Investing in future makes for a satisfying payoff

At recent chamber of commerce events featuring candidates for governor, the big issues on the table included infrastructure, public services and senior housing.

But while all the candidates duly laid out for local residents what they would do if elected to keep seniors in their homes or promote big rail and port projects, they seemed most interested in talking about oil.

There’s a lot of anxiety in Alaska right now. Politicians and voters watch the trans-Alaska oil pipeline with apprehension. They talk of a pipeline running below capacity and what happens if the whole thing shuts down. What will Alaska be without oil?

For the gubernatorial candidates, the ticket to the future buys a ride on another pipeline, this one pumping natural gas out of those same oil fields. We will continue to be a resource state — if we can only find a way to get our natural gas to market.

In the longer range, most of them also think Alaska should find ways to get into manufacturing or, at the very least, add value to its gas.

It’s a saw Mark Neuman, the Republican who represents the Valley from Meadow Lakes on up the Parks Highway, has been turning for at least two election cycles now — using gas to manufacture plastics or converting it to fuel for the military. Up in Neuman’s district, former Houston mayor Roger Purcell has often expressed dreams of building a manufacturing base in the small town. A wood pellet plant was the latest we can recall. Gubernatorial candidate Merica Hlatcu of Anchorage wants to build everything Alaska needs right here in the state, though his plan is big on ideas and short on specifics.

It’s all very high-tech stuff. And what drives high-tech industries? Innovation.

Here at the Frontiersman, we got a small glimpse last week of what that innovation looks like. A young man stopped by with a giant novelty check. Reporters view drop-in visits as something akin to a job liability, but this one was different.

Chris Hunter won his $10,000 when, during one of the Valley’s all-too-common power outages, he happened to be fooling around with a battery. He claims his invention can increase battery life tenfold. The people behind the Arctic Innovation Competition seemed to agree with him. Hence the giant check with four zeros on it.

Hunter ginned up a number of prototypes in his garage before he finally found one that works. He said it’s something that could be slapped onto batteries and sold to customers. It’s only the size of a credit card, after all. He feels such a gadget could be of great utility to residents who can’t or won’t live on the electrical grid.

Of course it remains to be seen if Hunter’s invention is practical in the real world or can be manufactured in Alaska at a price point that makes it affordable. Although, having looked at the thing, the Frontiersman can report it really doesn’t look terribly complex.

And what did Hunter do with his ten grand? He founded a company and plowed it right back into his inventing. This go-round he’s looking to create something a number of much larger companies have attempted with varying degrees of success. He’s building an electric car.

The prototype is a converted Geo Storm, but the design of the engine is all Hunter’s. He hopes his car will be appealing from a cost standpoint, though he’s not skimping on the horsepower.

It’s always inspiring to see a guy go into his garage, tinker around a bit, and emerge with something that might actually be useful. Perhaps those who dream of an Alaska future beyond fossil fuels would do well to take a look at this Arctic Innovation Competition. It seems to be finding some talented folks.