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Powering Alaska After The Oil Runs Out

Someday Alaska's oil and gas reserves will run out.  It is not a question of if, but when. Eventually, these commodities can no longer be the mainstay of the state's economy.  This probably won't be the case for a couple of decades, but reality has a way of catching up with those who try to cheat the laws of physics. It is often claimed in Alaska that the "jobs versus environmental protection" dichotomy is an unbridgeable chasm. This may be historically true, based on past and present modes of economic production.  However, Alaska can use new modes of energy production that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.  The only way to protect resource-based jobs in the long run is through a sustainable working relationship with the land.  Development of renewable energy sources, not just in Alaska but worldwide, is absolutely essential for a sustainable economy that preserves both jobs and the environment.  The sooner Alaska starts developing innovative renewable energy resources, the more diverse Alaska's economy will be.