The ARENA program is designed specifically for individuals living and working in remote circumpolar Arctic communities. Combining visits to communities and participant knowledge exchanges with presentations and laboratory demonstrations, ARENA connects current and emerging energy professionals with hands-on learning experiences, mentors, and project development leaders from throughout the circumpolar north. The ARENA 2020 participants will visit community energy projects in Canada, Alaska, and Iceland.
The Canada on-site session will be based at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, with visits to community-scale projects within the territory of Nunavut (Rankin Inlet & Iqaluit). The focus will be on community and Indigenous energy development, ownership and management, capacity building, and the roles of governments and utilities in building success.
The Alaska on-site session will be held in Fairbanks and Kodiak, with a focus on energy system integration, northern energy project management, high penetration variable renewable resources, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, energy storage, utility governance, and supportive energy policy.
The Iceland Geothermal Training Program on-site session will focus on value-added and cascading uses of available energy resources. A combination of lectures and visits to various energy and business sites in Iceland will be employed.
The ARENA program is designed for current and emerging leaders involved in community-scale renewable energy projects or initiatives. The curriculum is designed for a non-technical audience with a focus on project management, networking, and knowledge sharing to catalyze power systems integration across small communities in the north.
Participants will be selected via consensus of a committee composed of individuals identified by the ARENA 2020 co-leads. Selection is competitive and based on the strength of application as well as individual interviews (conducted via Skype video or similar tool). Criteria for consideration as a member of the ARENA 2020 cohort are:
For more information, e-mail us at uaf-arena@alaska.edu