The Alaska Democratic Party overhauled its party platform during its recent convention, inserting language in support of aggressive climate policies and rescinding its support for the state's vital fossil fuel industry, which generates the large majority of Alaska's revenue.
The changes were highlighted in an internal party document reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. The document shows that the bulk of the changes to the Alaska Democratic Party's final 2024 platform—an amended version of the platform last updated in May 2022—came in its environment, natural resources, and energy section.
Overall, the new platform opposes all fossil fuel exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, calls for a "rapid transition to renewable energy sources," endorses carbon pricing as an explicit way of suppressing demand for fossil fuels, characterizes climate change as an "emergency of the highest order," and rescinds the party's past support for the fossil fuel industry.
Alaska Democrats' blunt alterations to their official platform underscore the tension between the national Democratic Party's broad support for left-wing climate policies and the state Democratic Party's tenuous relationship with the fossil fuel industry, a key economic driver in Alaska. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the state's energy demand per capita is the highest in the nation, and the state government is mainly funded by fossil fuel revenues. Last year, for example, 64 percent of the state's revenue came from taxes on oil and gas production alone, according to data from the Alaska Department of Revenue.
"Although the Alaska oil and gas industry historically has made, and continues to make, vital contributions to Alaska’s economy, the currently advanced state of climate disruption requires that the world transition away from fossil fuel use as soon as possible," the new platform states. "We support a rapid transition to renewable energy sources, which are now cheaper than fossil fuels."
While the party's previous platform opposed "unsafe" oil and gas exploration, leasing, and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the new platform opposes all fossil fuel development in the refuge because of its impact on a nearby tribal community.
In addition, the new platform details support for a carbon pricing policy to be implemented at the state or federal level as a means to disincentivize continued reliance on fossil fuels. The document states that the policy, which essentially penalizes industry for emissions, is the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The document also scrubs a section from its 2022 platform on "conventional energy," which endorsed continued onshore and offshore fossil fuel production. It now calls for an immediate transition from fossil fuels to green energy sources.
The platform puts a spotlight on Rep. Mary Peltola (D., Alaska), a first-term congresswoman representing the state's at-large congressional district. Peltola is locked in a tight reelection contest for her seat, which has historically been held by Republicans.
While Peltola has sought to distance herself from many of the Biden administration's climate policies targeting Alaska during her short tenure, she touted her efforts to push green energy during remarks she made last month at the Alaska Democratic Party's convention, where the platform was finalized, the Juneau Empire reported. She also voted "present" on legislation to boost energy production in Alaska in early May.
Still, Peltola campaign spokeswoman Shannon Mason said the congresswoman thinks the new platform "doesn't work for Alaska" and disagrees with the Biden administration's actions curbing energy production in Alaska. Mason also noted a statement that was read on Peltola's behalf at the convention that called for a "comprehensive energy approach" that harnesses both traditional resource industries and green energy development.
Peltola's opponent, Republican Nancy Dahlstrom, offered a different assessment.
"The Alaska Democrats are codifying what Mary Peltola’s been pushing in Congress her entire term there: Marxist climate policies that will demolish Alaska energy production," Dahlstrom, who serves as the state's lieutenant governor, told the Free Beacon. "It shows that Mary Peltola and the Democrats are out of step with Alaskans."
"We do not need ‘carbon pricing’ or a ‘rapid transition’ to less efficient and more expensive green energy. What we need to do is unleash Alaska’s energy potential, and I intend to promote policies to do just that when I unseat Mary Peltola in November."
The Alaska Democratic Party did not respond to a request for comment.