November 4, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
From funding solar projects and installing heat pumps in tribal-owned buildings to driving investment in clean energy infrastructure, three recent laws—the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Alaska Energy Independence Fund—are equipping Alaskans with vital resources. In this opinion piece, lifelong Alaskans Alana Peterson and Ivy Spohnholz describe how these resources are being deployed to help communities adapt, lead, and thrive in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.
October 9, 2024
Frontiersman
Chugach Electric Association and Matanuska Electric Association (MEA) have commissioned a new $65 million Battery Energy Storage System to strengthen the Railbelt power grid, boost reliability, and support the diversification of power generation. This cutting-edge system will stabilize the grid in response to demand and supply fluctuations, reducing reliance on gas-powered turbines and cutting emissions. By increasing efficiency and enabling more effective integration of renewable energy, the system is another significant step toward making Alaska’s power grid more resilient and accelerating the state’s shift to clean energy.
October 8, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
A recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that as natural gas supplies from Cook Inlet decline, renewables offer Alaskans the surest, most cost-effective energy solution. However, bringing enough renewables online is a complex endeavor, not least because of our state’s unique geography and climate. This excellent article by Hal Bernton highlights the progress made thus far, the potential pathways ahead of us, and the challenges that may hinder our progress.
October 8, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
Alaska’s vast clean energy potential includes not just wind, solar, and tidal power, but also naturally occurring hydrogen. A local geologist with a distinguished career in the oil and gas industry is leading efforts to identify underground hydrogen reservoirs and tap into this resource. If successful, Alaska’s hydrogen reserves could become a major source of carbon-free energy, complementing other renewable initiatives and helping deliver reliable, affordable local energy to Alaskans.
October 7, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
Former oil industry veterans are spearheading new efforts to expand Alaska’s clean energy sector, focusing on wind, geothermal, tidal and hydrogen opportunities. These leaders see renewable energy as a way to diversify Alaska’s economy, create jobs, and secure the state’s future as an energy leader. Amid declining local gas supplies, Cook Inlet is becoming a focal area for these initiatives. While challenges within the economic and political landscape remain, recent successes, like wind and tidal energy projects, highlight the state’s growing capacity to lead in energy innovation.
September 23, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
The Alaska Energy Authority has accepted a $206.5 million federal grant, part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, to build a 38-mile submarine transmission line across Cook Inlet. This project will quadruple the transmission capacity from the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project near Homer and future renewable projects on the Kenai Peninsula, increasing renewable energy distribution along the Railbelt grid. The total $413 million project, likely the largest construction project outside the North Slope oil fields, will support Alaska's clean energy infrastructure and help stabilize Alaska's energy prices and supplies.
August 14, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
Alaska is entering a transformative period of energy growth, driven by significant federal investments in renewable resources like solar, wind, and heat pumps, which are poised to reduce costs and increase energy independence across the state. With strong bipartisan support and innovative local projects, Alaska is on the brink of a new era of energy-powered prosperity.
On July 31, 2024, Governor Mike Dunleavy signed three landmark bills to advance Alaska's energy resilience: creating the Alaska Energy Independence fund to help finance clean energy projects across the state; facilitating critical transmission and governance improvements on the "Railbelt grid;" and establishing a framework for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. These policy tools set up Alaska for a new era of energy growth.
July 26, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
In their op-ed, Arthur Miller and Mark Wiggin of Chugach Electric Association argue that importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a necessary bridge fuel to ensure reliable and reasonably priced energy for the Alaska Railbelt communities amidst a looming natural gas shortage. They estimate a modest 10% increase in electric bills due to LNG imports and emphasize their commitment to reducing carbon intensity and diversifying energy sources, including renewable projects.
July 23, 2024
Anchorage Daily News
Alaska regulators have conditionally approved a $57 million pipeline extension by Alaska Pipeline Co., an affiliate of Enstar Natural Gas, to potentially import natural gas into Alaska via Port MacKenzie, addressing anticipated shortages in the Cook Inlet basin. Enstar forecasts a local gas supply shortage starting next year, prompting the move to diversify supply sources despite the expected increase in power and heating bills. The final decision on importing liquefied natural gas has not yet been made, but Enstar is urgently evaluating the feasibility and plans to file a gas sales agreement by the end of the year.
