What's Happening Now
HB 271 AIDEA Reform bill will have public testimony on Tuesday March 29, 2022 at 3PM AKST in the House State Affairs Committee.
For more info on public testimony, visit our info sheet or the AIDEA Reform Bill tab. You can also learn more about the AIDEA reform bill in Native Movement’s recent blog post here
AIDEA’s next board meeting is April 13th, 2022 at 10:30am. Please note that time is subject to change and AIDEA is known the change the meeting time last minute. Their January board meeting was pushed back 4 times including 15 minutes before the new start time. Upcoming board agenda will be released April 7th
We will be hosting a public comment training on Tuesday April 12th at 7Pm AKST. You can register to join here
On 8/12/21 AIDEA’s board meeting included a discussion of why Public Relations is NOT Public Engagement nor the Public Process required by law (recording below). Public testifiers demanded that AIDEA improve upon its short notices, hard to find meeting information, confusing hours of silence while on hold during endless (and illegal) executive sessions, abruptly opened and shut public comments, AIDEA’s out of touch and secretive decision-making, and to ease the general difficulty navigating AIDEA’s “system” in order to be heard. AIDEA’s behaviors have not changed and they need to be reminded that we know they haven’t changed
ALASKANS HOLDING AIDEA ACCOUNTABLE
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) is a State owned corporation with a longstanding track record of misallocated and often secretive investments in extractive industries across our state. AIDEA could instead invest wisely in a just and sustainable future for all Alaskans • Alaskans are watching AIDEA and demanding a stop to their egregious violations of public interest and public process. Below are snapshots of AIDEA’s failed investments, transparency issues, conflicts of interest, and recent news. • What happens in the Arctic happens to the World.
AIDEA’s board and staff aren’t serving Alaskans; they are making bad investments and need to invest our State's precious resources in regenerative, not extractive economies.
Some of AIDEA’s “investments:”
- Ambler Road
- Arctic Refuge Oil Leases
- Healy “Clean” Coal ($89M loss)
- Anchorage Seafood Processing (>$25M loss)
- Skagway Ore Terminal (Potentially relocated to Haines)
- Pt. McKenzie Port
- Dead End Rail Spur at Pt McKenzie
- The Ferry called Susitna
- Mustang project ($70M loss)
- & so many more
Some of AIDEA's Recent News:
Tanana Chief’s Conference has released a statement about the Department of the Interior’s decision to suspend the Ambler Road Project right of way permit while it carried out a new assessment of the proposed project. You can read TCC’s full statement here and visit TCC’s page Protect the Koyukuk River here
AIDEA ignored federal suspension of Arctic Refuge leases, proposing to allocate $1.5M toward Arctic Refuge oil exploration. AIDEA was one of only 3 bidders on 11 tracts for the Arctic Refuge 1002 area leased early 2021 due to Trump’s 2017 Tax Act. AIDEA is proceeding on 7 of 9 tracts it won, with an approximate total financial responsibility of $16.8mil.
AIDEA disregarded overwhelming public testimony in opposition to bidding on Arctic Refuge leases at their December 23 board meeting, Anna Mackinnon said “public hearings are not votes on an issue” in reference to said meeting.
Letter asking AIDEA to drop Refuge leases by 554 Alaskans in 64 communities
Governor Dunleavy introduced legislation for the Alaska energy independence program and fund (i.e. green bank) to be housed in AIDEA (full text – SB 123 and HB 170).
Allegations of hostile work environment (investigation of AIDEA/AEA)
AIDEA must diversify Alaska’s economy for a resilient future
As of FY 2020, AIDEA has committed $612 million in mining, oil & gas, power, logistics, national defense, and manufacturing “development” projects and holds $398 million in capital reserves, with a total of $1.42 billion in total assets. Dividends to the State from fiscal years 2018-2022 averaged just under $12 million per year.