Articles
  • Woman stands in front of a float plane behind a huge moose rack. Image is clearly old and dates to 1959.

    A legacy unboxed: Diane Carpenter's papers come home to ³ÉÈËӰƬ

    May 23, 2025

    Although most people outside of the Bethel region have never heard her name, Diane Carpenter's contributions to ³ÉÈËӰƬ -- especially to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta -- were immense. The arrival of her collection back in ³ÉÈËӰƬ was six years in the making and made possible by a dedicated team of friends and family in both ³ÉÈËӰƬ and Mexico, and of course, by Diane herself.

  • An aerial photo of Kotzebue Electric Association’s 1.1 MW solar farm and 1.8 MW wind farm, located outside the community of Kotzebue, 30 miles above the Arctic Circle. Photo by Amanda Byrd/ACEP.

    Foundational elements of the ³ÉÈËӰƬ Energy Data Gateway

    May 20, 2025

    In summer of 2024, the State of ³ÉÈËӰƬ entrusted the University of ³ÉÈËӰƬ with the task of rejuvenating the ³ÉÈËӰƬ Energy Data Gateway, a single source of information about energy use and costs in ³ÉÈËӰƬ. ACEP's data analysis and collection lead Liz Dobbins explains what it took for the data team to build a strong foundation for future data and metadata of the AEDG that should last for many years.

  • Wenceslao Ruiz shares his thoughts in an open letter to ACEP. Photo by Yuri Bult-Ito/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.

  • Representatives from the Native Village of Iqiugig, the ³ÉÈËӰƬ Governor's office, and ORPC stand in front of a hydrokinetic device along the bank of a river, smiling.

    Indigenous values drive energy transformation in remote ³ÉÈËӰƬn 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 ³ÉÈËӰƬ with no road access. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this story - an excerpt from a forthcoming University of ³ÉÈËӰƬ 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 ³ÉÈËӰƬ'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, ³ÉÈËӰƬ 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 ³ÉÈËӰƬns?

  • ³ÉÈËӰƬ rock samples were on hand at the recent carbon capture, use and storage town hall events in Anchorage and Kenai in January 2025. Photo by Amanda Byrd/ACEP.

    What carbon capture and storage might mean for ³ÉÈËӰƬ

    February 04, 2025

    We are facing evidence that we can't afford to ignore COâ‚‚ 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 COâ‚‚ 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.

  • Celebrating young researchers: Upward Bound T3 ³ÉÈËӰƬ present posters at the 2024 Rural Energy Conference

    December 06, 2024

    Eleven ³ÉÈËӰƬ from across ³ÉÈËӰƬ came together for a transformative research experience, showcasing their work at the 2024 ³ÉÈËӰƬ Renewable Energy Conference.

  • Man stands holding an award wearing a beaded vest.

    Bringing my first solar PV project on-line for my grandfather

    November 15, 2024

    For decades, solar energy was discounted in ³ÉÈËӰƬ. 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 ³ÉÈËӰƬ. Ed Bifelt, founder of ³ÉÈËӰƬ 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 ³ÉÈËӰƬ Press book ³ÉÈËӰƬ's Energy Innovators.

  • Head shot of a woman with short, curly dark hair, smiling.

    To be the best utility: Reflections from former AVEC president and CEO, Meera Kohler

    October 11, 2024

    Providing reliable power service to rural ³ÉÈËӰƬ 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.

  • Man reaches to adjust metering equipment on a beautiful sunny day.

    Farewell Chris

    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.

More articles