As a 50-year member and leader of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1547, a union representing over 4,000 workers in Alaska, I know firsthand that it takes diverse sources of energy including renewable to keep electricity and heating prices affordable and the electrical grid resilient. Certain federal tax credits make renewable energy projects more economical to build and right now we need Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s help restoring tax credits and other renewable energy provisions that were just eliminated by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Trained IBEW professionals help build Alaska’s major infrastructure projects like oil and gas lines, electrical generation plants, transmission line upgrades and electrical grid interties. In addition, we build and maintain wind turbines, solar arrays, hydroelectric dams, and other renewable energy sources that keep power more affordable for all while providing good-paying careers for Alaskans.
As of 2024, decades of federal investment have resulted in approximately 30% of Alaska’s total energy generation coming from renewable sources. This is slated to increase as our transmission lines are upgraded and more renewable energy projects completed. However, the recently passed House budget reconciliation bill basically repeals tax credits that support future renewable energy investments and puts important projects and these jobs at risk.
Sen. Murkowski has always supported Alaska’s energy development including renewable projects and we applaud her for that. Most recently, on April 9, Sen. Murkowski joined three other Republican senators in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Thune, in support of the renewable energy tax credits that have brought direct benefits to so many parts of the country.
“While we support fiscal responsibility and prudent efforts to streamline the tax code, we caution against the full-scale repeal of current credits, which could lead to significant disruptions for the American people and weaken our position as a global energy leader,” they wrote in their letter.
Sen. Murkowski is correct in her public statements that renewable energy tax credits are key for developers to invest in large-scale projects such as data centers, electrical grid modernization and others. Federal tax credits help defray the prohibitive cost on the front end of the projects when it matters most. Without that money, renewable projects that we have workers already trained for and ready to build will be delayed for years.
Continuing to invest in American-made renewable energy production is the only way we can meet increasing energy demand and avoid skyrocketing energy bills for everybody.
Unfortunately, the budget bill passed May 21 by the U.S. House of Representatives bill will implement unreasonable phase-outs, impossible red tape and restrictions and outright termination of tax credits for renewable energy that together make the tax credits completely unworkable. It also repealed home energy tax credits, which have helped Alaskans afford the upfront costs of things like energy efficient heat pumps that can provide huge utility bill savings.
At a time when Alaskans are worried about increased costs of energy, housing, and groceries, it is disappointing that the House of Representatives would take action that leads directly to higher energy costs and cuts good-paying jobs.
Now that legislation is headed to the U.S. Senate, however, there is an opportunity for Sen. Murkowski to help fix it for Alaska. Join us in asking Sen. Murkowski to work with Senate leadership to protect Alaska renewable energy projects and the jobs that come along with it. Our affordable energy future depends on it.
Laura Bonner is an executive board member of IBEW Local 1547.
