy resources and technologies. Considering the fact that our country is in one of the most dangerous times since World War II, there is a very urgent need for collaboration between the state and federal governments to implement a strategy that will increase the domestic development of our resources

Increasing the development of these critical minerals will not only help strengthen and secure America’s clean energy future and national security, it will also help create good-paying jobs, support our economy in Alaska and across the country, and ensure we are not economically supporting nations that violate human rights.

In the Alaska Legislature, I have been proud to advance commonsense, bipartisan policies that will help ensure a clean Alaska for our children and grandchildren. I was honored to see HB 51, my bill to allow for efficient alternatives in the HVAC industry, pass the Alaska Legislature with near unanimous support during my first legislative session. I was also proud to support legislation to create the state’s first carbon offset program, to extend the state’s Renewable Energy Grant Fund and Recommendation program, and a proposal to establish a “green bank” that would offer financing opportunities to sustainable energy projects across the state. I sincerely hope that by realizing these programs and new technologies, my constituents and Alaskans across our great state can see a lower energy cost.

It is in this same spirit that I hope to see Congress work together to strengthen America’s overall domestic clean energy capabilities and national security by helping to develop critical minerals. Alaska stands at the ready with the resources needed to secure a cleaner energy future and decrease reliance on foreign adversaries. Now, we just need the right policies out of Washington, D.C. that support their development.

Rep. Stanley Wright represents District 22 (East Anchorage) in the Alaska State House of Representatives.

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