Energy has become THE topic of conversation lately. It seems no matter who you’re speaking to, the talk always gets around to how much oil you’re burning or what you’re paying for electricity.
We live in a community that burns more heating oil per capita than any other in the nation. In addition we pay some of the highest electrical rates in the nation. Yet we have no other viable alternatives to take the place of oil or to offset the high fuel surcharges we are paying on our electric generation. The bottom line is, in the Interior the cost of electric generation, space heating, and transportation has more than doubled in the past four years.
The increasing cost of energy has lead to uncertainty in the minds of a lot of residents. Every week it seems that I listen to another caller talk of having to leave the borough because they are unable to cope with the cost of heating their home, keeping the lights on or putting gas in their vehicle. And it seems those who can least afford it, those on a fixed income like the elderly, are being hardest hit.
As an assemblymember there are limited avenues that I will be able to follow in trying to bring more affordable energy to the Interior. However by working closely with members of our Interior delegation, we may be able to bring the power of the State Government to bear on the problem. If we can get the legislature working on our energy problem, we may be able to help folks stay in Fairbanks.
