The AKPIRG Advocate, August 2026
Indra's First Six Months at AKPIRG 🎉
July marked six months since I joined AKPIRG as Executive Director. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and share a brief update with you about our journey, our work, and where we’re headed.
When I accepted this role, I knew I was joining an organization with a long history of serving Alaskans through thoughtful nonpartisan research and advocacy. What I didn’t fully appreciate until I got here was just how much that work is powered by the people behind it. Every day, I get to work alongside a team that is deeply committed to Alaska, incredibly talented, and guided by AKPIRG’s values of Decolonization, Justice, Accountability, Community, and Trust. It has been an honor to be part of this team, to support their work, and help strengthen the organization for the future.
In the last six months, we have continued building the internal systems that help our organization thrive while advancing work across Alaska. Some highlights include:
Submitting extensive technical public comments to the Alaska Legislature on the proposed AKLNG project while expanding public education through our Pipe Dreams video series.
Helping pass new consumer protections against crypto ATM fraud in the Alaska Legislature.
Joining litigation to hold the Division of Elections accountable for protecting Alaskans' voter information (League of Women Voters et. al v. Dahlstrom et. al).
Launching the statewide Let's House Alaska movement to build political will to solve Alaska’s housing shortage.
Convening a Healing Gathering in Gwichyaa Zhee/Fort Yukon to support Indigenous language reclamation and community.
It’s been a very busy six months, and I’m so proud of what our team has accomplished.
Looking ahead, there’s no shortage of work to be done – and that’s energizing! In the coming year, we will work with our Board to refine our strategic direction, deepen relationships with communities and partners across Alaska and beyond, welcome an Alaska Fellow and two Practicum students, and prepare for the next legislative session, focused on the issues that matter most to Alaskans.
Thank you for being a part of AKPIRG’s community – you've helped build the organization we are today. I'm grateful for your continued support, and I'm excited for what's ahead.
With gratitude,
Indra
Primary Election on August 18th! 🗳
The Alaska Primary Election is just days away!
Early voting is already underway, so you don’t have to wait until Election Day to cast your ballot. Find an early voting location near you.
This is an important election, with candidates for Governor, U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and the Alaska Legislature on the ballot. Alaska uses a nonpartisan top-four primary, meaning the four candidates who receive the most votes in each race will advance to the general election in November. Some of these races are decided by just a handful of votes, so making your voice heard really matters. Alaska's future depends on it!
Has Your Voter Registration Status Been Affected?
Courtesy of ACLU Alaska.
Last week, the Division of Elections moved more than 3,000 registered voters from "active" to "inactive" status based on outdated information provided by the DMV in a non-routine request.
‼️ An "inactive" status does not mean someone has lost their right to vote. ‼️ If you are listed as “inactive,” you may not appear on the list of voters at your polling place, but you can still vote a questioned ballot. A questioned ballot will be reviewed after Election Day and counted if the voter’s eligibility is verified.
The Division of Elections sent letters to these Alaskans asking them to confirm their citizenship. If you’ve received one of these letters and are unsure of how to proceed, follow the guide below.
Housing Organizing 101 🏘
Housing in Alaska can be a struggle, but community groups across the state are coming together to advocate for solutions. The pro-housing movement is stronger with you in it, and if you'd like to get involved, now is a great opportunity. Join Tongass Tenants Alliance, AKPIRG, the Anchorage Housing Club, and the Welcoming Neighbors Network for a FREE two-day Organizing 101 training this September!
We'll be hosting two opportunities:
Juneau: September 12–13
Anchorage: September 19–20
Whether you're just getting started or you've been organizing for years, this interactive training will help you sharpen the skills that power successful campaigns. Together, we'll cover:
🤝 Effective one-on-one conversations
💬 Understanding self-interest and motivation
📣 Campaign strategy fundamentals
🌱 Building lasting relationships with fellow housing advocates
We're also excited to welcome RB Baker from the Welcoming Neighbors Network as our guest trainer! Based in Chicago, RB has organized alongside climate, environmental justice, and abolitionist movements, supporting dozens of community campaigns and helping organizers build people-powered movements that last.
Energy Team Retreat ⚡
Last month, the AKPIRG Energy Team had a retreat! ⚡️Our team is spread across Alaska, so we don't get many chances to all be in the same room. Spending two days together to plan, learn, and connect was something special.
We also gathered at the SEED Lab with our partners to screen six short videos about rural energy affordability, home weatherization, and community energy and discussed how we can work together to support more energy projects in rural Alaska and storytelling.
We wrapped up with clearer priorities, workplans for the next year, a deeper grounding in our values and commitment to decolonization, and renewed energy for the work ahead.
Grateful for the time together, and excited for what's next. 💙
You can watch the videos we screened below:
Pipe Dreams Episode 3 👀🏗️
We’re continuing our series on the proposed AKLNG project. In episode 3, we’re looking at how much the proposed AKLNG project will cost, and why that matters to Alaskans.
Project developers have repeatedly revised their estimates, but many of the numbers still raise serious questions. Independent analysts suggest the true cost could be upwards of $60–70 billion.
Why does this matter? If costs go too high, Phase 2 might never be built. But the project's promise of low-cost energy for Alaskans depends on BOTH phases being completed. If only the pipeline is built, we could be left paying for expensive infrastructure without receiving the benefits that have been promised.
Even with their varying cost projections, Glenfarne has said that the project will only work if the state grants it a 90% tax reduction—we’ll be diving more into this in the next episode.
Rural Students Building Alaska's Energy Future 🌱
Earlier this year, AKPIRG partnered with Kusilvak Career Academy (KCA) and the Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) to produce a video highlighting how collaboration can expand opportunities for rural Alaska students. Through storytelling, we're helping put a focus on innovative programs that prepare the next generation of leaders while strengthening communities across the state.
As the Lower Yukon School District's Anchorage-based residential career academy, KCA weaves the expertise of its educators with partner organizations across Alaska to bring career and technical education, dual-credit courses, and workforce development opportunities to high school students from ten rural Alaska Native communities.
For more than six years, REAP has been one of those partners, providing hands-on training in residential weatherization, renewable energy systems, and energy efficiency.
Together, REAP and KCA are equipping students with practical skills they can use right away to lower energy use and utility bills at home, while introducing them to high-demand clean energy careers that can help strengthen their communities for years to come.
August is American Community Survey (ACS) Awareness Month! 💚
The American Community Survey helps determine how trillions of federal dollars are distributed to communities across the country. When one person completes the survey, the benefits extend far beyond their household, helping support schools, healthcare, transportation, housing, and other essential services.
Language access plays a critical role in making that participation possible, strengthening civic engagement while supporting cultural identity and traditional ways of life.
Over the past several months, AKPIRG has shared ACS messaging in nine Alaska Native languages. By making information about the survey accessible, we're helping ensure more Alaskans can participate and that our communities receive the resources they deserve.
Pick.Click.Give. by August 31st!
There's still time to Pick.Click.Give. to AKPIRG!
If you haven’t selected a cause through Pick.Click.Give., or want to make a change—you still can. The deadline to update your PFD donation is August 31.
It’s a quick and easy way to back the work we do—plus, you can support multiple nonprofits at once, including our coalition and community partners. By choosing to support AKPIRG through Pick.Click.Give, you are choosing to support accountability and transparency in our government; robust language access and Alaska Native language revitalization; just and people-centered economic policies at the local, state, and federal levels; and affordable, renewable energy in Alaska.
Thank you for your support, and thank you to everyone who has already made a pledge to AKPIRG!
Go to pfd.alaska.gov to add a pledge today.
