About the study
In consultation with utilities and other Alaska energy stakeholders, Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) is exploring and quantifying pathways toward reduced Railbelt electric grid carbon emissions while maintaining reliable and affordable electricity and promoting clean energy development. The purpose of this study is to inform future studies and decisions made by Alaska utilities, the State of Alaska, and other stakeholders with an independent, unbiased assessment that demonstrates to technical and non-technical audiences the opportunities and challenges facing isolated regional electric grids seeking to decarbonize.
Project funding is through ACEP and the Hawai’i Natural Energy Institute with support from the Office of Naval Research.
Study activities
- Develop Scenarios
- Centralized Low-Carbon Generation
- Decentralized Energy Transition
- Export Project Offtake
- Public Comment
- Evaluate Scenarios with computer modeling
- Share
- Public Comments
- Revision Recommendations
Railbelt Decarbonization Study
Phase 1: Process
The Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) is examining ways for Alaska's Railbelt electrical system to attain zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Phase 1 focuses on technical feasibility and economic impacts of various technologies and their locations on the existing electric grid.
May 2022: Project Kick-off Workshop with Technical Advisory group and Stakeholders.
ACEP developed Railbelt Decarbonizaation Scenarios that also considered:
- Generation sizing
- Load and distributed energy resources forecasting
- Energy resource availability
Three Railbelt Decarbonization Scenarios were selected for public input and analysis:
- Scenario 1: Decentralized Energy Transistion
- Scenario 2: Centeralized Low-Carbon Generation
- Scenario 3: Export Project Offtake
Descriptions of the scenarios are available online.
ACEP collarborated with Information Insights to gain input from ratepayers, residents, orgainzations, and individuals on the study scenarios.
By a three part survey:
- Identification
- Context/Overview questions
- Comments on 3 decarbonization scenarios
The extensive outreach gained 64 survey responses.
The answers helped improve ACEP's Phase 1 study.
ACEP conducted complex computer modeling and analysis focused on reliability, stability, and economics.
- Economic Dispatch (Production cost modeling)
- Transmission Modeling and Analysis
- Rate Analysis
- Electricity Rates
- Load Forecasts
- Carbon Emissions and Emisisons Reductions
- Generation Resources by Type
- Transmission and Reliability
September 2023
- Chapter review
Winter/Spring 2024
- Presentation and public comment
Contact Information
Lead Researchers
Steve Colt, ACEP
Email: sgcolt@alaska.edu
Phylicia Cicilio, GVEA & ACEP
Email: pcicilio@alaska.edu
Jeremy VanderMeer, Alaska Renewables & ACEP
Email: jbvandermeer@alaska.edu
Outreach and Public Comment
Frana Burtness-Adams, Information Insights
Email: comment@iialaska.com
Phone: 907.450.2459
