Alaska at the forefront of wind energy innovation
A wind turbine in Savoonga, a community of about 800 residents, located on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea.
June 25, 2025
By Yuri Bult-Ito
Necessity drives innovation. That’s one of the most significant takeaways from Alaska’s wind energy transition, according to the authors of a recent article by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Center for Energy and Power researchers.
The article, published in the , highlights how environmental and economic challenges many small, remote communities of Alaska experience have also created opportunities, leading to innovations that later became mainstream.
Many remote communities in Alaska grapple with harsh environments, geographic isolation and high fuel costs, which make traditional grid infrastructure impractical. Over 150 such communities use stand-alone microgrids which are for the most part powered by diesel generators. This leads to very high electricity costs, typically more than three times the average national price.
To combat these challenges, many communities have sought creative and local energy solutions for cost reduction and long-term resilience. Their efforts have resulted in incorporation of renewable resources, including wind, to the energy mix.
Authors Gwen Holdmann and Richard Wies trace the history of wind turbine installations in Alaska from the 1980s to the present, highlighting the evolution from early systems producing just a few dozen kilowatts to modern turbines with capacities approaching 1 megawatt (1,000 kW).
The authors also examine policy and market dynamics unique to Alaska, highlighting how local, community-level decision-making helped d