CASES International Forum Meets in Fairbanks

The Community Appropriate Sustainable Energy Security partnership is an international research initiative led by the University of Saskatchewan involving 15 northern and Indigenous communities and public and private sector partners from Canada, Alaska, Sweden and Norway.

Last week, the Alaska Center for Energy and Power co-hosted the CASES International Forum bringing together community members, researchers and other partners from around Alaska to share stories and experiences related to energy security in the north.

The event brought together CASES partners and other participants from Fairbanks, Anchorage, Galena, Kotzebue, Arctic Village and Minto for presentations and discussions around various aspects of energy, including security, challenges and aspirations for the future. For the first half of each day, the group gathered in Fairbanks got together virtually with a group of Canadian project partners gathered in Saskatchewan, which gave participants an opportunity to share stories and perspectives from both sides of the border.

A common thread throughout the event’s presentations and discussions was that energy systems and projects are not just about energy, but also about the other social and economic benefits that can go along with them. For example, when discussing the biomass system in Galena, a community member said: “it’s not just about making those [wood] chips, it’s about making sure the youth in Galena can walk across the stage with their diploma.”

The CASES teams in both Canada and Alaska are looking forward to building on the ideas and connections made at this event as the project moves forward.