In the small community of Port Heiden, Alaska, where fewer than a hundred residents rely heavily on fishing for both income and sustenance, energy challenges have become a significant issue.
Every summer, residents from this Alutiiq village embark on commercial fishing journeys to catch salmon in the nearby rivers of Bristol Bay.
John Christensen, the tribal president of Port Heiden, is preparing for this annual venture.
Along with his 17-year-old son, Christensen will travel north for eight hours on their 32-foot family boat, Queen Ann, to tackle not only the demanding tides but also harsh weather conditions throughout the summer months.
The labor-intensive task of fishing often results in hauling in significant daily catches, amounting to thousands of pounds of fish, which are then sold to local seafood processing companies.
However, this hard work is compounded by soaring fuel prices; diesel costs in Port Heiden are almost four times the national average.
In 2024, the community faced astonishing fuel expenses, with the tribe spending $900,000 on diesel for their boats, homes, and airport.
Moreover, the community’s aging diesel storage tanks are at risk due to coastal erosion, which threatens to cause damaging leaks and necessitates their relocation.
“Everything costs more. Electricity goes up, diesel goes up, every year. And wages don’t,” said Christensen.
“We live on the edge of the world. And it’s just tough.”
A fish processing facility built in 2015 was expected to provide the tribe with an avenue for increased revenue without external processing company partnerships.
However, the facility has remained idle for a decade because of the prohibitive costs associated with powering it.
“Enormous amounts of diesel are needed to run the filleting machines, separators, grinders, and freezers,” remarked Christensen.
Already, the tribe barely manages to afford the necessary diesel for essential services and operations.
Christensen identified energy issues as a core reason behind the tribe’s challenges, including a worrying population decline.
“If cheaper power would bring in more people, it might help,” he noted.
The community’s population is shrinking by over 3 percent per year, a concerning figure when the total number of residents is under a hundred.
In 2023, Climate United, a national coalition and investment fund, proposed an initiative to help combat these challenges through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
This act resulted in a considerable allocation of $27 billion to address climate issues and support local energy initiatives.
However, due to a disinvestment campaign spearheaded by President Donald Trump and his administration, the program faced scrutiny.
Trump’s EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, described the GGRF as detrimental and targeted it for funding cuts.
“The days of irresponsibly shoveling boatloads of cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over,” Zeldin stated.
As a result, on March 4, Zeldin announced a freeze on GGRF funding intended for Climate United and several organizations.
Climate United promptly responded by filing a lawsuit against the EPA and Zeldin, seeking to lift the funding freeze.
The legal struggle escalated when a federal judge ruled in April that the EPA had illegally terminated the grants, a decision that the Trump administration subsequently appealed.
At present, Climate United is awaiting the court’s ruling.
While the legal process unfolds, the $6.97 billion initially earmarked for diverse renewable energy projects remains inaccessible.
This funding was intended for multiple initiatives across the nation, including significant plans for renewable energy in Port Heiden.
Within this context, Climate United had allocated $6 million for a pre-development grant program designed to assist Native communities in developing renewable energy sources.
“We made investments in those communities, and we don’t have the capital to support those projects,” Climate United’s Chief Community Officer Krystal Langholz noted.
An EPA spokesperson later commented that the current administration is committed to ensuring the responsible use of taxpayer dollars, reflecting a lack of trust in the previous government’s management of funds.
As the community grapples with rising sea levels and deteriorating land, the urgency for sustainable energy solutions intensifies.
The Alutiiq people historically relocated from their original site due to rising seawater, which has led to the loss of significant land over the years.
Their current village, established further inland, is also at risk from erosion, creating an increasingly urgent situation for its residents.
From 2017 to 2018, reports indicated that the old site lost between 35 and 65 feet of shoreline, raising alarm among community members about their future.
“We’re not big polluters, but we want to contribute to global solutions,” Christensen added, sharing his belief in the importance of transitioning to renewable energy.
Christensen had envisioned using a $300,000 grant from Climate United to finance studies for two hydropower plants, which could potentially power the entire community and support the idle fish processing facility.
This transition to clean energy was seen as key to ensuring better food access through local greenhouse operations.
Today, the financial burden of diesel is becoming an unsustainable reality for the community, driving more residents away.
Meeting the demands of living costs in remote areas like Port Heiden is increasingly challenging.
Christensen expressed his commitment to finding solutions, as he reflects on his family’s deep ties to the land and waters.
Janine Bloomfield, grants specialist at 10Power, noted that the community is awaiting decisions on the ongoing legal battle.
In the meantime, Climate United is exploring alternatives to navigate these financial challenges.
They are shifting from a grant-based model to a loan structure for funding projects in Port Heiden and other Native communities.
This change aims to ease the financial burden on communities that may struggle to afford upfront project costs.
However, the downside of such loans introduces concerns regarding potential debt burdens on communities already dealing with complex challenges.
Forgivable loans, while appealing, may still impose risks, especially for pre-development endeavors that involve uncertainty about outcomes.
Some community leaders voice caution regarding the planned switch from grants to loans for funding essential infrastructure.
Raina Thiele, a former tribal liaison in the Biden administration, highlighted how Alaska Native communities often face unique hurdles that complicate their access to resources.
The historical context of land claim settlements has left tribes in Alaska at a disadvantage, making it difficult to build organizational and financial capacities.
Even with a potential loan, communities could find themselves navigating high-risk situations, given their limited resources.
Christensen harbors skepticism regarding whether the shift to loans would benefit Port Heiden, considering his experiences with securing federal funding.
Despite the obstacles, he remains determined to find viable solutions for his community’s energy needs.
“I’ll figure it out,” Christensen said.
“I’ll find the money if I have to. I’ll win the lottery and spend the money on cheaper power.”
As many stakeholders await the resolution of the federal funding predicament, the ongoing struggles of Port Heiden reflect larger systemic issues facing Native communities in their pursuit of renewable energy and self-sufficiency.
image source from：https://grist.org/indigenous/this-alaska-native-fishing-village-was-trying-to-power-their-town-then-came-trumps-funding-cuts/
