New funds from The Federal Highway Administration will help reduce barriers to electric transportation adoption in Alaska. Current funds may help complete the Phase I corridor from Anchorage to Fairbanks, where at least four vehicles will be able to charge at once.

The Biden administration is allocating over $200 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill for the improvement of the Railbelt electrical grid, involving a high-voltage submarine cable and battery energy storage systems. The project aims to enhance grid reliability and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources over the next eight years.

The Arctic Energy Ambassadors program will provide training and support to a select group of practitioners to develop regional energy leadership with the goal of improving energy security across Alaska’s Arctic region and beyond.

Public facilities in Nenana, Adak, Dillingham, Hooper Bay, Kotzebue, Toksook Bay, Unalakleet, and Utqiagvik will undergo energy assessments and energy conservation planning thanks to a $900,000 grant through the DOE Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.

Along with the Alaska Electric & Energy Cooperative and Homer Electric Association, GeoAlaska is working to assess the viability of geothermal reservoirs for electricity generation, aiming to provide inexpensive and sustainable power for the Railbelt region.

As a natural gas shortage looms in Cook Inlet, the Inflation Reduction Act includes billions to accelerate private investment in clean energy within a 10-year window. The incentives could make Alaska projects with high construction and shipping costs more viable.