Ron Gillham represents District 30 in the Alaska State House. (Courtesy photo)

Ron Gillham represents District 30 in the Alaska State House. (Courtesy photo)

Voices of the Peninsula: Alaska, resource development, and an eye for the future

When Alaskans set their minds toward a project, no matter the difficulty, we do what others say, “can’t be done.”

By Ron Gillham

Since Alaska’s first oil discovery in 1957, we have led the world in industrial and environmental technology, and innovation.

From 1974 to 1977 Alaska embarked on a colossal infrastructure project, completing one of the longest and largest oil pipelines ever built. The pipeline included 11 pump stations, traversed three mountain ranges, crossed 30 major streams and rivers, employed over 70,000 during construction, and cost over $8 billion.

18 billion barrels of oil later, it is clear, when Alaskans set their minds toward a project, no matter the difficulty, we do what others say, “can’t be done.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Though the trans-Alaska pipeline provides huge economic and energy benefits to the state, many remote Alaska communities struggle with energy insecurity. In these communities, expensive diesel heat and power generation are often the only option, causing many residents to spend up to 47% of annual income on energy. If this seems excessive, realize energy our Bush neighbors purchase is already heavily subsidized through the state’s Power Cost Equalization Program.

Upon appointment to the House Resources Committee, I asked my staff to seek solutions to this problem. Through research, my staff discovered a promising new method to produce energy using Alaska’s most abundant natural resource, water.

My office contacted Wave-Swell Energy, and confirmed the Australian company is currently demonstrating a wave energy generator purpose-built to provide low-cost, clean, renewable electricity for remote diesel-dependent communities.

This tech harnesses energy concentrated in marine “blowholes.” Blowholes occur when waves compress water and air into a confined space, resulting in the sudden release of pressure through a narrow vent. Wave-Swell harnesses vacuum energy caused when a wave withdraws from a blowhole creating suction.

Wave-Swell’s installation off the Tasmanian coast has received support from the Australian government and has caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Energy. According to a recent DOE wave energy study, Alaska holds the potential to supply domestic electricity demand for around 82 million households.

In 2016, a study conducted by the Gleneg-Shire Council, in Victoria Australia, estimated a 590-megawatt Wave Swell project, completed over a five-to-10-year period, would likely create 2,248 high-paying direct jobs, 3,122 indirect jobs, direct financial benefit over $1.7 billion, and a value-added output of over $628 million for the local economy.

Other benefits of this solution include lower startup cost, coastal erosion mitigation, low environmental impact, and potential for production of hydrogen, which can be stored and commoditized as heating, transportation and industrial fuel.

The DOE is currently considering Alaska as a potential location for a test like the one occurring in Tasmania. My office is calling on Alaska’s Congressional Delegation, Legislature and Administration to study and support the opportunities presented by this new technology. It is time we assist our Bush neighbors, secure cheaper — cleaner energy, and pursue the next wave of Alaskan energy development. Alaska can power and fuel the world. All we need is the will to define and embrace our future.

Ron Gillham represents District 30 in the Alaska State House.

More in Opinion

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Life is harder when you outlive your support group

Long-time friends are more important than ever to help us cope, to remind us we are not alone and that others feel the same way.

A silver salmon is weighed at Three Bears in Kenai, Alaska. Evelyn McCoy, customer service PIC at Three Bears, looks on. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Will coho salmon be the next to disappear in the Kenai River?

Did we not learn anything from the disappearance of the kings from the Kenai River?

Jonathan Flora is a lifelong commercial fisherman and dockworker from Homer, Alaska.
Point of View: Not fishing for favors — Alaskans need basic health care access

We ask our elected officials to oppose this bill that puts our health and livelihoods in danger.

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.