The AKPIRG Advocate, January 2025
Meeting the moment: federal chaos
The news coming out of Washington D.C. in recent weeks has been nothing short of alarming for communities across the country, and especially in Alaska. With the overwhelming barrage of destructive Executive actions happening in Washington, it can be hard to know how to take a stand.
At AKPIRG we are focusing on what we know best: ensuring that the government works for the people and making sure consumers are protected. All of that is at risk for the foreseeable future, with Tribes disproportionately impacted by various funding freeze actions.
Something you can do today to hold your elected officials accountable is join us in opposing the nomination of Russ Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. As a key orchestrator of the current onslaught of executive orders and one of the architects of Project 2025, a functioning and accountable government is untenable under his leadership. Make your voice heard to your congressional representatives. Below are the numbers to contact Senator Dan Sullivan and Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Senator Dan Sullivan: (202) 224-3004
Senator Lisa Murkowski: (202) 224-6665
We applaud Senator Murkowski for standing up for Alaskans and already publicly opposing various decisions from the Executive office in the past two weeks. Denali has always been and will always be Denali.
You can also support AKPIRG’s Kodiak language access and voter team working to aid immigrant communities on the island working towards citizenship. Consider making a donation to support this essential service to Alaskan families: akpirg.org/donate
AKPIRG works on so many issues, and we are seeing the immediate impact of these Executive actions across the board. There is so much to analyze, process, and strategize around, and there are so many resources already available within our communities to protect marginalized people from hateful and unjust actions. We will continue to share information, and encourage you not only to take action, but also to take care of each other.
With care,
The AKPIRG Team
AKPIRG is in our ✨hiring era✨
Apply for two NEW positions at AKPIRG!
We're hiring for not one, but two new positions at AKPIRG!
The Language Access Project Coordinator will be a part of AKPIRG’s Language Access Team (LAT) and will be coordinating an ongoing project to develop messaging around the American Community Survey (ACS) in 9 Alaska Native Languages. The work focuses on uplifting and supporting Alaska Native languages, liaisoning with Language Experts and designers, and building a network of advocates dedicated to conducting language work. Learn more here.
The Housing Organizer (Dena’ina Ełnena/Anchorage) will work with the Economic Justice Lead to address Anchorage’s housing shortage through education and civic engagement. They will facilitate the Anchorage Housing Club, track legislation in the Anchorage Assembly related to housing and land use, and lead community education initiatives on residential zoning reform, tenant rights, housing investment strategies, and other housing issues. Learn more here.
If you or someone you know might be a good fit for either of these positions, please apply or share these opportunities. Applications for both of these positions will be open through February 10!
Subscribe to AETP's Newsletter!
The Alaska Energy Transparency Project (AETP) just launched a newsletter on Substack!
The AETP newsletter provides a roundup of recent news about the electric sector in Alaska, including recent AETP stories, short news pieces, and links to stories in other publications. It also has information about the four Railbelt cooperatives, including dates of upcoming board meetings, board elections, and other developments.
Whether you're an expert in the Alaska energy sector or if you're just a civically engaged rate-payer at your local electric cooperative, this newsletter is teeming with relevant info to keep you up-to-date and informed about all things Alaska energy.
Subscribe today, and share with anyone you think may be interested!
Can you pitch in to help AKPIRG get to Juneau?
A team of four AKPIRG experts are heading to the Juneau for our annual legislative fly-in this February, and we need your help to make it happen! We’re aiming to collect 35,000 Alaska Airlines miles (or $600 equivalent) per person to cover the cost of flights. Our advocates will be meeting with legislators to push for policies that will:
✅ Strengthen Alaska's energy grid
✅ Cap predatory payday loan interest rates
✅ Increase police accountability
…and much more!
Being in-person in the Capitol makes a huge impact on the effectiveness of our advocacy. Your donation, whether it’s miles or funds, will make a real difference in the fight for a fairer, more sustainable Alaska. Every mile counts!
If you'd like to donate miles, email info@akpirg.org 🥳
If you'd like to donate funds, visit the link below:
AKPIRG in the community
This month, AKPIRG Language Access team hosted Neezhrazhii, We Are Healing on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The event opened a healing space for the community to come together for a healing conversation around our Alaska Native languages, our connection to language as a part of our identities, and the way languages connect us to our ancestors and ways of knowing. It was an amazing evening to come together to build a community of support and to uplift one another on our journeys of healing through Indigenous language. Thank you to all who participated and contributed to this conversation!
A highlight of the night was a huge spread of cozy foods for participants -- grateful to the Olive Garden on Dimond for fueling our conversation and for their generous support of our Language Access work.
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum and the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Over the last few months, AKPIRG's Energy Team has been working with the Department of Energy's National Community Solar Partnership to facilitate a series of meetings to prepare for the Regulatory Commission of Alaska's docket on community energy regulations following the passage of the SAVE Act last session.
AKPIRG hosted two of these meetings in January, bringing together more than 60 people across over 40 entities to share information and gain perspective on how community energy can look in Alaska. Just yesterday, the RCA announced additional topics for consideration as part of their docket to include topics covered in our DOE meetings (RCA order still forthcoming).
It’s been so exciting to build on the success of passing community energy legislation last year and now have the chance to bring everyone together to make sure community energy is regulated and deployed in a way that’s fair and benefits everyone in the future. Stay tuned for more community solar updates! ☀️
AKPIRG Strategic Planning Retreats
In one action-packed week earlier this month, AKPIRG staff and board came together to lay the groundwork for a productive year ahead. The Energy Team kicked things off with a two-day retreat, diving deep into policy and regulatory priorities for the year and determining the key energy projects they’ll pursue. The following day, staff from across our issue areas gathered for the Legislative Retreat, aligning on priorities for the upcoming Alaska state legislature and refining our strategic advocacy efforts.
The week culminated with the Board Retreat, where board members had the opportunity to connect with team leads to discuss ongoing projects and hear more about their visions for the organization. With a particular focus on the upcoming executive director transition this summer, the board also made plans to ensure continuity and support during this key leadership shift.
While these retreats are really productive, they are also an amazing opportunity to connect with each other, to have fun, and to build community in our work. Through these conversations, we have established a strong, unified direction for AKPIRG to set us up for successful year of advocacy, and for a successful leadership transition.
There is so much to come in 2025! To make a donation to support AKPIRG's work, visit:
Choose AKPIRG for Pick.Click.Give
Have you applied for the 2025 PFD yet? Alaskans have until Sunday, March 31, to submit their applications!
If you have yet to apply, consider choosing to donate a portion of your PFD to AKPIRG through Pick.Click.Give! Pick.Click.Give makes it easy to support AKPIRG and other Alaska organizations that you love.
By choosing to support AKPIRG through Pick.Click.Give, you are choosing to support more accountability and transparency in our government; more robust language access and Alaska Native language revitalization; more affordable and reliable broadband for all Alaskans; more just and people-centered economic policies at the local, state, and federal levels; and more affordable, renewable energy in Alaska.
Thank you for your support!
