Rural energy solutions: an opportunity for US leadership in the Arctic.

• Author: Kohler, Meera
• Position: ENERGY

Energy underpins the health, economic vitality, and overall sustainability of communities and has been identified as a focus area and priority during the US leadership of the Arctic Council. As professionals working in the energy industry, we applaud this emphasis on energy for remote communities and look forward to actions and projects that will emerge from the Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic which took place in August.

As Alaskans, the two of us share a vision of an Alaska with a diversified and robust economic base founded on environmentally prudent development, providing high quality jobs not just in urban centers but in all regions of the state. As a mother and a grandmother, we aspire to an Alaska that will have safe, resilient communities with robust local economies and education, training, and employment opportunities for our children-- Alaska's future leaders.

We believe access to affordable, reliable energy underpins our aspirations for Alaska and that its limited availability has been a major factor hampering economic development in the state. Electricity is only one part of the equation--heat and transportation often represent an even larger financial burden for many rural Alaskans. As guidelines for any projects or programs are developed, we propose that each and every action:

Recognize and build from Alaska's strengths. Over the past few decades, the Arctic has quietly become a global leader in the development and operation of self-sufficient microgrids, effectively integrating locally available renewable energy resources with diesel-fueled generators. Approximately half of the population across the Arctic, as well as many place-specific, energy-intensive industries (e.g. mineral and oil extraction, fish processing) are powered by microgrids. Alaska is considered a global leader in this field, with far more practical expertise than any combination of federal or local organizations outside of the state. Any pilot or demonstration projects developed under the US Chairmanship should take advantage of this hard-won, Arctic-germane Alaskan expertise.

Align new projects with existing programs. Alaska has existing state programs that have contributed to Alaska having the highest per capita investment in renewable energy technology of any state. Any initiative undertaken by the State Department should be careful not to undermine these programs but rather partner with existing state programs around shared goats with rapid...