Drilling Down Into Gov. Palin's Energy 'Experience'
Say what you will about the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for the Republican Vice Presidential slot, but one inarguable fact remains: she is the only candidate on either ticket with direct energy policy experience. Palin spent one year as chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and as governor of Alaska she has received positive reviews for her work on energy issues ranging from natural gas pipeline construction to patchy statewide shortages of energy. But if she winds up as our Vice President, her Alaskan energy experience might help send our nation’s energy policy in exactly the wrong direction.
In terms of energy, Alaska is not like Texas or any other state; in fact, its closest parallel may be Saudi Arabia. Alaska’s very survival depends on oil and gas, with exploitation of fossil fuels currently accounting for more than 80% of the state’s revenues. Energy underwrites the annual payments that every Alaskan receives, and it is the primary source of jobs and property taxes in isolated native villages, particularly in the Arctic.
When Alaska was first considered for statehood, many feared “Seward’s Folly” would become a net drain on U.S. resources because it would never produce enough revenue to properly serve its residents. All of that changed, of course, with the discovery of large oil and gas reserves within the state’s borders. While there have been periodic attempts to diversify the state’s economy away from energy, the truth is that Alaska today is more dependent than ever on the money generated by the energy industry.
The parallel to Saudi Arabia is striking. Alaska has reinvented itself from a poor and isolated subsistence economy into a petro-giant with shiny new buildings and revenue streams generated from natural resource extraction and exploitation (even though much of these revenue windfalls are collected elsewhere and do not benefit the state.) And just like Saudi Arabia, Alaska has failed to fully develop its human capital, depending instead on the “easy money” generated by fossil-fuel deposits and other exploitable resources. Hollywood and Jack London may like to paint Alaska as the last frontier for self-sufficiency, but the sobering truth about modern Alaska is that the state relies on buried resources rather than its human ingenuity.
Alaska’s other great resource – a unique and pristine natural environment unlike any in the world – is facing new pressures from the effects of climate change. As glaciers wither and permafrost warms, Alaskans have boxed themselves into a corner. At a time when hard choices must be made in the name of environmental preservation, the state knows it must put the interests of energy exploration and exploitation above all others. Without the energy industry, Alaska would falter or fail – and every Alaskan politician understands and subscribes to this point of view.
It is probably unfair to fault modern Alaska for past decisions that have fostered the state’s addiction to the “easy” money generated by the energy industry. At the same time, it is equally unfair for the rest of these United States to continue to feed the cravings of our northernmost citizens. At stake, quite literally, are the environment, national security and economy of these United States. Rather than expanding our nation’s dependence on a resource that will become increasingly scarce, we must focus on increased conservation and cost-effective alternative sources of energy. Fossil fuels will necessarily remain part of our mix for years to come, but an energy perspective that hinges only on continued drilling cannot promote sustainable long-term policy. The bottom line is clear: we must start now if we are to change our energy direction away from the planet’s steadily decreasing supply of fossil fuels.
Governor Palin may have energy experience, but it is simply the wrong kind of experience for a leader charged with securing a prosperous future for our nation as a whole. As hard as it may be for Alaskans (and, by extension, their governor) to swallow, we must find a way to end our dependence on fossil fuels and pursue policies to promote the energy independence that will ensure the continued prosperity of all 50 states.
