From the Grid
Building Ƶ's energy future, one student at a time
August 21, 2026
From rural microgrids to renewable energy and Indigenous-led solutions, Ƶ students explored how communities can shape their energy future. Through field experiences, storytelling and hands-on projects, they connected technology with local knowledge and values, discovering that the next chapter of Ƶ's energy story may be theirs to write.
Building Ƶ's energy future, one student at a time
August 21, 2026
From rural microgrids to renewable energy and Indigenous-led solutions, Ƶ students explored how communities can shape their energy future. Through field experiences, storytelling and hands-on projects, they connected technology with local knowledge and values, discovering that the next chapter of Ƶ's energy story may be theirs to write.
Strengthening long-term energy resilience: Lessons from Cordova
July 31, 2026
What does it take to keep an isolated microgrid resilient for the long term? In Cordova, Ƶ, the answer extends beyond hydropower and infrastructure to the people who operate, improve and sustain the system. Daisy Huang and George Reising share lessons from a community where innovation, local partnerships and workforce development are shaping the future of energy resilience.
What can Ƶ learn from Iceland's geothermal success?
July 20, 2026
People around the world know Iceland for its geothermal energy. But what if its greatest energy asset is the knowledge built alongside it? ACEP researcher Eli Gudleifsson explores how decades of learning by people -- communities, engineers, researchers and policymakers -- fueled Iceland's success and what Ƶ can learn as it strengthens its leadership in remote energy systems and microgrid development.
Tending to a spark: Developing tools to understand home heating
July 06, 2026
In Interior Ƶ, where winter temperatures can plunge for months, heating isn't just a utility, it's survival. Yet most homes run on expensive fuel oil with little insight into how it is actually used day to day. ACEP's Alana Vilagi describes the development of a new monitoring apparatus, which helps make invisible fuel consumption visible and actionable.
Kick-starting entrepreneurship through innovation grants
June 24, 2026
Ever wonder how ideas become real-world solutions? In Ƶ and the Arctic, innovation drives resilience across extreme climate, distance and resource constraints. Through two seed-funded projects, the Ƶ Center for Innovation director Peter Webley shows how early-stage research becomes practical applications and why supporting innovation is essential to Ƶ's future.
The email that proved the Student to Startups program works
June 01, 2026
A former intern emailed to correct the Student to Startups website, because he now works full-time at the company that hired him after his internship. That moment became proof that ARCTIC-funded S2S is doing more than placing students in summer internship roles. Backed by Ƶ's innovation ecosystem, the program is connecting university talent with local startups, building careers, strengthening industries and helping keep the next generation of innovators in Ƶ.
From internship to publication: Undergraduate interns publish first-author papers
February 18, 2026
Publishing a paper in a peer-reviewed journal as first author while an undergrad is a monumental achievement indicating the dedication of the student and support of the mentor. In this story, Magnus de Witt describes the journey of the two 2025 ACEP summer interns he mentored, from summer projects to peer-reviewed publications and discusses the impacts on the students and future possibilities.
From planting seeds to installing solar panels: Sean McDonald's journey into Ƶ's energy future
February 11, 2026
When Sean McDonald joined Upward Bound and Teaching Through Technology Ƶ in 2020 as a freshman in Wrangell, Ƶ, he had no idea that a virtual summer program during COVID-19 would help launch him toward a future in renewable energy. Four years later, Sean is an electrical engineering college student spending his summers helping build solar arrays across rural Ƶ -- proof that hands-on learning can change a young person's entire trajectory.
Future investment critical for continued energy data access in Ƶ
January 20, 2026
Ƶ's energy systems are complex, serving large industrial users, military bases and remote rural communities. As demand grows and infrastructure ages, long-term, costly decisions are unavoidable, yet gaps and inconsistencies in energy data have hindered effective planning. The Ƶ Energy Data Gateway addresses this challenge by providing a centralized, public platform with validated energy and socioeconomic data for communities statewide. Rebuilt through legislative investment and led by the University of Ƶ, AEDG integrates millions of data points into accessible dashboards. The platform empowers policymakers, planners, researchers and residents to guide investments, assess policy impacts and plan Ƶ's energy future. Continued investment is needed to keep the data current.
Nuclear energy, reconsidered: What's changed, and why it matters for Ƶ
January 16, 2026
For decades, U.S. nuclear power has hovered between promise and practicality, slowed by cost, timelines and public skepticism. Now that balance is shifting and Ƶ is becoming an unlikely testing ground. Federal moves to deploy next-generation small nuclear reactors at Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base mark a transition from theory to reality. With safer, smaller designs and growing public curiosity, Ƶ faces a pivotal choice about nuclear energy's role in the state's energy future.