“As mayor of the Inupiaq village of Buckland, Tim Gavin
has overseen the installation of wind turbines and solar panels
that offset the high price of energy in remote Alaska.”
Photos by Stephen Miller.


– Editor’s Note:
The Yelm area will soon have renewables with wind power
Skookumchuck Wind Energy Project to move ahead – Located 6.7 Miles Southwest of Clear Lake


“Alaska’s Small Villages Turn Toward Renewables—And Don’t Look Back”
“Oil companies like to push the narrative that Alaskans want more oil development, but that’s not true.”

“Alaska has become a proving ground for sustainable energy; in particular, the microgrid—a small power grid that serves one community in isolation.

Critics argue that renewable energy performs inconsistently, but microgrids mix sources like wind and solar with existing diesel generators. Engineers can manage a grid and keep fossil fuel input to a minimum. The Renewable Energy Alaska Project estimates that efficiency and renewable projects across the state saved 22 million gallons of diesel fuel in 2015 alone—worth nearly $61 million. While the grid does not yet run entirely on renewables, that is now within reach.

I had thought I could get to know Alaska’s renewable energy transition by touring Buckland’s renewable energy facilities, but it turns out the real story is more pragmatic.”

“The only sustainable future is harvesting energy as close to home as you can,” by Stephen Miller, YES! Magazine.
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