A letter to ACEP: My reflections in a turbulent time
May 06, 2025
Wenceslao Ruiz, ACEP's design lab manager, reflects on the ups and downs of his early career journey, the uncertainty of our current moment and the tremendous value of finding fulfilling work among "a bunch of highly intellectual cats" at ACEP.
A letter to ACEP: My reflections in a turbulent time
May 05, 2025
Wenceslao Ruiz, ACEP's design lab manager, reflects on the ups and downs of his early career journey, the uncertainty of our current moment and the tremendous value of finding fulfilling work among "a bunch of highly intellectual cats" at ACEP.
Indigenous values drive energy transformation in remote Alaskan village
April 25, 2025
AlexAnna Salmon is of Yup'ik and Aleut descent and serves as President of Igiugig Village Council, the governing body for Igiugig, a remote community of some 70 people in southwestern Alaska with no road access. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this story - an excerpt from a forthcoming University of Alaska book - is that this tiny village is willing to experiment with river hydrokinetic technology placed in a stream which has provided the livelihood of Native peoples for millennia.
Can data centers lower Alaska's high energy costs?
March 25, 2025
Data Centers are transforming the energy industry. Today, there are more than 8,000 data centers worldwide that consume roughly 1 to 2% of the global energy use. From a geographic perspective, Alaska could evolve into a major player for hyper-scale data centers, given its strategic location near large Asia Pacific markets. Could this growing industry benefit Alaskans?
What carbon capture and storage might mean for Alaska
February 04, 2025
We are facing evidence that we can't afford to ignore CO₂ and that simply reducing emissions might not be enough to meet climate goals. Carbon isn't just found in the atmosphere or living things. Over 99% of the Earth's carbon is locked away in the rocks beneath our feet. Can we capture CO₂ directly from power plants, industrial facilities, or even from the air itself, and store it permanently underground? This method could become an important new front in our fight against climate change, working alongside efforts to cut emissions.
December 06, 2024
Eleven students from across Alaska came together for a transformative research experience, showcasing their work at the 2024 Alaska Renewable Energy Conference.
Bringing my first solar PV project on-line for my grandfather
November 15, 2024
For decades, solar energy was discounted in Alaska. However, steep decline in solar photovoltaic prices and improved performance of batteries to store excess solar production has led to a mini-boom in recent solar PV deployments in Alaska. Ed Bifelt, founder of Alaska Native Renewable Industries, has been leading the charge for bringing the largest solar PV projects in the state to rural and remote microgrids. This is an excerpt from his chapter in the forthcoming University of Alaska Press book Alaska's Energy Innovators.
To be the best utility: Reflections from former AVEC president and CEO, Meera Kohler
October 11, 2024
Providing reliable power service to rural Alaska faces many geographic and economic challenges unique to the far North, including: vulnerabilities to supply chain disruptions, the high cost of diesel fuel, and limited resources to name a few. AVEC, however, has been successful in addressing these challenges through innovative organizational solutions as well as the early adoption of new technologies. Many of these solutions were wrought by former AVEC president and CEO, Meera Kohler.
September 26, 2024
Over his 11 years at ACEP, Chris consistently promoted renewable energy initiatives, always finding the right tool -- whether that was a strategic partnership, an international collaboration or a set of pyranometer wires. His transition to a new role with Renewable IPP marks the end of an era at ACEP.
Powering up the nation's second largest island with 100% renewable energy
September 03, 2024
Kodiak Island is located 250 miles south of Anchorage and is the second-largest island in the United States. It is the first remote community in Alaska to be powered by almost 100% renewable energy year round. The utility manager - Darron Scott - tells the story of how this microgrid uses innovative storage strategies to balance hydro and wind resources on Alaska's largest remote microgrid. This is an excerpt from a forthcoming book entitled "Alaska's Energy Innovators" to be published by the University of Alaska Press.
ACEP publishes the 2024 Alaska Electricity Trends Report
August 30, 2024
Energy data in Alaska is fragmented. No one agency is in charge of maintaining records from all communities in the state. It is challenging for policy makers and researchers to view the entirety of Alaska's electric generation sector in one place. The process of seeking out individual data sources, requesting data, and correcting errors can lead to misrepresentations of the whole picture. Recently, society's increased dependence on data for forecasting and planning reveals the growing need for vetted and up-to-date statistics on the state's energy trends.