To meet, and ideally exceed, Paris Accord and zero emission by 2050 goals and avoid triggering critical tipping points, we need to think bigger, faster and smarter than ever before.   

In Alaska the oil and gas industry produces more than 50% of the state’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.  Nevertheless, transitioning our in-state energy use to more affordable renewable sources cannot be neglected.  

Alaska has the second highest energy costs in the nation.  Many remote communities depend on diesel fuel that can cost upwards of $10 a gallon to generate electricity.  Alaska’s high energy prices, reliance on expensive fossil fuels, and vulnerability to climate change make our energy transition especially important. At the same time, our small and scattered electricity grids make the integration of variable renewable energy very challenging.

Even Alaska’s largest energy grid — the Railbelt — has a much smaller capacity than many power plants in the lower 48. Our smallest grids serve single villages. This means that if a wind or solar system is not producing energy, that energy cannot be imported from elsewhere. Instead, a fossil fuel plant must be ramped up or down instantly to match. At the same time, multiple sources of power must be kept running at all times to maintain reliability. This leads to inefficient use, waste (when a plant is running just for reliability), and continued dependence on expensive and polluting fossil fuels.

ALICE has been working on the PSH concept for Alaska for several years.  A member of our energy working group, Kerry Williams, developed the concept to convert the existing Eklutna Hydropower Plant to PSH.  In 2020, the Governor got wind of the idea and requested a report comparing “the pros and cons” of Eklutna PSH with Susitna-Watana Hydro.  

ALICE’s technical team produced Pumped Storage Hydropower: a path to lower energy costs for Alaska’s new energy future in Feb. 2020 and the PSH-renewables concept (also called Firm-Renewable Energy or FRE) as steadily gained support in Alaska since its release.   

In December, the Alaska office of the Department of Energy held an Alaska Webinar on Pumped Hydropower Storage, part of DOE’s first-ever virtual Office of Indian Energy Program Review. The webinar features Alaska-focused examples and case studies from government agencies, developers, as well as potential financing options through the DOE Loan Guarantee Program.