Turning EV data into insights for Alaska communities
2026 ACEP summer intern Destiny DeLara sets up electric vehicle survey posters at a charging station located in Glennallen, Alaska.
September 21, 2026
As the use of electric vehicles, or EVs, grows in Alaska, reliable information about how EVs perform in the state’s cold climate can help current and future drivers make informed decisions.
For University of Alaska Anchorage student and ACEP summer intern Destiny DeLara, that question became the focus of two projects examining EV use and performance in Alaska.
Working under the guidance of Michelle Wilber and Cam Dolan of the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, DeLara contributed to the Alaska Rural Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Deployment, or ARED, project and the Electric Vehicles in the Arctic, or EVITA, project.
The ARED project aims to reduce barriers to EV adoption. As part of the project, DeLara conducted surveys and analyzed responses from users of several EV charging stations.
For EVITA, DeLara analyzed crowdsourced EV data to better understand how vehicle performance is affected by cold temperatures.
Through both projects, DeLara applied her background in computer system engineering and data analysis to research questions with practical implications for Alaska. She worked with survey responses and vehicle performance data, using programming and data visualization to identify patterns and better understand EV use in the state.
DeLara was intrigued by various survey responses, which indicated unique experiences by location. Her results also showed clear regressions from the EV performance data confirming that more energy is used during cold weather.
Her work will help researchers identify barriers to EV adoption, improve charging infrastructure and provide information that can help current and future EV owners make informed decisions.
The internship also strengthened DeLara’s technical skills while giving her a deeper understanding of how engineering and data science can be used to address real-world challenges.
“This internship demonstrated the value of data analysis in explaining how people interact with electric vehicles,” she said.
2026 ACEP summer intern Destiny DeLara takes a selfie with her mentor Michelle Wilber during her field trip to Delta Junction, Alaska.
Born and raised in Anchorage, DeLara said making a positive impact on communities in Alaska is important to her. Her internship expanded her perspective on renewable energy research and showed her how engineering can contribute to practical solutions for Alaskans.
The experience has also helped guide her interest in applying computer science and analysis to projects with meaningful, real-world impact.
“I learned not only how to analyze large datasets but also how research can directly support communities and help shape the future of transportation in Alaska,” she said.
This internship was funded by EVITA and ARED through the ACEP Undergraduate Summer Internship program. View the final presentation for this project on ACEP’s YouTube channel. For more information about this project, please contact Michelle Wilber at mmwilber@alaska.edu.