Earth

Alaska Going Green

The geographic isolation of many Alaskan communities means they can’t all tie into the region’s energy infrastructure, so the answers lie in micro-grids.

These are small power grids that serve communities in isolation, capable of combining existing fuel systems with alternative energies, and providing more flexibility to meet a town’s needs.

And there are plenty of energy options for Alaskans to choose from: wind, hydro-electric, geothermal, biomass, marine hydrokinetic, and even solar.

Kodiak, a town of six thousand people in the Aleutian Islands, is the state’s poster child for green energy success. It’s powered almost entirely by wind and hydro-electricity. And the conversion has come at no increased cost to consumers for over two decades.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a patchwork of opportunities that can provide Alaskans with cleaner, cheaper, more reliable and more sustainable energy.

Town by remote town, Alaskans are going green and showing the world that even an oil-rich community, wants what’s not only good for them, but what’s good for the planet as well.