The following is courtesy of Alaska Environment:
New analysis: Alaska’s renewable energy production has grown just 2% in the last decade, lagging the national pace
An interactive dashboard allows users to explore clean energy growth in Alaska and the nation over the past decade, identify room for improvement
ANCHORAGE, Alaska– Alaska gets the equivalent of approximately 2.6% of its retail electricity from solar, wind and geothermal energy, ranking it 44th in the nation by Renewable energy sources on the rise in 2024 published Wednesday by the Alaska Environment Research & Policy Center. The produced renewable energy is enough to power 14,293 homes. That lags behind the national rate, where in 2023 16% of total electricity generation in the United States came from solar, wind or geothermal sources.
The analysis comes as the rail belt faces looming natural gas shortages, a new coal-fired power plant is being considered and federal funding for renewable energy infrastructure is plentiful.
“We have many reasons to develop a truly sustainable and resilient energy system in Alaska, and now is the time to dive into it,” he said Alaska State Environmental Director, Diana Chapman. “One way or another, ratepayers will be investing in new infrastructure over the next few years. Energy sources that won’t disappear and protect our air, water and climate are ideal, so it only makes sense to invest in infrastructure that will benefit future generations of Alaskans.”
Although Alaska did not make the overall leaderboards in renewable energy, there is growth to be continued.
- By the end of 2023, electric vehicle registrations have increased by more than 5,000% compared to ten years ago.
- Part of that change comes from building the necessary infrastructure: by the end of 2023, 124 EV charging points were open to the public compared to just one in 2014.
- Alaska had essentially no grid-connected solar in 2013, and now the panels power the equivalent of 2,191 homes.
- Alaska also has the 12th largest battery energy storage capacity in the country.
However, nearly all of Alaska’s vast clean energy potential remains untapped. To take advantage of this potential, the report’s authors recommend that state and local governments set clean energy goals with clear benchmarks and use federal resources to achieve them. Legislators and regulators should ensure that utility policies fairly compensate clean energy technology investors and adopt permitting and interconnection policies that make the adoption of clean energy technologies seamless. The federal government, states, and localities should reduce energy waste by expanding efficiency programs and policies, including utility energy efficiency programs, building energy codes, and appliance efficiency standards.
In addition to highlighting the states that have made the most progress in adopting renewable energy technologies, the research also describes the rapid gains made at the national level over the past decade. In 2022, America generated more than three times as much renewable electricity from solar and wind as it did in 2013, according to the report.
The Renewables on the Rise 2024 dashboard documents the growth of six key clean energy technologies across the United States over the past decade: solar, wind, battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and electric vehicle charging stations.
“This report offers a timely reminder that we have a huge, largely untapped opportunity when it comes to clean energy here in Alaska, and we should take full advantage of federal tax credits, grants and rebate programs to help realize our clean energy potential.” Chapman said. “Alaska states are already reaping the benefits of the progress we’ve made so far, but there’s more we can do to introduce the clean, renewable energy we need.”
###The Alaska Center for Environmental Research and Policy is dedicated to protecting our air, water and open spaces. We work to protect the places we love, promote the ecological values we share and achieve real results for our environment. For more information visit www.alaskaenvironmentcenter.org