Wind Farms in Alaska Will be Little Help to Native Villages

Alaska is looking to spend $14 million to erect wind farms in six Alaska Native villages on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, according to the Anchorage Daily News. But six wind projects right in their backyard will do little to reduce the cost of home heating fuel for the Alaska Native residents who live in those delta villages.

On the heels of a disastrous fishing season and with home heating fuel nearing $10 a gallon, strapped villagers are pleading with state officials for help getting through the frigid winter months ahead. But state officials are still deciding on an appropriate course of action. So far, they have declined to declare an economic state of emergency for the region or to take any action to provide relief. One state official has suggested the fuel vouchers may be an option for the region under the right circumstances.

The plight of village residents was brought to the attention of state officials in an open letter from Nicholas Tucker, a 63-year-old resident of Emmonak. Tucker took a survey in his village and found that most of his neighbors were in dire need. He described in heart-wrenching detail the conditions faced by each family. For his family of 10, which had paid $1,500 for fuel in just the past month, the choices had come down to fuel or food – the two mainstays of winter survival in the bush.

“For the first time, beginning December 2008, I am forced to decide between buying heating fuel or groceries,” Tucker wrote. “I had been forced to dig into our January income to stay warm during December. Again, for this month, same thing happens. I am taking away my February income this month to survive. Couple of weeks ago, our 8-year old son had to go to bed hungry. My wife and I provide for our family with disability, Veterans’ benefits, social security, and unemployment incomes. We are several months behind on our city water and sewer bills.”

Tucker’s letter, which was published in several rural newspapers, spurred donations and a demand for fuel pricing reform. Most Alaskan villages haven not been able to benefit from lower fuel costs because they had to lock in purchase contracts for their fall fuel deliveries while costs were at their peak. Making matters worse, the early onset of winter froze the river, preventing the bulk delivery of fuel by barge. Much of the fuel now must be flown in, which makes it even more expensive.