12 Alaska Climate Tech Milestones From 2024
Big things come naturally to Alaska, and 2024 was no exception.
In a year filled with industrial innovation, energy milestones, and transportation transformation, a few moments stand out from the crowd – inspiring deployment projects, new policies, game-changing partnerships, and more. These 12 milestones are charting a course toward a more sustainable, affordable future, and Launch Alaska is proud to help drive the charge.
The Launch Alaska Portfolio welcomed 11 new companies in April, expanding our ability to quickly connect Alaska businesses with innovative energy, transportation, and industrial technologies. From long duration energy storage systems to geothermal technologies and energy-saving heating and cooling tools, these companies are poised to help Alaskans build more efficient, affordable communities.
Twelve Alaska communities opted to participate in Alaska Energyshed, a federally funded effort led by Launch Alaska and the Alaska Municipal League to identify and package multiple clean energy projects for development in Northwest Arctic and Southeast Alaska. Combining individual projects into one larger effort can help reduce costs and accelerate the process – a win for renewable energy development in Alaska.
This summer, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed a trio of Alaska energy bills addressing high costs, lack of energy diversity, and future development. Developed with input from our staff, portfolio companies, and many other Alaska stakeholders, these three pieces of legislation create the Alaska Energy Independence Fund to finance sustainable energy development, establish a state carbon capture framework, expand the state’s geothermal energy program, and incentivize new energy development by extending tax-exempt status to independent power producers, which will lead to the development of more affordable, clean energy.
Launch Alaska Portfolio company Greensparc deployed its first data center at Cordova Electric Cooperative. Powered by 100% powered by renewable energy, the data center at Humpback Creek Hydro Facility enables Cordovans to benefit from a smaller footprint, lower cost, and faster installation time. Read more.
After graduating from the Tech Deployment Track program in April, Launch Alaska Portfolio company Cache Energy unveiled its first Alaska demonstration project in August. Located at Halliburton in Anchorage, this long duration energy storage system uses nontoxic, nonflammable limestone pellets to store energy indefinitely – a huge potential breakthrough for Alaska utilities looking for ways to add more renewable sources to the mix.
Another round of Tech Deployment Track kicked off in September, bringing 11 new companies to Alaska to pursue project leads and partnership opportunities with Alaska energy, transportation, and infrastructure providers. More than 50 Alaska advisors listened to technology pitches and offered suggestions to founders, strengthening the pipeline of tech innovation available to Alaska businesses.
With support from our team and other dedicated partners, the Don Young Port of Alaska received a major Environmental Protection Agency grant to reduce port-related greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience.
The U.S. Department of Energy granted an apprentice designation to the Alaska Clean Cities and Communities Coalition, which aims to work with vehicle fleets, fuel providers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to identify community-driven choices that save energy and promote the use of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in transportation. The apprentice designation allows the coalition to work toward full recognition – a key step in unlocking future funding for an array of Alaska ground, maritime, and aviation transportation projects.
Southeast Conference won a Dept of Energy grant for its project "Energizing Southeast Alaska,” designed to "rethink the use of forest products as a sustainable solution to meet energy challenges." This planning grant unlocks the potential for a future award to catalyze the creation of a biomass campus on Prince of Wales Island, and we’re excited to be part of the initial effort.
Launch Alaska Portfolio company EcoSnap received two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant awards from the Department of Energy, helping the startup further develop its cutting edge heat pump technology.
Launch Alaska Portfolio company Circle Seafoods is making waves in Alaska’s fishing industry, kickstarting its operation at Metlakatla’s Annette Island Packing plant using a model that allowed it to pay harvesters nearly twice the average rate for pink salmon in Southeast Alaska this summer. The company now plans to retrofit a barge to hold more than 30 million pounds of ultra-low temperature frozen salmon – a project financed with New Market Tax Credits, made possible with support from McKinley Alaska Growth Capital and a coalition of other partners.
Electric vehicles charging infrastructure will soon be more accessible to more Alaskans thanks to an ongoing collaboration between the Alaska Energy Authority, Launch Alaska, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Alaska Municipal League, Alaska Center for Energy and Power, and the Yellowstone Teton Clean Cities Coalition. The project – known as Alaska Rural EVSE Deployment (ARED) – engages rural Alaska communities to identify needs, develop plans, and install charging equipment. Still in its early stages, the project aims to reach the construction phase by 2026 and 2027. Learn more here >