Railbelt Decarbonization Study Public Comment Summary
Cole Sudkamp-Walker works on a solar panel at ACEP’s Solar Photovoltaic Test Site in Fairbanks.
July 18, 2023
The ACEP Railbelt Decarbonization Study has published a summary of the results from the public survey that was completed in fall 2022.
The ACEP team, in collaboration with , sought input from ratepayers, residents, organizations, and individuals on the study scenarios that could lead to decarbonization of the Alaska Railbelt electric grid. The Railbelt grid stretches from Fairbanks through Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula, providing about 79 percent of Alaska’s electrical energy. Answers were used to help improve ACEP’s Phase 1 study. An online public survey was developed and open from Oct. 19 to Nov. 14, 2022, with extensive outreach happening before and during that period.
The survey was distributed to an outreach list including: environmental and conservation non-profit organizations; Railbelt utilities and their ratepayers; state Railbelt energy entities; commercial and independent power producers; ACEP staff and newsletter recipients; telecommunications organizations; solar and other renewable energy service firms; oil, gas, and mining industry entities; Tribal and Alaska Native associations; governments; corporations; economic development entities; unions; energy group members; and individuals who expressed interest in being kept in the loop about the study.
Contacts totaled approximately 275, and multiple rounds of emails and phone calls were made from Oct. 27 to Nov. 13, 2022. A total of 64 public comment surveys were completed.
The report also outlines the actions taken to adapt the study in response to the public comment.
The report can be found here.
For more information on ACEP’s work in Railbelt Decarbonization, please contact Phylicia Cicilio at pcicilio@alaska.edu.