New video highlights Sitka’s beneficial electrification efforts
Nestled in Southeast Alaska, the island community of Sitka is spearheading renewable energy innovations to preserve the island’s natural ecosystem and increase access to renewable energy resources in partnership with the local Indigenous population.
Heating in Alaska consumes a significant amount of energy, and the city of Sitka is working to integrate air source heat pumps across the island to cut heating costs while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions through beneficial electrification. The City and Borough of Sitka enrolled in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) and is working with local partners like REAP and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to prepare Sitka to meet the increased demand for renewable power and extend the positive impacts of decarbonization across the state.
Earlier this year, Consensus Digital Media invited REAP’s STEM Educator and Regional Energy Catalyst, Clay Good, to share his expertise and teaching style to help explain Sitka’s efforts to adopt air source heat pumps and the technology’s particular utility in Southeast Alaska. The resulting video is a part of Consensus Digital Media’s Made in America documentary series, which tells the stories of small towns, family farms, and local businesses doing good.
The finished video contains a wealth of information regarding the history of hydroelectric power generation in Sitka, what beneficial electrification could mean for the community, how technologies such as air source heat pumps and green hydrogen could revolutionize the city’s buildings and economy, and what sustainability truly means for Southeast Alaska.
We hope you’ll enjoy the finished product!