The Parnell administration is continuing its push to make certain that there is enough fuel available for rural Alaska this year. The most recent Fuel Watch report by the Division of Community and Regional Affairs show that all but twenty four of the six hundred six buyers of bulk fuel have made arrangement to have an adequate supply for the winter months.
Those buyers include villages, school districts, village councils and corporations that cannot receive fuel by way of the road system.
Governor Parnell gave a brief update during a press conference last week.
Two months ago I asked our Lieutenant Governor to coordinate with the Department of Commerce, Health and Social Services, and Emergency Management Services, a complete effort with Southwest Alaska, Western Alaska, to assure that these communities knew what loan assistance was available.
As of the most recent report released late Friday, ninety five percent of those entities say they have received their fuel or have made seasonal delivery arrangements. The Community and Regional Affairs is still working with the twenty four entities – and is working with another ninety six communities that anticipate some sort of financial problems as the season gets underway. Several have already needed to have fuel flown to them.
However, there is no report yet on how fuel will get to consumers – or how expensive it will be. The division anticipates having a price survey underway this month with a market report available in early December.
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