Podcast on coal-powered energy research

March 7, 2026

In Fairbanks, four trainloads of coal arrive every day to power and heat the University of Alaska campus that is known for its cutting-edge research on integrating renewable energy technologies.

On the most recent episode of Closing the Gap, ACEP Chief Scientist Gwen Holdmann shares the backstory of how, when it came time to replace the campus power plant, university leaders ticked through all the options and ended up with the newest coal plant in the country — and, some would argue, possibly the last.

The old power plant from the 1960s burned coal, too. But by the 1990s, it was starting to suffer major breakdowns. The crew running the plant had identified multiple single points of failure — places where, if something went wrong, the entire operation could grind to a halt.

In a place like Fairbanks, that wouldn’t just mean losing electricity; it could mean the campus freezing up. Billions of dollars of infrastructure were effectively on the line every winter while the old plant was still running.

This episode includes an extended interview with Brian Rogers, who served as UAF chancellor from 2008 to 2015. He oversaw the university when it was deciding how it would be powered and heated in the future. After analyzing basically every possible alternative, UAF decided that coal was not only the best option, but in many ways, the only option it had available.

The podcast “Closing the Gap with Gwen Holdmann” brings you stories from the leading edge of the global energy transition twice a month on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. It is also available as a broadcast program for public radio stations through PRX. The show is produced and engineered by Tony Williams and written and edited by Jennifer Pemberton.

Contact Pemberton at jcpemberton@alaska.edu with any questions.