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With its vast coastline, powerful tides, and abundant river systems, Alaska holds immense water power potential. As the state seeks sustainable energy solutions, water power could transform Alaska’s energy landscape.
During last month’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Meeting, which focused on Senator Manchin’s (I-WV) and Senator Barrasso’s (R-WY) Permitting Reform Act of 2024, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) delivered an impassioned speech about the current use of marine energy in Alaska, as well as the benefits of further integrating marine energy into the electricity grid. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study determined the total Alaskan marine energy technical resource potential to be 1,100 TWh/yr – enough to power 100 million homes.
Senator Murkowski’s comments complement a growing wealth of research into water power opportunities across the state. Earlier this year, researchers at Argonne National Laboratory led a study to investigate whether pumped storage hydro could help Alaska add renewable energy to its grid, identifying around 1,800 suitable sites.
At National Hydropower Association’s (NHA) upcoming Alaska Regional Meeting in Juneau (August 28-29), hosted by Alaska Electric Light & Power Co., Alaska Energy Authority, and Juneau Hydropower, the exciting state of Alaskan water power development is on the agenda. With Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chair Willie Phillips scheduled as keynote speaker, attendees will have a front-row seat to hear the Chair’s views on the importance of water power in Alaska, a topic which will be expanded on by notable national and regional speakers.
In this reference article, you’ll read about a variety of topics about water power priorities in the state of Alaska; click on each link below to navigate directly to the following sections:
Marine Energy: A Powerful and Untapped Resource
Developing Marine Energy Projects to Help Rural and Remote Communities Displace Diesel
HOW HYDRO POWERS ALASKA
Hydropower is Alaska’s largest renewable, supplying more than 20% of the state’s electrical energy in an average water year. With fifty operating utility-scale hydroelectric projects in Alaska, the technology’s reliability is a cornerstone of the state’s energy mixture.
On August 7, DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) awarded the Thayer Creek Hydroelectric Project with more than $3.4 million (of the total project federal cost share of up to $26.9 million) to begin Phase 1 activities. The proposed 850 kW, run-of-the-river project has the potential to supply three times the community of Angoon, Alaska’s current electricity needs.
Earlier this year, Alaska’s unique landscape and rural population was the target of Department of Energy (DOE) funding with $76 million awarded to four proposed hydropower projects – three in Alaska and one in Washington State.
This funding, which is one of the largest federal investments in new greenfield, non-federal hydropower project deployment, is of significant value in Alaska, as small communities cannot often bear the large capital costs associated with the construction of these facilities.
For the communities these projects serve, some of the stories span decades, and the Thayer Creek Hydroelectric Project is one such example.
Kootznoowoo, Incorporated (KI) is the Alaska Native Village Corporation for the community of Angoon, the ancient home of the Tlingit Xóotsnoowe’di people with a population of 357 residents. In 1980, as part of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (P.L. 96-487), KI and the community of Angoon gave up the rights to their ancestral land to establish the Admiralty Island National Monument.
As compensation for the loss of the lands, KI was granted the right to develop Thayer Creek Hydroelectric. However, the initial agreement did not include funding, and more than 40 years later, the Tlingit people are still entirely reliant on imported diesel which leads to energy costs that are 4.5 times the national average.
This project aims to provide an avenue to address historical oversight and support access to reliable and affordable energy for the Tlingit people.
As part of its Community Benefits Plan, the project is expected to create 30 construction jobs and one full-time operation and maintenance position. Thayer Creek is expected to displace 12.9 million gallons of diesel and reduce carbon emissions.
Once fully operational, the project is expected to reduce energy rates across five Alaskan communities.
Learn more about the other projects HERE in an article by Jeffrey Leahey, Vice President at Strategic Marketing Innovations, Inc.
Angoon, Alaska, where the proposed Thayer Creek Hydroelectric Project will be developed.
MARINE ENERGY: A POWERFUL AND UNTAPPED RESOURCE
Marine energy harnesses the power of ocean and river currents, tides, and waves to generate electricity. It represents a significant, untapped resource that can help decarbonize the U.S. energy portfolio while enhancing energy independence. Potential markets for marine energy technologies include open ocean blue economy applications, rural, remote, and underserved communities, and utility-scale grid power production like offshore wind.
In 2021, NREL estimated the total marine energy resources in the fifty states to be 2,300 terawatt hours per year (TWh/yr), which is 56% of all U.S. electricity generated in 2021. Utilizing just one-tenth of these resources could account for 5.6% of total electricity generation and power over 22 million homes. For context, all domestic installed solar power capacity generated 5.6% of total U.S. electricity in 2023.
Specifically for Alaska, NREL found the total marine energy technical resource potential to be 1,100 TWh/yr, enough to power 100 million homes. Of this, tidal energy alone accounts for 210 TWh/yr. In their 2021 report, NREL identified ten key tidal sites, with Cook Inlet leading the field with an 80 TWh/yr technical resource potential.
Pictured: Alaska’s Cook Inlet
TIDAL ENERGY IN COOK INLET
Cook Inlet, with its substantial tidal range and robust currents, stands out as an ideal site for tidal energy projects. An April 2024 NREL study underscored the potential of integrating tidal energy into Alaska’s Railbelt electrical grid, which supplies power to most of the state’s population from Homer to Fairbanks.
The study presents several scenarios for tidal energy integration, emphasizing infrastructure upgrades and energy storage solutions. Key findings suggest the potential for 200-300 MW of tidal energy capacity, which could meet up to 25% of the Railbelt’s electrical demand. This integration could significantly reduce carbon emissions by 29% and decrease annual fuel costs by 16%.
While the Cook Inlet has a total technical resource potential of 80 TWh/year, and the Railbelt’s current energy consumption is about 5.2 TWh/year, the excess energy need not go to waste. Alaska can capitalize on this surplus by using marine energy technologies to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export as clean fuels.
Turning this vast energy potential into reality is becoming increasingly feasible. Maine-based marine energy company ORPC is leading an American development team to establish a tidal energy research, development, and demonstration pilot site. The Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office has awarded funding to the ORPC-led team to commence site studies and develop permitting and development plans.
ORPC is seeking to deploy two tidal energy devices in the Cook Inlet off the coast of the remote area of East Foreland on the Kenai Peninsula, to demonstrate the feasibility of tidal energy projects in Cook Inlet. The devices are expected to produce between 1 MW and 5 MW of power.
“Alaska has the best tidal power resources in the United States coupled with significant river resources, and ORPC has worked with Alaskans in rural and remote communities as well as Anchorage and on the Kenai Peninsula to understand Alaska’s energy, environmental and economic opportunities. ORPC’s initial projects in Alaska have proven the importance of displacing diesel fuel in remote grid markets globally and have set the stage for a large U.S. government investment in tidal power development in Cook Inlet.”
— Nathan Johnson, Vice President – Development, ORPC
Photo taken while doing smolt monitoring on the Kvichak River, Igiugig, Alaska, in June 2024. Pictured clockwise: Jon Salmon, Igiugig Village Council; Katie Sellers Reynolds, ORPC; Josh Brekken (ADF&G), Garret Staines (PNNL).
DEVELOPING MARINE ENERGY PROJECTS TO HELP RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES DISPLACE DIESEL
In Alaska’s rural and remote communities, reliable energy sources are crucial. Many of these areas depend on expensive diesel generators, which are not only costly but also environmentally harmful. Marine energy technologies offer a sustainable alternative.
The 2021 NREL report on marine energy potential highlights the importance of localized, small-scale marine energy projects for rural, remote, and islanded communities. These projects can provide consistent and reliable power, reducing dependence on diesel and enhancing energy security. The predictable nature of river currents ensures a stable energy supply, essential for the stability of these communities.
Maine-based marine energy company ORPC has been at the forefront of bringing marine energy solutions to Alaska. Beginning in 2014, ORPC collaborated with the remote Alaskan village of Igiugig to deploy and demonstrate its RivGen device. In 2019, the Igiugig Village Council took ownership of the project and received a FERC license for the device. Now, Igiugig has two RivGen devices operating in the Kvichak River.
“ORPC’s RivGen Power System in Igiugig has demonstrated local power generation while reducing diesel fuel usage. Increasing our self-sufficiency is critical to our future and aligns with our core values of maintaining a subsistence way of life. This project is a model for other remote communities considering alternative power and is accelerating Igiugig’s path toward a sustainable energy solution, a long-term goal of the village. The Council is impressed that the RivGen System was installed with local equipment, provides significant power for our community microgrid, and most importantly, has leveraged historical knowledge with innovative monitoring to ensure compatibility with the fish populations that the Kvichak River is so famous for.”
— AlexAnna Salmon, Igiugig Village Council President
The success in Igiugig was just the beginning for ORPC’s work with remote Alaskan communities. Currently, ORPC is evaluating the feasibility of marine energy power generation to decrease diesel fuel dependency in 59 other remote Alaskan communities.
RivGen devices in Kvichak River, Alaska.
ALASKA REGIONAL MEETING
Each year, NHA’s Alaska Regional Meeting provides a forum for regional and national stakeholders to connect and learn while hearing from the industry’s top minds.
From August 28-29, the Alaskan water power industry will convene in Juneau for two days of sessions, workshops, and exciting tour opportunities. This year’s meeting will also feature FERC Chair Willie Phillips as keynote speaker, who will discuss FERC’s latest priorities, as well as the Chair’s view on water power’s importance to the state of Alaska.
FERC Chair Phillips
Attendees can also expect to hear from these notable speakers:
- Curtis Thayer, Executive Director, Alaska Energy Authority (AEA)
- Aaron Thiele, Energy Legislative Aide, Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
- Adam Weinert, Special Assistant to the Commissioner 2, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- Eunice James, Chair, Kootznoowoo-Angoon, Alaska
NHA’s regional meetings sport exclusive tour opportunities for attendees, and at the upcoming meeting in Juneau, Alaska Electric Light and Power Co. is offering a tour of the 1.6 MW Gold Creek hydroelectric plant – a small run-of-the-river plant located in the heart of the city which produces 1-2% of Juneau’s gross power generation annually.
The meeting’s welcome reception will convene at the top of Mount Roberts – a height of almost 1,800 feet! Attendees will be lifted to a restaurant situated atop the mountain by tram. Goldbelt Tram, the ride’s sponsor, will transport attendees up Mount Roberts, showcasing the unique sights only Alaska can provide.
To learn more about NHA’s Alaska Regional Meeting, click HERE.
Read the detailed agenda HERE.
The Goldbelt Tram traveling down Alaska’s Mount Roberts.
