This week the executives of three of Alaska’s most populous regions spoke up to urge the state to jump-start the process of developing a statewide energy policy.

We agree.

It’s time the state put new energy into the effort, and we’re glad to see Mat-Su Borough Mayor Curt Menard is one of the mayors out in front of this effort, along with the mayors for Anchorage and the Kenai borough. The mayors’ rationale is sound. Some of Alaska’s energy sources are dwindling and others have not been adequately tapped. The days of relying on readily available oil and natural gas may be behind us. Energy costs more and is in greater demand than ever before. As the central population mass of the state, namely Southcentral, continues to gain critical mass, it’s time to develop area- and statewide energy solutions that have legs for the future.

Higher energy costs affect everyone. From the price we pay for a loaf of bread to the money it costs to drive to the store and buy it, our economy is inextricably tied to the cost and availability of fuel — energy. To leave its future availability to chance is unthinkable.

While the state has had the issue on the its back burner, it’s time it was moved to the front of the stove and given some careful tending. The mayors’ Tri-Borough Commission, which includes 11 industry professionals, has given the state a good start with a list of priorities, including a new emphasis on non-fuel resources, such as wind, geothermal and hydro-electric power, and increased use of renewable energy sources.

One of the red flags that prompted the Tri-Borough Commission was the closing of the Agrium plant in Kenai. The plant, the only one of its kind in Alaska, provided a source of fertilizer within the state. It was a great resource for anyone needing large amounts of fertilizer that would otherwise need to be shipped to Alaska. But Agrium needed natural gas as a raw material. With the flow of natural gas slowing to a trickle, Agrium’s needs came behind those like home heating.

Anyone who has filled his or her heating oil tank lately knows that high energy prices can make life uncomfortable. Alaskans shouldn’t have to choose between keeping warm and eating.

It can take years to develop some alternative fuel sources, and there should be no delay in determining what options are best for which areas of Alaska. One of the mayors’ suggestions is to form a School of Energy within the University of Alaska system. This would promote innovation and provide new opportunities for Alaskans to be part of energy solutions for not only Alaska but worldwide.

We applaud the mayors of Anchorage, Mat-Su Borough and Kenai Peninsula Borough for taking the initiative and working together on this project, and hope the state will use the “Tri-Borough Commission Proposed Energy Policy For the Southcentral Region of Railbelt Alaska” as an aid in quickly and comprehensively developing a new statewide energy policy.