Creating Energy Independence in the High Arctic

Kotzebue, Alaska, a remote community of 3,000 people, has transitioned from total reliance on diesel generators to a diversified energy mix including wind, solar, and battery storage. By implementing utility-scale wind generation—a first within the Arctic Circle—and a 1 MW solar array, the town has displaced 350,000–400,000 gallons of diesel annually. These efforts aim to insulate the community from volatile global fuel prices and seasonal supply constraints, with a target of 50 to 60 percent renewable generation by 2030.

• Kotzebue has significantly reduced its diesel consumption by integrating renewable energy and storage, displacing between 350,000 and 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel every year.
• The community overcame extreme Arctic geographical challenges, such as soil that freezes in winter and turns to mud in summer, by using thermopiles—specialized poles that keep turbine 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 installed in 2015 with cold-weather characteristics to balance loads.
• The town aims to achieve 50 to 60 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 to mitigate the financial risk of diesel price volatility and the logistical constraints of summer-only barge deliveries.

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} }