When it comes to emerging energy technologies, many remote Alaska communities are on the cutting edge. That was the message from Cordova this spring, where U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski held a field hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which she chairs.
The focus of the hearing was microgrids: self-contained electrical grids, which can operate unconnected to any larger transmission system. They’re a necessity for just about every Alaska community off the road system. Most of the grids are powered by diesel, but more and more communities are trying to cut costs by adding renewables like wind or expanding hydropower.
In the process, the state has become a testing ground for technologies that are increasingly interesting to the rest of the world.
Read the full article here.
Source: Cordova Hosts U.S. Senate Field Hearing on Microgrids | Alaska Public Media
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