New Options for Alaska in the
Global Energy Economy

… technology that promotes, enhances, or expands the diversity of available energy supply sources or means of transmission, increases energy efficiency, or reduces negative energy-related environmental effects: “energy technology" includes technology related to renewable sources of energy, conservation of energy, enabling technologies, efficient and effective use of hydrocarbons, and integrated energy systems …

R&D D&D Commercial

R&D D&D Commercial

• Reduce the costs of energy end-use forms to consumers
• Further reduce costs of energy services by increasing end-use efficiency
• Reduce dependence on oil in the USA and elsewhere
• Increase the reliability & resilience of energy systems against disruptions
• Increase the productivity of manufacturing
• Reduce the emissions of hazardous air pollutants
• Enhance the prospects for environmentally sustainable & politically stabilizing economic development
• Minimize the environmental impacts of energy-resource exploration, extraction, and transport

“Innovation is the mechanism to get from energy status quo to desired energy future”

Energy Use, GDP, and E/GDP for the U.S. Economy, 1949-2004
USDOE, EERE

Energy Consumption per Read Dollar of GDP, 1949-2008
USDOE, EERE

Learning curve for power generation technologies
(IPTS Energy, Transport and Climate Change Group)

• Lack of applied technology research funding
▫ Death Valley
• “Commercialization” hurdle
• New technology hurdle
▫ Regulation
▫ Permitting
• Substantial risk
• Long-term planning

7000.0
6000.0
5000.0
4000.0
3000.0
2000.0
1000.0
0.0
19
78
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79
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81
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84
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85
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86
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19
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89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
Fission
Efficiency
Fossil (including CCT demo)
Hydrogen (non-fossil)
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
Fusion
Renewables
Electricty T&D
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07
R eq ue st
20
08
R eq ue st

“The core force of innovation -- vision, experimentation and wise investments -- has led to thousands of breakthroughs that benefit us all…
..We need the same serious commitment in the energy sector to developing the original American energy supply: innovation.”

• Unique challenges
▫ Size
▫ Climate
▫ Population Density
• Substantial diversity
▫ Resources
▫ Geography
• Alaskan energy use
• Alaskan economy
• Energy security
• Limited funding and investment opportunities
Hatch Energy, http://www.hatch.com.cn

• Vast energy resources of Alaska
▫ Renewable
▫ Non-renewable
• Resources and conditions
• High energy costs
• Support
▫ Public
▫ Political, legislative
• Developing national funding opportunities
• Growing world-wide demand

• Power Distribution
▫ Decentralized, isolated, or remote grids.
▫ Comparable scale in supply and demand.
• Similar Energy Resources
• Implementation Challenges
▫ Logistics
▫ Natural challenges
▫ Transportation
• Alaska’s position is ideal for technology development and export

• National Emerging Technology
Funds
▫ New York State Energy
Research and Development
Authority
▫ California Energy
Commission’s Public Interest
Energy Research (Pier)
Program
▫ Texas Emerging Technology
Fund
▫ Michigan Emerging
Technology Fund
▫ Massachusetts Emerging
Technology Fund
• International Emerging
Technology Funds
▫ Sustainable Development
Technology Canada’s Tech
Fund
▫ Ontario Emerging
Technologies Fund
▫ World Bank Clean Technology
Fund
• Alaska Emerging Technology
Funds
▫ Denali Commission Emerging
Energy Technology Grant
▫ State of Alaska Emerging
Energy Technology Fund

Emerging Energy
Technology Grant (EETG)
• Denali Commission, June 2009
• $4mill available
• Eligibility
▫ Alternative or renewable energy
▫ Demonstration phase
▫ Viable in 5 years
▫ AK applicant
▫ Potential for both widespread deployment in AK and reduced energy costs

“A critical element of funding emerging energy technology projects is the inclusion of a robust data collection and analysis component.”
Lessons Learned Gov.
Public Industry

• 50 applications
▫ Academic entities, local governments, private investors, tribal groups, nonprofit organizations
• $29.5 million in requests
▫ Batteries and energy storage
▫ Electric vehicles for rural areas
▫ Hydrokinetic projects
▫ Underground coal gasification
▫ Seawater heat pumps
▫ Controls, smart grids, and monitoring

Project #1: Seawater Heat Pump
Demonstration Project
•
•
Recipient:
Partners:
Alaska SeaLife Center
Your Clean Energy, City of
Seward, Alaska Energy Authority
Install and monitoring a heat pump system that will “lift” latent heat from raw seawater at temperatures ranging from 35ºF to 55ºF, and transfer this heat energy into building heat at a temperature of 120ºF.

HOT
GLYCOL
120 F
HOT VAPOR
EXPANSION
VALVE LIQUID RAW
SEAWATER
43 F
CONDENSOR
Heat Pump
Cycle
98 F
WARM
GLYCOL
VERY HOT VAPOR
COMPRESSOR
WARM VAPOR
EVAPORATOR
39 F
CHILLED
SEAWATER

Project #2: Psychrophiles for
Generating Heating Gas
•
•
Recipient:
Partners:
Cordova Electric Cooperative
Cordova Schools, UAF-INE,
Solar Cities
Research and application project, deploy the use of psychrophiles (cold loving microbes) to improve efficiency in biogas digestors for generating cooking and heating gas for Alaskan households.

• Cold Climates
▫ Cordova (-5°C to 20°C) vs. 15°C to 80°C
• Two Phase Project
▫ Compare efficiencies of mesophiles and psychrophiles on common Alaska feedstock at various temperatures.
▫ Deploy digester(s) in practical household scale project(s)
• Partnerships
▫ CEC, TH Culhane (Solar Cities), Dr. Katey Walter
Anthony (UAF-INE), Cordova Schools (Adam
Low)

Project #3: Feasibility of Solar Hot
Water Systems
•
•
Recipient:
Partners:
Kotzebue Electric Association
Kotzebue Community Energy
Task Force, ABS Alaska, Susitna
Energy, NANA
Assessing the feasibility of solar thermal hot water heating systems integrated into elder housing in the NANA region.

Project #4: Commercial Scale Wood
Pellet Fired Boiler
• Recipient: Sealaska Corporation
Sealaska Corporation will be converting their corporate headquarters building from a diesel fired boiler to a wood pellet fired boiler, demonstrating commercial scale application of the technology and assessing the market potential of biomass in South East Alaska.

Project #5: Organic Rankine Cycle
Heat Recovery System
• Recipient:
• Partners:
Tanana Chiefs Council
UAF, Alaska Energy Authority
Demonstrating the potential improved fuel efficiency of the diesel power plant in a village in the TCC region through the use of an Organic
Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for heat recovery from engine jacket water and exhaust.

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)

Cost = $128,000, Fuel efficiency = 14 kW-hr/gal, Operation = 24 hr/day

Project #6: Nenana RiveGen TM
Hydrokinetic Turbine
•
•
Recipient:
Partners:
Ocean Renewable Power
Company
UAF – AHERC, NREL
ORPC proposes to build, install and test the
RivGen TM Power System, a hydrokinetic energy unit, at the Nenana hydrokinetic test bed and analyze resource and technology results.

Turbine-Generator Unit (TGU)
Project Components:
• Permitting, site evaluation and analysis
• Foundations and debris study
• Turbine development and testing

Project #7: Wales Diesel-Off High
Penetration Wind System
•
•
Recipient:
Partners:
Kotzebue Electric Association
AVEC, Western Community
Energy
Kotzebue Electric Association will demonstrate diesel-off configuration for a remote wind-diesel high penetration hybrid power system through the retrofit of existing equipment and controls.

Project #8: High Penetration Hybrid
Power System
• Recipient UAF – WiDAC
The Wind Diesel Application Center will analyze state of the art power electronics to assess options for wind-diesel hybrid power systems to operate in a diesel-off mode.

Project #9: Flow Battery Energy
Storage Systems
• Recipient:
• Partners:
Kotzebue Electric Association
NRECA, UAF, Premium Power
Kotzebue Electric Association’s goal for this project is to analyze and demonstrate flow battery systems and their potential for energy storage in rural wind systems.

Project #10: High Voltage Direct
Current Transmission
•
•
Recipient:
Partners:
Polarconsult Alaska
Princeton Power, Manitoba
HVDC Research Center
Polarconsult Alaska, in partnership with Princeton
Power Systems, is developing High Voltage Direct
Current transmission and converter technology, with a goal to assess and demonstrate the technical and financial feasibility of low-cost small-scale HVDC interties for rural Alaska.

250kW Demonstration System – ‘Demonstrator’
BI-Directional power Flow
Input:
12kV
HVDC
250kW Transverse AC-Link Bridge
HV
Bridge
Stack
LV DC
Bridge
Stack
LV AC
Bridge
Stack
Output:
3-phase
480VAC
The demo system design is scalable to 1MW and 50kV by stacking multiple modules together.

Project #11: Yukon Hydrokinetic
Project
• Recipient:
• Partners:
Alaska Power and Telephone
New Energy Corp, ABS Alaska
Alaska Power Company’s goal for this project is the development and assessment of a hydrokinetic project in the Yukon River, near Eagle, Alaska.

• Established by 2010 Energy Omnibus Bill
• Administered by the AEA
▫ In consultation with an Advisory Committee appointed by the Governor
• Financed by State appropriations, Federal appropriations, and other contributions
▫ $2.4 million State appropriations
▫ $3.14 million Denali Commission match

• Test emerging energy technologies or methods of conserving energy;
• Improve an existing energy technology; or
• Deploy an existing technology that has not previously been demonstrated in the state.

• Electric utilities;
• Independent power producer;
• Local government, quasi-governmental entity, or other governmental entity, including a tribal council or housing authority;
• Business holding an Alaska business license
• Nonprofit organization

• Alaska residents, associations, organizations, or institutions;
• Projects that demonstrate partnership with the
University of Alaska or another Alaska postsecondary institution;
• Projects supported by matching funds or in-kind partnerships; and
• Projects with potential for widespread deployment in the state.

• Critical step in overall energy development
• Technology development is based on Alaskan needs and conditions
• Many crucial energy projects have little opportunity for funding
• Demonstrates commercial success of new energy technologies
• Accelerate industry growth, and guide the state in future energy funding decisions
• Develops opportunities to fully utilize our energy resources

Jason Meyer
Program Manager
Emerging Energy Technology
Program jason.meyer@alaska.edu
(907) 306-9900 www.uaf.edu/acep www.energy-alaska.com
www.flickr.com/acep_uaf www.legis.state.ak.us
www.denali.gov
www.aidea.org/aea
*”Energy-Technology Innovation” Lecture, John Holdren, April 24, 2007
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's ELSI Project http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/research-main.html
US Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/energyconsumption.html
USDOE, EERE http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/economic_indicators.cfm/state=AK