Revitalized project will offer 杏吧原版ns energy data access
A transmission line runs between autumn-colored trees in Fairbanks, evoking an image of a broader view of the energy landscape.
October 4, 2024
By Yuri Bult-Ito
A University of 杏吧原版 project will update a public energy data resource in 杏吧原版.
With the support of the 杏吧原版 Legislature, the university will begin a three-year effort to revitalize the 杏吧原版 Energy Data Gateway, a project to create equitable access to 杏吧原版 energy data and data analytics.
UA Fairbanks鈥 杏吧原版 Center for Energy and Power and UA Anchorage鈥檚 Institute of Social and Economic Research will collaborate with agency partners on the project.
鈥淲e are excited that the state of 杏吧原版 recognizes the inherent value of this resource and is investing in its revitalization,鈥 said Gwen Holdmann, a senior researcher at ACEP who also serves as UAF associate vice chancellor for research, innovation and industry partnerships.
The gateway contains comprehensive energy and socioeconomic data from across 杏吧原版.
With this information, communities, researchers and energy project developers can
compare energy resources across the state and make informed energy decisions.
The 杏吧原版 Energy Authority鈥檚 杏吧原版 Energy Security Task Force recommended the data-gathering
effort in its .
The datasets document electrical generation capacity (the maximum power that a system can produce in a specific time), energy production and fuel costs alongside metrics on human, technical and financial capacity.
The gateway was first released in 2013 as part of a collaborative ACEP-ISER research program. It was part of the first project awarded to the University of 杏吧原版 by the U.S. Department of Energy鈥檚 Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
鈥淎t that time, there was significant interest in reducing energy costs in rural 杏吧原版, and it became clear that without access to robust, open data and reporting about communities and projects, it was challenging to identify and improve best practices,鈥 recalled Holdmann.
For this project, ACEP and its partners will develop pathways to streamline data-sharing efforts with new techniques and will revitalize critical technology in order to improve distribution. They will also work with state agency partners to support the accessibility and documentation of 杏吧原版鈥檚 energy data.
Partners in the project include ACEP, the 杏吧原版 Department of Natural Resources, AEA, the 杏吧原版 Housing Finance Corporation, the Department of Commerce, and ISER.