Full Title: Achieving an 80% Renewable Portfolio in Alaska’s Railbelt: Cost Analysis
Author(s): Paul Denholm, Marty Schwarz, and Lauren Streitmatter
Publisher(s): U.S. Department of Energy and NREL
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Researchers found that creating a modern energy system in Southcentral Alaska—one that includes new jobs and uses local renewable energy resources—is more affordable than relying on imported natural gas.
Providing 75% of Alaska’s electricity, the Railbelt power system is the largest in the state and consists of five utilities. Because of a looming natural gas shortage, the Alaska State Legislature is exploring the adoption of a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to meet growing energy demand and minimize costs. An RPS requires that a specified percentage of the electricity utilities sell comes from renewable energy resources. This study incorporates input from Railbelt utilities to analyze the costs and grid reliability impacts of implementing an 80% RPS by 2040.