In Kotzebue, 30 miles above the Arctic Circle, survival has always meant self-reliance. We work with what we have, fix what breaks and help each other get through the long winters. That’s how life works in rural Alaska. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing with clean energy.

I used to think solar power wouldn’t work this far north. Too cold. Too dark. I was wrong. We get strong sunlight for about eight months of the year, and when the sun disappears, the wind steps in. Together, they balance each other out. That’s what makes renewables work here: not one-size-fits-all solutions, but ones built to fit our unique conditions.

I’ve served as the energy manager for the Native Village of Kotzebue for the past three years and have seen firsthand how far we’ve come. Our community put up its first wind turbine back in 1997. In 2020, we installed one of the region’s largest solar farms. And now we’re working toward our most ambitious project yet: a 700-kilowatt midscale solar system that could supply clean power and sell it back to our electric cooperative.

That revenue could help lower electricity costs for the entire community and support essential services. In the short term, it would create about 20 good-paying jobs. Long term, it could sustain three or more permanent positions — an important investment in a place where economic opportunity is often hard to come by.

Right now, Congress is putting all of that at risk. The House of Representatives recently voted to eliminate the solar tax credit that has helped millions of families, businesses, schools and communities transition to clean energy over the past 2 decades. And now this measure is in front of the Senate. If they vote to repeal it, they’ll be pulling the plug on projects that communities like mine have spent years working toward.

This is about letting us keep doing what we’ve already proven we can do — power our communities independently. Energy sovereignty isn’t a buzzword here. It’s the path forward for Alaska. It’s a matter of control, stability, and passing down something better to the next generation.

We’ve been doing the work. We’ve been building the systems. We’re investing in local jobs, local infrastructure and long-term solutions that reduce reliance on expensive diesel imports. And we’re doing it in one of the harshest climates on earth. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary.

Now we need our senators to do their part.

Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan, don’t let Washington make this decision for Alaskans. Don’t let short-term politics derail long-term progress and undermine the trust our communities have put in you. Stand with the Alaskans who are leading the way, who are simply asking to keep building a better future with the tools we already have.

We’re not asking you to believe in a theory. We’re showing you what’s already working in rural Alaska. Help us keep the lights on. Help us keep the jobs here. And help us make sure that communities like Kotzebue aren’t left behind when we’ve already come so far.

Chad Nordlum lives in Kotzebue and is energy manager for the Native Village of Kotzebue tribal government.

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