A coalition of city and borough mayors around the Cook Inlet–including Borough Mayor Peter Micciche, Soldotna Mayor Paul Whitney, and Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel–has formed to address ‘a looming energy shortage in the Cook Inlet basin.”
Last summer the Alaska Utilities produced a report which concluded that the state faces an energy crisis by 2027 if current production levels continue. In response, these local and regional leaders have come together to explore options to meet those needs, while assessing costs and the availability of natural resources, with the intent to communicate their findings to their local constituency.
“The primary mission of this group is sort of what you saw in 2009 to ensure that policymakers, companies, the administration is coming together on solutions to protect, first of all, what an accurate date of concern might be,” said Mayor Micciche. “And then put together a short, mid term and long term plan on meeting the energy needs of South Central Alaska.”
Fifteen years ago, a similar coalition was formed under similar circumstances. At that time, a Cook Inlet gas shortage was also projected. Then-Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan formed the Mayor’s Energy Task Force to analyze the shortage and recommend short-term and long-term solutions. This group created an Energy Watch program to deal with emergency preparedness, worked closely with the 2010 Alaska Legislature, formed a technical working group, and eventually assisted the State and private sector in increasing Cook Inlet production by 80 percent.
Currently, the Cook Inlet hosts several energy suppliers, who Micciche says can play a role in the solution to potential shortages, “We have some local players that are right on the cusp of being able to produce some natural gas that will help supply in the short term. It likely won’t solve the long-term issue, but anything that you help in the short term is going to ease the needs of the midterm and certainly bridge us to the long term.”
The mayors currently participating in the coalition include:
- Dave Bronson, Mayor of Anchorage
- Peter Micciche, Kenai Peninsula Borough
- Mayor Edna DeVries, Mat-Su Borough Mayor
- Glenda Ledford, Mayor of Wasilla
- Steve Carrington, Mayor of Palmer
- Paul Whitney, Mayor of Soldotna
- Brian Gabriel, Mayor of Kenai
- Ken Caster, Mayor of Homer
- Sue McClure, Mayor of Seward
The group says their coalition gives local governments an effective voice within the state regarding Cook Inlet energy.