It has been an exciting and historic week to be an Alaskan. We had record snowfall in Southcentral, bringing with it ditch-diving and “guess the lane” driving experiences — and a clear realization of whom the sourdoughs are compared to the cheechakos when it comes to motor vehicle operation.
And it is official: Alaska is in incredible hands for the next four years, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom were sworn in.
Alaska’s voters overwhelmingly chose Dunleavy to lead the state for another term — this time with Alaska’s first female Republican second-in-command — and now it is time for him and his experienced and competent team of commissioners to unleash Alaska’s energy potential.
By pushing back against the Biden administration’s America-last trajectory and near-continuous fight against traditional energy and the tens of thousands of Alaskan families who survive off the income from those jobs, Dunleavy will show America that Alaska can — and must — lead the nation in balancing environmental stewardship with responsible development.Projects like Pikka, those associated with the Ambler mining district and especially Pebble mine are crucial to Alaska’s energy future and economic health.
Dunleavy’s acumen carried us through a pandemic, his confidence defeated any hopes of his detractors’ recall efforts, and his resolve to do the right thing for all Alaskans will offset the Biden plan to further weaken domestic energy production.
I can’t wait to see how Alaska benefits over the next four years under the Dunleavy plan to open Alaska — and especially our resource base — for expanded business.
— Rick Whitbeck
Alaska state director, Power The Future
Anchorage
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