ACEP news
UAF students explore community energy planning in Galena
June 05, 2026
Ten UAF undergraduate students traveled last month to Galena, an off-road community on the Yukon River in western Alaska, for a week-long intensive course on remote energy systems.
Norgaard connects research and community in Alaska's energy future
June 03, 2026
Addie Norgaard thrives at the intersection of innovative research and community needs. As a research analyst at ACEP, Norgaard is motivated by work that directly impacts people's lives.
ACEP showcases its research at the Arctic Research Open House
June 02, 2026
The Arctic Research Open House drew more than 660 community members on May 14. See photos for ACEP highlights at the event.
Funding opportunity for remote and industrial microgrid projects
May 28, 2026
The Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership is awarding funding to support the development and improvement of microgrids in remote and industrially significant regions.
Solving Alaska’s Energy Challenges
ACEP works with Alaskan communities and industries as leaders establishing the energy systems of the future. Alaska’s remote off-grid systems present unique problems to generation, distribution and resource integration that have spurred microgrid innovations for decades.
Events
June 29, 2026
Okwuchukwu Chukwu will give her M.S. defense, titled "A framework for evaluating the impact of prepaid metering on losses in remote island microgrids: A case study from Alaska"
June 26, 2026
Bigyan Khanal will give his M.S. defense, titled "Maximum power point control of a stand-alone PMSG-based hydrokinetic energy conversion system with battery energy storage."
June 22, 2026
Ben Loeffler will defend his Ph.D. dissertation, titled "Development and field testing of a galloping hydrokinetic energy system."
From the Grid
Dispatches from Alaska’s Energy Sector
The email that proved the Student to Startups program works
June 01, 2026
A former intern emailed to correct the Student to Startups website, because he now works full-time at the company that hired him after his internship. That moment became proof that ARCTIC-funded S2S is doing more than placing students in summer internship roles. Backed by Alaska's innovation ecosystem, the program is connecting university talent with local startups, building careers, strengthening industries and helping keep the next generation of innovators in Alaska.
From internship to publication: Undergraduate interns publish first-author papers
February 18, 2026
Publishing a paper in a peer-reviewed journal as first author while an undergrad is a monumental achievement indicating the dedication of the student and support of the mentor. In this story, Magnus de Witt describes the journey of the two 2025 ACEP summer interns he mentored, from summer projects to peer-reviewed publications and discusses the impacts on the students and future possibilities.
From planting seeds to installing solar panels: Sean McDonald's journey into Alaska's energy future
February 11, 2026
When Sean McDonald joined Upward Bound and Teaching Through Technology Alaska in 2020 as a freshman in Wrangell, Alaska, he had no idea that a virtual summer program during COVID-19 would help launch him toward a future in renewable energy. Four years later, Sean is an electrical engineering college student spending his summers helping build solar arrays across rural Alaska -- proof that hands-on learning can change a young person's entire trajectory.
Kotzebue home heating field study
Researchers at the ҹɫ are recruiting participants for a 24-month field study in Kotzebue. The study aims to reduce fuel oil use and home heating costs.
