Can Renewable Energy Be The Solution To Rural Alaska’s Energy Crisis?

[SunsetDreams]

Alaska is a very important area for U.S. fossil fuel development. But, somewhat paradoxically, rural Alaska and its 250 Native villages are facing an energy crisis: Residents are forced to burn diesel for electricity; a gallon of gas sells for around $10 in some communities; and gasoline and diesel have been barged in from as far as Russia.

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Alaska has tremendous renewable energy potential. The state’s location on the Ring of Fire provides geothermal resources, its rivers provide untapped hydropower, its oceans have over 90% of the nation’s tidal resources, its vast forests provide biomass resources, and many areas have high class wind. Dozens of projects — ranging from wind to geothermal — have already been built and have started generating power for communities.

Villages in Alaska are generally remote, and approximately 150 have stand-alone electrical grids that prevent traditional, centralized energy development. However, panelists at the event discussed how this challenge can provide opportunities — particularly when it comes to designing innovative, decentralized renewable energy technologies that could be exported to the developing world.

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So while companies start eying offshore oil resources off the coast of Alaska, perhaps they should be looking to renewables instead.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/05/25/490169/can-renewable-energy-be-the-solution-to-rural-alaskas-energy-crisis/

[Bandit]

1. gasoline and diesel have been barged in from as far as Russia.

Russia is only three miles from Alaska, however a Russian tanker did indeed deliver fuel to Nome last winter but the fuel came from here and not Russia....The tanker was used because it could break ice.. However more and more isolated villages are going more to wind and hydro power because fuel is indeed very very expensive. The average American pays under ten cents a kilowatt for their electricity. Some Alaskan villages pay as much as eighty five cents per kilowatt. almost ten times as much as most Americans pay.

[MadHound]

2. Not just Alaska's problem,

But renewables can solve the energy problem for the entire US.