To improve the quality of life in Alaska’s municipalities, we must prioritize energy security and affordability. These initiatives are designed to reduce reliance on costly and unstable imported fuels, thereby lowering energy expenses for residents, particularly in remote and rural areas where prices are exceptionally high. By partnering with state and federal agencies, these investments will enhance living standards, create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and build more resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding Alaska’s challenging environment. Ultimately, these projects will foster long-term community resilience by ensuring energy is more accessible, reliable, and affordable for all Alaskans.
The “Energy Shed” project aims to explore and implement place-based energy generation solutions for remote Alaskan communities, with the overarching goals of reducing local energy costs and increasing energy reliability. This initiative involves several key activities, beginning with an inventory of local power infrastructure using drones. Following this, the project will aggregate and design renewable energy projects tailored for specific communities. A digital toolkit will also be developed to facilitate project feedback and evaluation. The project will serve communities in both Northwest and Southeast Alaska, with six communities selected from each region. Funding for this endeavor is provided by the Department of Energy, and key partners include Launch Alaska, Northwest Arctic Borough, Southeast Conference, and Deerstone Consulting. The project is structured with a timeline that includes community assessments in 2024, detailed analysis in 2025, and prioritization of projects in 2026.
