Renewables
RSSRenewables in Alaska is the mix of hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and nuclear microreactor projects that supply the state's electricity. It covers community solar, net metering rules, hydropower relicensing, rural microgrids and storage that cut diesel use.
Places and organizations in this news
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
Photo: National Park Service via Wikimedia Commons · Photo source · Public domain
NANA company in line for $2.3 million grant to design hydro for three villages
Atautchikun, the public benefit company of NANA Regional Corporation, has been selected for a $2.3 million federal grant to design a hydroelectric project and a new power line that could someday help Ambler, Shungnak and Kobuk rely less on diesel for electricity, the company announced Friday.
The money would pay for early engineering designs and community outreach, not construction. No decision has been made to build anything, the company said, and the grant isn't final until the U.S. Department of Energy finishes negotiating the award.
The project, called Kogoluktuk, would put a hydroelectric plant of about 700 kilowatts east of Kobuk, according to the Northwest Arctic Borough's 2026 energy plan. The plan says a 2014 study found it the most feasible option in the area. The plan estimates it would save nearly 400,000 gallons of diesel a year but cost more than $80 million and take more than five years to complete.
The grant would also pay to design a power line between Ambler and Shungnak, which the plan estimates at $20 million and three to four years once it's funded. Kobuk and Shungnak are already linked by a 10-mile line built in 1994, and Kobuk buys its power from Shungnak through it. The borough plan says that line needs replacing, with design under way under a separate federal grant and work planned for 2027.
What did you make of this story? (no account needed)
Have a story about Renewables? Send a tip
Stories on what’s next
Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly Meeting
Northwest Arctic Borough energy plan finds fuel use down 2.1%, short of 10% goal
The Northwest Arctic cut imported fuel use 2.1% from 2008 to 2024, missing a 10% goal. Stove oil costs $27.60 a gallon in Ambler, the borough's plan says.
Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly Regular Meeting
Northwest Arctic Borough seeks batteries for 3 villages, but award waits on DOE extension
The Northwest Arctic Borough wants bids on batteries for three Kobuk River villages. Two would arrive after the federal grant paying for them is set to end.
Public Comment Period: Alutiiq Tribe Hydroelectric Plant Permit Application
Old Harbor tribe seeks permit for hydro plant to replace the village's diesel power
The Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor asked the Army Corps to permit a hydro plant expected to cut 95% of the diesel the Kodiak Island village burns for power.
HEA Community Energy Facility Program Tariff Effective Date
Homer Electric members will be able to buy into shared solar starting in February
Homer Electric members can buy into shared solar or wind starting around mid-February. Subscribers will pay a monthly fee nobody has put a number on yet.
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for City of Pelican Hydroelectric Project
Pelican's hydro plant can keep running while FERC reviews a new license
Pelican's hydro license expired, but federal law lets the plant keep running while FERC weighs a new one. An environmental review is due in January.
Latest
November 2026
State energy board votes on nearly $5 million solar loan for Red Dog Mine
The state energy board votes Thursday on a nearly $5 million loan for solar at Red Dog Mine, sized to stay just under the line where the Legislature gets a say.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
AIDEA board approves up to $10 million stake in Augustine volcano geothermal project
AIDEA's board OK'd up to $10 million for a stake in a company that wants to tap the heat under Augustine, an active volcano in Cook Inlet. The terms come later.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
October 2026
State energy board to vote on nearly $5 million loan for solar at Red Dog Mine
Red Dog Mine makes all its power from diesel and cuts power to parts of the mine in summer. A state board votes Nov. 5 on a nearly $5 million loan toward solar.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
New book on Alaska's microgrids collects stories of the people behind them
A new book profiles Alaska's microgrids and the people behind them, including a woman who signed her letters for village power "Housewife, Stony River."
by Bill AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Solomon tribe helps buy Nome's utility a bucket truck with federal grid money
The Village of Solomon put $125,000 toward a bucket truck for Nome's utility. It's the first tribe in its Bering Strait consortium to start spending its share.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
UAF honors Cordova Electric CEO Clay Koplin for microgrid work in Cordova
UAF honored Cordova Electric CEO Clay Koplin for microgrid work in a town with no outside power line, a few months before he takes over Matanuska Electric.
by Melinda Communities.News3w ago1 min read
AIDEA commits $25 million to nuclear startup NuCube as it seeks to go public
AIDEA is putting $25 million into NuCube, a 10-person, pre-revenue nuclear startup, buying discounted shares as the company tries to go public.
by Melinda Communities.News2w ago3 min read
September 2026
Feds select Anchorage company to drill geothermal test well on Augustine volcano
The feds picked an Anchorage company to drill a geothermal test well on Augustine, the Cook Inlet volcano. Tapping a volcano for power: very Alaska.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom 
More from Renewables
Seward survey respondents favor a local cooperative to run the city's electric utility
Most Seward survey takers want a local co-op to run the city's electric utility. The math hinges on a hydro project Chugach Electric also wants.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago3 min read
Public comment is open on Cook Inlet subsea data-center plan
Comments close Nov. 2 on a proposed tidal-powered subsea data center off Nikiski. The permit would authorize study, not construction.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A hydro plant sat on state land five years after its easement expired
A hydro plant east of Palmer has sat on state land for five years with no authorization to be there. The state now proposes to lease it the ground.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom 
Sitkana's new patent covers how its tidal generator looks, not how it works
Juneau's Sitkana won a 15-year design patent for its floating tidal generator, protecting the device's exterior shape.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago2 min read
August 2026
A $2.5 million geothermal training grant for Unalaska sits 3 percent spent
Unalaska abandoned its Makushin geothermal project in May 2025, but a $2.5 million federal training grant tied to it remains open and largely unspent with only $75,000 spent so far.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Golden Valley Electric has rules for community solar and no community solar
Golden Valley Electric now has approved rules for community solar and no community solar. Someone outside the utility has to build it first.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A Juneau company turning idle fishing boats into tidal power just cracked a deep-fjord problem
A Juneau company turning idle fishing boats into tidal-power platforms won a patent for stopping the cable-twisting that hobbles deep-fjord generators.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago2 min read
Alaska regulators may open the grid to far more home and community solar
Alaska regulators may raise the rooftop and community solar limit from 1.5% to 20% of a utility's demand, opening the grid to far more customer-owned power.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Coming up
Mount Marathon Hydroelectric Plant Grand Opening
Mount Marathon Hydroelectric Plant, at the base of the Mount Marathon race trail, Seward, AK
Community event
Public Comment Period: Alutiiq Tribe Hydroelectric Plant Permit Application
Public notice
Alaska Power Company Road Management Plan Amendment - Public Comment Deadline
Public notice
HEA Community Energy Facility Program Tariff Effective Date
Public notice
About Renewables
Renewables in Alaska take in hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, tidal power, biomass heat and nuclear microreactors used to supply electricity and heat. Hydropower supplies towns such as Wrangell, Petersburg and Pelican, while rural villages pair renewables and batteries with diesel microgrids.
Utilities and state regulators decide how much rooftop and community solar can join the grid, how net metering and shared solar subscriptions are priced, and federal regulators relicense hydropower plants. Rural electricity costs tied to diesel, battery storage that works with village generators, and financing through state loans and federal programs are recurring questions.
The Alaska Energy Authority, electric cooperatives such as Homer Electric, Matanuska Electric and Golden Valley Electric, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks all play roles. Tidal power in Cook Inlet and geothermal heat at Augustine volcano are among the sources under study.
More from Renewables
In Ouzinkie, one lake is water and power, so the village is building solar
In Ouzinkie, the same lake is both drinking water and power — so the island village is building solar and batteries to stop rationing one against the other.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
A UAF fix for the battery-and-generator clash in village grids
When villages add batteries to diesel plants, the two can 'fight' and destabilize the grid — a UAF researcher is testing a fix to cut rural diesel use.
by Melinda Communities.News3mo ago2 min read
Peltola's energy platform draws fire from both sides in the race
Mary Peltola rolled out an energy platform in her Senate race against Dan Sullivan, drawing rebuttals from his campaign and from Alaska environmental groups.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
July 2026
NuCube, Alaska Fund launch NuAlaska nuclear initiative
NuCube Energy and Alaska Fund launched NuAlaska to develop nuclear microreactors for remote Alaska communities where fuel costs and weather make power expensive.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska's diesel-to-renewables fund reopens, but the money reaches few
Alaska's main fund for getting rural communities off diesel just reopened — with room for maybe nine of the many that'll apply.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
SEAPA files federal notice to begin Tyee Lake relicensing ahead of 2031 expiration
Southeast Alaska Power Agency opened federal relicensing for Tyee Lake hydropower, which expires in 2031 and serves Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Wrangell.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
An Alaska village will own its solar power — and sell it back to the utility
A state grant puts village-owned solar and batteries in Allakaket, letting it sell power to its utility instead of buying diesel. A second grant expands a hydro project.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
June 2026
Two Alaska towns run on water — and want more of it
Wrangell and Petersburg run on hydropower from a remote mountain lake — and a planned third turbine would draw 12 more megawatts, meaning fewer days burning costly diesel.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Matanuska Electric offers free EV chargers to local businesses, but hosts pay install costs
MEA is giving away EV chargers to Mat-Su hosts — but only the box is free; the host pays to install it, and the co-op pockets three years of charging data.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Matanuska Electric wants members to go renewable without a rooftop, but it hasn't said what it costs
Matanuska Electric wants you to go renewable without the rooftop. What it'll cost, and whether non-subscribers help pay, is the part nobody's said yet.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Tidal energy permit application opens in Isanotski Strait near False Pass
Tidal energy permit in Isanotski Strait. Small ask. Alaska has the biggest U.S. tidal resource, and Cook Inlet gas is running down.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
CVEA files to renew Solomon Gulch hydro license before 2028 expiration
Copper Valley Electric Association filed to renew its Solomon Gulch hydroelectric license before it expires May 31, 2028, submitting required paperwork to federal regulators on June 12.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Senate committee advances hydropower bill backed by Murkowski
Senate committee passed a bill backed by Senator Murkowski that eliminates federal approval requirements for routine hydropower maintenance in Alaska and speeds up permitting for small wave, tidal, and river-current energy projects.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
GVEA files 62% cost-of-power increase with regulators
Golden Valley Electric Association's cost-of-power surcharge rises 62 percent on June 1, going from $0.12779 to $0.20652 per kilowatt-hour. For a 600 kilowatt-hour household, the change adds about $47 to the monthly bill. State Representative Zack Fields told a legislative committee that Interior utilities have leaned more on diesel as gas supply tightens.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min readFour Alaska utilities file community-energy tariffs in 72 hours
Four Alaska utilities filed tariff proposals this week to launch community-energy programs under 2024 state law, letting renters and homeowners buy shares in shared renewable projects without rooftop equipment.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
May 2026
Four nuclear startups race to bring microreactors to Alaska by 2029
Four nuclear firms racing to deploy microreactors in Alaska by 2029, starting 2027. • Radiant, Antares, Applied Atomics, NuCube targeting military bases and remote industrial sites. • Alaska cleared regulatory path in 2024. Air Force already signed contracts. • No US private microreactor yet operating or backed by commercial power deals.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Nenana pioneers Alaska's first biochar boiler for municipal heating
Nenana installed Alaska's first biochar boiler for municipal heating, burning wood chips and waste at 2,000 degrees, but a city official warned the system demands daily monitoring and every-other-day refills, not a hands-off solution like oil heat.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Proposes $4.4 Billion Synthetic Aviation Fuel Refinery Using Beetle-Killed Trees
Alaska plans $4.4 billion refinery to make 150 million gallons of jet fuel yearly from beetle-killed trees. • Fischer-Tropsch technology costs $4.85 per gallon, cheaper than cooking oil methods. • State imports most aviation fuel despite handling 700 cargo flights weekly through Anchorage. • Federal energy office offers $289 billion in lending authority for qualified projects.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Oklo targets 2030 for Alaska's first small nuclear reactor at Eielson
Oklo builds Alaska's first small nuclear reactor at Eielson Air Force Base, starting 2027, operating 2030. • 5 megawatts electricity plus steam for base heating needs. • Over 300 construction jobs, 70 to 80 permanent positions. • Based on proven fast reactor design with 400 years global experience.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska's Off-Grid Communities Face Rising Diesel Costs as Governor Promotes Solar Alternative
Alaska Governor Dunleavy urged the state's 220-plus off-grid communities to adopt solar power paired with batteries and diesel backup to cut fuel costs as diesel prices rise for winter orders.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
National Lab, University of Alaska Fairbanks sign energy partnership
National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Alaska Fairbanks expanded their partnership Wednesday to focus on critical minerals, energy infrastructure, and workforce development for Alaska's energy sector.
by Melinda Communities.News5mo ago2 min read
Interior Secretary Burgum to address Alaska energy conference
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will speak at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage on May 19 alongside Governor Dunleavy, his second year attending the event.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
April 2026
Alaska Energy Survey Shows Strong Support for Renewables, Mixed Views on Nuclear
Survey shows 70% of Alaskans support renewable energy and natural gas pipelines, but backing drops if costs rise or state investment is needed. • Rural Alaska faces energy crisis. Fairbanks burned 250,000 gallons of diesel daily last winter when natural gas power became unavailable. • Nuclear awareness grew from 25% to 40% between 2023 and 2025, with support rising as residents learned about microreactors.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Sustainable Energy Corporation reports progress on green financing
Alaska's new green financing nonprofit secured $4.7 million and plans residential energy efficiency loans by mid-2027, but operates with just two staff and faces questions about its scale.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
