Opinion: How 3 laws help pave the way for Alaska energy independence

By Ivy Spohnholz, The Nature Conservancy Alaska director, and Alana Peterson, Spruce Root executive director

Warming oceans, shorter winters and more dynamic weather patterns are fundamentally changing how Alaskans live and work. At the same time, energy costs continue to soar, affecting residents and businesses.

Adapting to change is something Alaskans are familiar with; innovation and resilience are in our DNA. We are uniquely positioned to leverage those qualities with a significant boost from three laws — two federal and one state.