Creating Energy Independence in the High Arctic

This case study examines the transition of Kotzebue, Alaska, from a total reliance on imported diesel to a diversified energy mix incorporating wind, solar, and battery storage to increase energy independence and reduce cost volatility.

• Kotzebue, Alaska, has reduced its dependence on imported diesel by integrating wind, solar, and battery storage into its microgrid. This transition is estimated to displace between 350,000 and 400,000 gallons of diesel annually, protecting the community from market-driven fuel price spikes.
• The community overcame significant Arctic geographical challenges to implement utility-scale wind power, which had not been done within the Arctic Circle prior to Kotzebue's efforts. To prevent turbines from sinking into soil that freezes in winter and turns to mud in summer, the project used thermopiles—specialized poles that keep foundations frozen solid.
• Kotzebue's current energy infrastructure includes two 1 MW EWT wind turbines, a 1 MW solar array, and a 1.2 MW battery with cold-weather characteristics installed in 2015 to balance loads and store excess energy.
• The town aims to achieve 50 to 60 percent renewable energy generation by 2030. While progress has been slowed by federal rollbacks and the delay of a planned 2 MW wind operation on tribal land, local leaders view the transition as a way to keep energy expenditures within the community rather than exporting funds to fuel suppliers.

APA

RMI (2025). Creating Energy Independence in the High Arctic. https://rmi.org/resources/creating-energy-independence-in-the-high-arctic/

Chicago

RMI. Creating Energy Independence in the High Arctic. 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/creating-energy-independence-in-the-high-arctic/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Creating Energy Independence in the High Arctic |date=10 September 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/creating-energy-independence-in-the-high-arctic/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2025creating, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Creating Energy Independence in the High Arctic}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/creating-energy-independence-in-the-high-arctic/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }