North Alaska News

Mike Dunleavy, the Governor of Alaska, has taken to Twitter to advocate for renewable energy technology. In a tweet, he expressed his enthusiasm for a new project that aims to address a major obstacle in renewable energy - effective and affordable storage.

"This is great news for Alaska. Effective and affordable storage has long been the choke point for renewable energy technology. This project will help increase the availability of affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy on the Railbelt," Dunleavy tweeted.

The project in question is being led by Westinghouse Electric Company, and it involves the deployment of a 1.2 GWh utility-scale long-duration energy storage system in Healy, Alaska. This project is set to support planned wind power and represents the largest planned installation of long-duration energy storage in the United States.

In a statement, Westinghouse Electric Company announced that the Department of Energy has selected their project, highlighting its significance in demonstrating how the technology can firm intermittent renewable power at a grid scale while also providing local and regional grid resiliency.

Governor Dunleavy echoed his support for the project, stating, "Increasing access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy is one of my top goals as governor. Having an effective and affordable way to store energy has been the choke point for renewable energy technology. By providing long-duration energy storage, this project will help enable us to better utilize the renewable resources that are abundant in Alaska. Congratulations to Golden Valley Electric Association and its partners for this significant step toward energy independence for the Railbelt."

The project aims to address the challenge of storing renewable energy efficiently and affordably, which has long been a hindrance to the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources. With the successful implementation of this project, Alaska will be better equipped to harness its abundant renewable resources and move towards energy independence.

This development comes as a positive step forward in the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions and highlights the importance of investing in renewable energy technology. By overcoming the storage challenge, Alaska and other regions can fully utilize the potential of renewable energy sources, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.