Lawmakers get earful on rural energy crunch

Two hours of testimony Friday from leaders of Alaska’s 12 Native regions brought different stories with the same theme: communities from Barrow to Adak, Shishmaref to Kodiak, are suffering under the weight of high energy prices and frustrated they can’t make use of the state’s rich resources to lower costs, provide security and protect the environment.

“Alaska is one of the richest states in the nation,” said Tony Weyiouanna of Shishmaref, an eroding island community in the oil-rich Chukchi Sea. “We’re here with an abundance of natural resources … and we’re in an energy crisis.”

Rural representatives testified before state lawmakers at a joint committee hearing — the first ever scheduled in conjunction with the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention, a gathering that draws thousands from across the state and is broadcast to villages far from roads and big cities.

In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta of Western Alaska, people were faced with tough choices last year – pay for food, or pay for fuel, said Myron Naneng, president of the Association of Village Council Presidents, a consortium of 56 villages. Alaska is an oil-rich state, and former Gov. Sarah Palin gained a high national profile by touting the state’s potential to bring energy security to the nation, he said.

“I think that is fine,” said Naneng before his voice grew hard. “But it would be imperative we deal with Alaska first before we take on the world.”

Alaska Dispatch