2024-25 ARENA Program

Continuing on the success of the 2017 and 2022-23 programs, Canada, Iceland, and U.S. heads of delegation under the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) of the Arctic Council committed to a third ARENA program in early 2024 under the Norwegian Chairmanship.

The program was held in Alaska in late July 2024, reconvene in Nunavut and Greenland in mid-October, and meet a final time in Iceland in February 2024. Program co-leads are enthusiastic about the addition of a Greenland visit and look forward to growing regional collaboration going forward.

Learn more about the 2024-25 Cohort

ARENA III: Final Report

On-Site Programs

Alaska

A new cohort of 17 remote energy champions from northern Canada, Alaska, and Norway convened in late July for the first time, kicking off the third Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy (ARENA). This diverse group began their program with an engaging welcome event in Fairbanks, Alaska. They explored geothermal greenhouses and power production at Chena Hot Springs, heard from Alaska Village Electric Cooperative’s founding president and former Alaska State Legislator Willie Hensley, and discussed projects with researchers from the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP). The group also attended a demonstration at ACEP’s Power Systems Integration Laboratory and received a guided tour at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, showcasing innovations in energy-efficient building.

ARENA cohort member Roderick Phillip, the Puvurnaq Power Company Manager in Kongiganak, Alaska reflected on the ACEP PSI Laboratory tour, “Seeing different renewable energy projects and the ACEP PSI Lab was very interesting since there are a lot of hurdles we face in integrating renewable projects in microgrids. We should be utilizing labs before we introduce renewables to a microgrid community to eliminate a lot of problems before they reach the community.”

Following their time in Fairbanks, the group traveled to Kotzebue, Alaska, where they delved into Kotzebue Electric Association's long-standing integration of wind and solar power. Their itinerary continued with day trips to Deering and Shungnak, where local Tribal councils and the Northwest Arctic Borough’s (NAB) energy manager Ingemar Mathiasson provided insights into how smaller communities are successfully implementing renewable energy systems and how some Tribes in the NAB have gleaned particular benefit from becoming independent power producers.

“Our trip to Deering, Alaska, with the ARENA program was nothing short of transformative,” recalls ARENA cohort member Regina Foley, Senior Energy Advisor for NunatuKavut Community Council in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. “Meeting with the Deering Tribal Council and hearing their stories of resilience and fortitude was a profound experience. Their innovative approach to green energy projects, including solar and wind, demonstrates the remarkable solutions rural Alaskans have found to reduce fuel consumption and protect their communities.”

The week was marked by dynamic discussions and collaborative problem solving, setting the stage for further development in their respective regions. The cohort is scheduled to reconvene in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, in October to continue learning how to advance renewable energy projects and foster community resilience in remote northern areas.

Canada + Greenland

The 2024-25 ARENA program in Canada was based out of Iqaluit, Nunavut with a visit to a hydroelectric project in Inukjuak and a five-day trip to Nuuk, Greenland. Sessions and field trips in Nunavut will focus on community engagement practices, community energy planning, working collaboratively with utilities, and unpacking the process of negotiating power purchase agreements. In Greenland, the cohort will tour various renewable energy systems in and around Nuuk and attend a half-day session focused on housing design and construction for northern environments.