As glaciers melt, treasured species such as salmon and crab decline, oil reserves wane, and consumer energy bills continue to rise, Alaska is reevaluating its energy future, and the state’s rural communities are leading the way. Alaska's Microgrid Innovators explores how climate change refocuses the story of the state’s energy development history, looking not at the well-told story of oil and natural gas but instead at wind, solar, hydro, and other low-carbon energy sources that have delivered immense economic savings and environmental benefits to both Alaska state residents and the world.

Renewable energy integration projects have sprung up in Alaska’s rural communities since the mid-1990s not due to regulatory fiat but rather to economic necessity. In Alaska’s Microgrid Innovators, pioneers across the stakeholder spectrum—including professionals, academics, Native peoples, policy makers, and other industry participants—describe how they have helped to develop more affordable and sustainable energy systems.

Along with chronicling technological innovation, Alaska’s Microgrid Innovators looks to the future, making the case for succession planning and new public policies as integral for Alaska to meet today’s energy challenges and those to come.

Peter Asmus is president of Pathfinder Communications and serves as senior advisor to Clarum. A journalist, analyst, consultant, and book author, he has over thirty-five years of experience as a researcher and storyteller who focuses on cutting-edge energy issues. He has also served as a senior advisor on microgrid strategy and thought leadership as adjunct faculty for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.