ARENA Candidate Interviews Underway, Program Plans May Be Adjusted

Plans are still underway for the 2020 Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy. The three international leads from Iceland, Canada and the United States have been conducting videoconference interviews with the 20 candidates from four Arctic nations that have made it through the first round of selection. Candidates will be informed by mid-April of their selection to participate in the 2020 program.

Due to worldwide travel restrictions to respond to COVID-19, the ARENA steering committee, comprising delegates from around the Arctic, will convene March 31 to discuss program options. The committee will decide if and what alternative options to pursue, or whether to meet again in upcoming weeks as information changes.

ARENA comprises three onsite programs, and these may be adjusted as necessary:
• Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada — May 24-June 1, 2020
• Fairbanks and Kodiak, Alaska, USA — July 12-18, 2020
• Reykjavik, Iceland — Oct. 25-31, 2020

ARENA is a unique circumpolar program to share knowledge about integrating isolated power systems. It’s held in partnership with Canada, Gwich’in Council International, the U.S. and Iceland and is endorsed by the Sustainable Development Working Group of the Arctic Council. ARENA is designed for individuals living and working in remote circumpolar Arctic communities.

For up-to-date information on the ARENA program, please visit http://arena.alaska.edu/2020/, and if you have questions or concerns, please email uaf-arena@alaska.edu.

 

2017 ARENA participants tour a geothermal powered fish drying plant in Iceland. Photo by Amanda Byrd.