Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition Newsletter

The latest from just above the Arctic Circle.

Hi All!

Here is your weekly shot of energy, a list of what I’m exploring.

What's Up in Kotzebue

When I worked with highschool students at Star of the Northwest Magnet School, I thought about resilience and how to build resilience regularly, but in the context of young people not microgrids. This week I have been thinking about resilience in energy and organizations.

Resilience is defined by the internet as “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties”. But I prefer a definition by the authors of Resilience, It’s NOT About Bouncing Back, they define resilience as “The Power to be energized and elevated by disruption. It is the internal fortitude to emerge stronger and even more effective from tough situations.”

I think I like this definition because it hints at one of the keys to resilience, a growth mindset. Carol Dweck in her book Mindset talks about how a growth mindset changes the definition of failure from a judgment on your ability to an opportunity to learn and grow. Organizations and individuals need to capitalize on failure, learn lessons and come out on the other side as more resilient and ready for future challenges.

Resilience and mindset become even more important in a time of extreme disruption and change. Global interconnectivity has increased opportunity but also complexity. When you have only one choice life is simple but we live in a world of increasing choices. Exponential technologies, like AI, promise even more rapid and disruptive change in the future.

For small microgrids, resilience can be found in a diversity of fuel and generation options. Rural Alaska is currently dependent on imported diesel fuel. Wind and solar power have been added to the mix and will continue to provide a larger share of our energy.

Are there more options?

Some people think that natural gas an option in the Northwest Arctic. I get excited about the economic change that locally produced natural gas would create. Instead of importing diesel fuel from the world market, that money could be spent locally instead of millions of dollars being sent out of the community every year. NANA and KIC as landowners would profit and even the borough could see more revenue in the form of taxes. If there is natural gas near our villages we need to find a way to use it to benefit our communities.

Micronuclear technology has come a long way. A small modular reactor the size of a connex could power Kotzebue for 20 years, then be shipped out. Micronuclear also provides excess heat, which is useful in the arctic. I am not crazy about the idea, but it is interesting technology, a potential source of consistent power, a direct replacement for diesel without the carbon emissions.

Resilience also needs to be built into organizations. The challenges are less important than the mindset created within an organization in facing the challenges. Leadership needs to create a culture of growth and learning. Mistakes will be made, but should be looked at as learning opportunities, opportunities for growth and improvement. Procedures can be made better, communication improved and skill building made a priority in the workplace.

Quote

"To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often."

-Winston Churchill​
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Take care,
​
Chad

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