Will Sarah Palin's Legacy Be Renewable Energy For Alaska?

When Sarah Palin campaigned for the office of governor of Alaska in 2006, the campaign slogan for her and running mate Sean Parnell was "Energy For Alaska." Now the Juneau Empire reports that two state senators are proposing legislation which would formulate Palin's goal of making renewable energy responsible for half of the 49th state's electricity generation by 2025:

"We're at 24 percent already, so we're halfway there with the hydroelectric projects we've already got," said Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage.

Wielechowski and Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, announced the draft plan in Anchorage on Monday. They co-chair the Senate Resources Committee.

Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, was quick to praise the plan for its goal of further developing Southeast Alaska's hydroelectric resources.

"I'm really happy they're including Southeast in there, we're like the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy," he said.

The main goal of the plan is to see that Alaskans have reliable energy supplies at the lowest long-term cost possible, and balancing the needs of both urban and rural Alaskans.

 It's an ambitious goal, but one that is achievable in a state which has such a large potential for hydroelectric, geothermal and other renewable energy resources. If the goal is achieved, the Land of the Midnight Sun would lead the nation in renewable energy use, and former Governor Sarah Palin's renewable energy vision for Alaska would be realized.

- JP