ACEP Intern Helps to Put Arctic Energy on the Map — Literally

Kate Robb is about to finish a master’s degree in development practice from the University of Winnipeg, in Canada, where she has been studying and researching various aspects of energy policy and energy impacts on northern and Indigenous communities. 

Robb is currently working on the Arctic Energy Atlas, a product that plans to deliver information on pan-Arctic energy resources, infrastructure and access. This atlas will allow information to be more usable and accessible to partners, which is important for placing Alaska and North American approaches to energy within a broader context. 

Working with ACEP’s Gwen Holdmann and Erin Trochim, Robb’s work is focused on developing a corresponding policy framework for contextualizing differences in governance, industry structure and subsidies in relation to the regional information contained in the AEA. The AEA is important because it will inform policy decisions at the regional, national and pan-Arctic levels.

“I am excited about this opportunity to learn more about energy systems across the pan-Arctic, and how different nations are approaching the adoption of renewable energy sources in remote communities,” Robb said. She is also looking forward to learning about the data analysis and visualization portion of the AEA project from Trochim and her other intern, Noah Faso-Formoso. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of ACEP this summer!”

Release of the Arctic Energy Atlas is planned later this summer. It will be available as an app and on an online platform.

Creation of the atlas is funded by the Office of Naval Research’s Arctic Regional Collaboration for Technology Innovation and Commercialization grant.

Robb’s internship is funded through the Community Appropriate Sustainable Energy Security Partnership, a research initiative involving 15 northern and Indigenous communities and public and private sector partners from Canada, Alaska, Sweden and Norway.

For more information on this project, please contact Trochim at edtrochim@alaska.edu. 

 

Kate Robb is an ACEP summer intern. Photo courtesy of Kate Robb.