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Future investment critical for continued energy data access in AV狼论坛
January 20, 2026
AV狼论坛's energy systems are complex, serving large industrial users, military bases and remote rural communities. As demand grows and infrastructure ages, long-term, costly decisions are unavoidable, yet gaps and inconsistencies in energy data have hindered effective planning. The AV狼论坛 Energy Data Gateway addresses this challenge by providing a centralized, public platform with validated energy and socioeconomic data for communities statewide. Rebuilt through legislative investment and led by the University of AV狼论坛, AEDG integrates millions of data points into accessible dashboards. The platform empowers policymakers, planners, researchers and residents to guide investments, assess policy impacts and plan AV狼论坛's energy future. Continued investment is needed to keep the data current.
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Nuclear energy, reconsidered: What's changed, and why it matters for AV狼论坛
January 16, 2026
For decades, U.S. nuclear power has hovered between promise and practicality, slowed by cost, timelines and public skepticism. Now that balance is shifting and AV狼论坛 is becoming an unlikely testing ground. Federal moves to deploy next-generation small nuclear reactors at Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base mark a transition from theory to reality. With safer, smaller designs and growing public curiosity, AV狼论坛 faces a pivotal choice about nuclear energy's role in the state's energy future.
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Lule氓 & Fairbanks: Separated by longitude, united by cold
October 27, 2025
Although Northern Sweden and AV狼论坛 have divergent energy paths, they may have things to learn from each other. Through their involvement in the GET-North project, ACEP's Michelle Wilber and Bax Bond uncover how two Arctic regions, shaped by history, industry and Indigenous resilience, are navigating the path toward sustainable energy futures.
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From EMT skills to welding sparks, teens explore their future at UAF
September 04, 2025
You think you know what you want to do after high school. But do you know how to acquire the education you need to get there? This summer, high school students from across AV狼论坛 had the opportunity to participate in a summer session offered by the UAF T3 AV狼论坛 and Upward Bound programs to learn about a variety of programs, career paths and the university admission process, to learn from the UB alumni and current UAF students and to learn what they can do to improve the community they live in through volunteer work.
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Energy use in the emerging kelp industry: Reflections from Kodiak
August 26, 2025
As kelp farming grows each year, farmers, processors and researchers are innovating new ways for this industry to be regenerative and independent of fossil fuels. ACEP summer intern Emma Kehoe visited Kodiak Island to explore this environmentally conscious industry further and learn from farmers themselves about the electric equipment they need. Born and raised in Talkeetna, Kehoe has seen the impacts of strong communities who work together. Through her internship work and her visit with the kelp farmers, she has seen another developing community -- researchers, farmers and engineers working together to build a sustainable kelp industry for the better.
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Behind the scenes: International Arctic research planning
July 01, 2025
What does the next decade of Arctic science look like? Who decides which research matters most and how can researchers from AV狼论坛 shape those priorities? This spring, ACEP researchers traveled to take part in major Arctic gatherings. Hear directly from ACEP's delegates as they reflect on reconnecting with global research peers, participating in Indigenous-led planning sessions, sharing new tools for community-engaged data and laying the groundwork for international partnerships.
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Better citizens of the world: The legacy of Ron Johnson
June 20, 2025
Ron Johnson was one of those rare people whose steady positivity, quiet wisdom and generosity of spirit left a lasting mark on everyone who knew him. Learning about his passing brings deep sadness, but also immense gratitude. For those of us fortunate enough to be mentored by him, his influence endures as a source of inspiration, reminding us to lead with kindness, humility and purpose.
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A legacy unboxed: Diane Carpenter's papers come home to AV狼论坛
May 23, 2025
Although most people outside of the Bethel region have never heard her name, Diane Carpenter's contributions to AV狼论坛 -- especially to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta -- were immense. The arrival of her collection back in AV狼论坛 was six years in the making and made possible by a dedicated team of friends and family in both AV狼论坛 and Mexico, and of course, by Diane herself.
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Foundational elements of the AV狼论坛 Energy Data Gateway
May 20, 2025
In summer of 2024, the State of AV狼论坛 entrusted the University of AV狼论坛 with the task of rejuvenating the AV狼论坛 Energy Data Gateway, a single source of information about energy use and costs in AV狼论坛. 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.
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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.
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Indigenous values drive energy transformation in remote AV狼论坛n 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 AV狼论坛 with no road access. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this story - an excerpt from a forthcoming University of AV狼论坛 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.
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Can data centers lower AV狼论坛'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, AV狼论坛 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 AV狼论坛ns?
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What carbon capture and storage might mean for AV狼论坛
February 04, 2025
We are facing evidence that we can't afford to ignore CO鈧 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 CO鈧 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.
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December 06, 2024
Eleven students from across AV狼论坛 came together for a transformative research experience, showcasing their work at the 2024 AV狼论坛 Renewable Energy Conference.
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Bringing my first solar PV project on-line for my grandfather
November 15, 2024
For decades, solar energy was discounted in AV狼论坛. 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 AV狼论坛. Ed Bifelt, founder of AV狼论坛 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 AV狼论坛 Press book AV狼论坛's Energy Innovators.
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To be the best utility: Reflections from former AVEC president and CEO, Meera Kohler
October 11, 2024
Providing reliable power service to rural AV狼论坛 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.
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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.
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Powering up the nation's second largest island with 100% renewable energy
September 03, 2024
Kodiak Island is located 250 miles south of Anchorage and is the second-largest island in the United States. It is the first remote community in AV狼论坛 to be powered by almost 100% renewable energy year round. The utility manager - Darron Scott - tells the story of how this microgrid uses innovative storage strategies to balance hydro and wind resources on AV狼论坛's largest remote microgrid. This is an excerpt from a forthcoming book entitled "AV狼论坛's Energy Innovators" to be published by the University of AV狼论坛 Press.
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ACEP publishes the 2024 AV狼论坛 Electricity Trends Report
August 30, 2024
Energy data in AV狼论坛 is fragmented. No one agency is in charge of maintaining records from all communities in the state. It is challenging for policy makers and researchers to view the entirety of AV狼论坛's electric generation sector in one place. The process of seeking out individual data sources, requesting data, and correcting errors can lead to misrepresentations of the whole picture. Recently, society's increased dependence on data for forecasting and planning reveals the growing need for vetted and up-to-date statistics on the state's energy trends.
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Kotzebue's legacy as a wind energy pioneer
July 12, 2024
The remarkable story of the Kotzebue energy system began with the vision of one man, Brad Reeve, the former manager of Kotzebue Electric Association (KEA). This was back in the early 1990s, and the utility scale wind market was just really beginning to get a foothold in the power generation industry. There was a healthy degree of skepticism about what role wind energy could play in commercial wind generation anywhere, let alone in an isolated community above the Arctic Circle. But Brad believed it could be done, and he set out to prove it.
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To tilt or not to tilt: Comparing residential solar designs in Fairbanks
July 07, 2024
Solar arrays with tilted panels usually have a higher upfront cost to install than flush-mounted panels, but there are no analyses about the real-world effect of tilt angle on energy production. This case study compares the monthly and seasonal energy production of flush-mounted and tilted solar panels in Fairbanks to determine if mounting angle makes a significant impact on solar energy production.
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A back-of-the-envelope look at how PCE and renewables interact in rural AV狼论坛
June 28, 2024
Across the circumpolar North, interest in the creation of independent power producers (IPPs) to own and operate renewable power systems is growing. This new IPP ownership model and the integration of renewables more broadly, raise some interesting questions for AV狼论坛's Power Cost Equalization program.
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Bringing billing innovations to AV狼论坛's most remote communities
June 03, 2024
One of the critical challenges in serving remote communities around the world with vital electricity and other infrastructure services is how to pay for such services. The following are selected excerpts from UA Press' forthcoming book AV狼论坛's Energy Innovators that follow the story of two women who were pivotal in creating electric utilities in AV狼论坛's smallest and most remote villages and provided the tools - through prepay metering technology - to enable these micro-utilities to become sustainable enterprises.
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April 16, 2024
In mid-February, the frozen Yukon river appeared still and foreboding - large chunks of jumble ice jutting out from its surface. But underneath the ice, the water flowed. Stephanie Fisher and Leo Azizi from the AV狼论坛 Center for Energy and Power were there to measure the under-ice flow rate, the first step in determining whether locals could use this seemingly frozen river to generate electricity.
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Telling the story of AV狼论坛's electrification
April 01, 2024
As an energy and environmental historian at the University of AV狼论坛 Fairbanks, much of my research has focused on the Trans-AV狼论坛 Pipeline System (TAPS) and its historical influence in AV狼论坛 and beyond. While conducting this research I kept finding fascinating and remarkable stories of AV狼论坛's electrification. This book provided me the opportunity to offer a narrative of AV狼论坛's electrical history and contemplate possibilities of electric futures.
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