Revitalized project will offer Alaskans energy data access

The University of Alaska (UA) is set to revitalize the Alaska Energy Data Gateway, a project aimed at providing equitable access to Alaska s energy data and analytics. This three-year initiative, supported by the Alaska Legislature, involves collaboration between UA Fairbanks Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) and UA Anchorage s Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER). The project will enhance the gateway, which contains comprehensive energy and socioeconomic data from across Alaska, enabling communities, researchers, and energy project developers to make informed decisions. The Alaska Energy Authority s Alaska Energy Security Task Force recommended the data-gathering effort in its 2023 report. The datasets document electrical generation capacity, energy production, fuel costs, and metrics on human, technical, and financial capacity. The gateway was first released in 2013 as part of a collaborative ACEP-ISER research program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. The project aims to develop new techniques for data-sharing, revitalize critical technology, and improve distribution. It will also work with state agency partners to support the accessibility and documentation of Alaska s energy data. Partners in the project include ACEP, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the Department of Commerce, and ISER. Gwen Holdmann, a senior researcher at ACEP and UAF associate vice chancellor for research, innovation, and industry partnerships, expressed excitement about the state of Alaska recognizing the value of this resource and investing in its revitalization. For more information, contact Elizabeth Dobbins at 907-474-5402 or eldobbins@alaska.edu. (Word count: 299)

Source: uaf.edu
Published on 2024-10-03