No need to be cold toward renewable energy

If you were to ask someone what kind of feelings fellow Alaskans have toward renewable energy, you would probably hear a common Alaska word: cold.

Although you hear about the occasional solar or wind project, the majority of Alaskans tend to feel skeptical about alternative forms of energy and their viability in comparison to traditional fossil fuels. I suppose this should not be too surprising in a state so abundant with natural resources such as oil and gas. That begs the question: is there room for both “big oil” and alternative energy in Alaska?

In 2009, I was honored to receive a scholarship to study abroad in Stavanger, Norway. Admittedly, I was amazed by a people whose economy is so dependent on oil revenues, yet they vehemently encourage and support renewable energy as an industry.

Stavanger has a comparable latitude to Juneau. If an arctic-oil based nation such as Norway can embrace the philosophy of use alternative energies and sell fossil fuels, I wondered why Alaska is so reluctant to adopt the same mentality.

My initial impression was that Alaskans were unaware of how the world’s perception of energy is changing. As long as utility rates are low and our energy resources are abundant, introducing an alternative seemed excessive and irrelevant. Yet, as times progress it is not uncommon to hear about natural gas shortages and rate increases.

How long can we simply accept the status quo without any real change? One could argue that there is a movement to embrace renewable energies into Alaska’s energy policy, with wind projects such as Eva Creek and Fire Island, and potential hydroelectric projects such as the Susitna Dam. Does this gradual implementation of alternative energy mean that there has been a shift in the climate for change in the way Alaskans view energy? I do not believe so. If anything, it seems as if there is a sense of detachment from the alternative energy industry. It is as if Alaska has met its quota for alternative energy resources and people are content to go back to business as usual.

Although the climate for change in Alaska may be cold, there are certainly areas that are warming up to the idea for alternative forms of energy. Fairbanks seems to be leading the charge and the city seems to have the people, utility companies and policy makers to endorse such an innovative approach.

Fairbanks’ Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) has graciously invited residents and businesses to do something about their high electric bills. GVEA encourages its customers who are interested in renewable energy to participate in Alaska’s Net Metering Program, an incentive policy that allows them to use utility power while simultaneously using renewable energy. For those customers who are not interested in a renewable energy system for themselves but see the value in the technology, GVEA has created the SNAP program. One element of the SNAP program allows GVEA customers to donate to people who are providing power from a renewable energy source. The amazing thing is that this is actually working; people see the value in investing in alternative energy and they are backing it financially.

So why is alternative energy embraced so freely in the Interior yet hesitantly in more populated areas such as Anchorage and Southeast where most of Alaska’s policies are written? I believe the major difference is education. University of Alaska Fairbanks has done an amazing job of educating students and the Fairbanks community on the viability of these renewable energy resources. UAF has introduced great programs like the Sustainable Village that includes a student-led cluster of super energy-efficient homes with shared open space, a community garden and footpaths between buildings. The project blends the latest cold-climate technology, environmentally sound land use and sustainable infrastructure with a new model of campus housing: students as live-in researchers who test, interpret and help refine their buildings’ design as part of their college education.

The result is a group of educated and informed young adults leading the community in the understanding and implementation of alternative energy application in Alaska.

Ultimately, it’s my hope that the rest of Alaska learns from these students. Ignorance of new technologies will not help us compete in a global market.

As Alaskans, and for our future generations, we need to make available every opportunity to develop all of our resources. If we can accomplish this modern and prudent approach, then we can truly change the way we perceive and utilize energy sources. And there’s nothing cold about that.

Jesse Moe is co-owner of LIME Solar and a fourth-generation Alaskan.