“With 16 percent of the country’s landmass and less than 0.3 percent of its population, Alaska’s unique geography has driven development of its energy supply infrastructure — power plants, power lines, natural gas pipelines, bulk fuel tank farms and related facilities… The Railbelt electrical grid stretches from Fairbanks through Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula [a distance of about 600 miles] and provides roughly 79 percent of the state’s electrical energy….” (Renewable Energy Atlas of Alaska, pp. 2-5).

Electricity is an incredibly efficient mover of energy over long distances, but it is not a renewable or nonrenewable energy resource itself. This means it requires a primary source of energy such as coal, natural gas, diesel, solar, or hydropower to generate the force applied to the electrons to move through wires, which occurs at power plants. The electricity then travels through wires to a transformer that is responsible for increasing the voltage. Higher voltage electricity can travel long distances through transmission lines without losing as much energy along the way. The interconnected network of wires and equipment the electricity must travel through before arriving to your home or school is called the electric grid. Before the electricity can enter your home, however, it must have the voltage decreased. This takes place at local substations before traveling on through distribution lines. Voltage is then decreased one last time at neighborhood transformers. Each home on the grid is equipped with an electric meter to measure electricity use. The utility company uses the meter to track how much electricity is used to bill each month. 

For Alaskans this process can look different based on the location of their community. Some Alaskans are on the Railbelt electric grid, while many rural remote Alaskan communities rely on stand-alone microgrids. 

Most Alaskan residents use the most energy in their lives to heat their home (as opposed to using electricity or transportation). Buildings are heated through a variety of ways such as a furnace, boiler, fireplace, or Toyo (oil) stove. The fuel to power the heating system must also be transported, such as on pipes and in trucks, to get to where it is used. It takes energy to extract and transport fuels, and not all energy can be captured when the fuel is burned. Understanding how energy moves to and through a school and/or home can identify areas for efficiency and build appreciation for the energy systems and infrastructure critical for communities. Most rural communities got electricity much later in Alaska than the hub communities, and students can build upon that local knowledge of resource use to consider and compare past and present energy use.

This lesson will explore what energy supply infrastructures keep the school running, what energy resources are currently being used by the community and encourages students to be curious about what energy resources, specific to their location, could be considered/viable for future use. 

Distribution Line – One or more circuits of an electrical distribution system on the same line or poles of supporting structures, usually operating at a lower-voltage than a transmission line.

Electric Grid – The network of power lines and associated equipment required to deliver electricity from generating facilities to consumers through electric lines.

Electric Meter – A device used to measure electric energy usage. 

Electric Substation – Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform several other important functions. They are set up between the generating station and consumer. 

Stand-alone Microgrid – A small, local electric grid that cannot be connected to a larger electric power system and must function independently. 

Nonrenewable Energy Resource – An energy resource that cannot be replenished through biological or natural processes at a rate that can sustain its consumption; examples are oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. 

Railbelt – The interconnected portion of Alaska’s electrical grid near the Alaska railroad, including Fairbanks, Anchorage, and the Kenai Peninsula.

Renewable Energy Resource – An energy resource that can be replenished through biological or natural processes at a rate that can sustain its consumption; examples are wind, non-dammed hydro, geothermal, biomass, and solar.

Transformer – A box that changes the voltage of electricity. Commonly used to make electricity safer for use to power lights and appliances.

Transmission Line – A cable that transports the bulk of electric energy over long distances, at high-voltage, from one point to another in an electric power system.

Voltage – Voltage or volts (V) is the measure of electricity. 

Gear Up:

• The Mapping a Personal Story of Social-Ecological Change from Arctic & Earth SIGNs is a nice activity to do before this lesson.

• Consider sharing a land acknowledgement or discussing the Alaska Native stewards of the land. This website is a good resource to get started if you’re not sure.

• Share a local video or story to introduce Alaska’s energy supply infrastructure. Several examples are included in the Additional Resources. (If used, be sure to bring student attention to sponsors of energy videos – motive/perspective/reliability of content.)

• Accessibility: Check that any/all videos being used in this lesson have Closed Captions and turn them on when played.

• When possible, invite an elder to share about their experience with electricity being introduced to their communities. (Could connect with ANKN Village Science Gas Lamps & Gas Stoves lesson plan background section found in the Additional Resource section.)

• With help from the students, identify ways the school uses/relies on their energy supply (not just electricity). Have they ever experienced a power outage? What happens?

• Prompt students to generate a draft map of the school’s energy use. Encourage them to pull from their memory what they have seen coming in and out of school in relation to energy. This is a good time to remind them that all energy starts with the sun.

Activity:

• Share the presentation introducing students to energy transmission.

• If the students made a draft map of the school’s energy use, either have them use that paper, or a map that you created, to record what they see when they go on the “Expedition.”

• Walk with your students to explore the school, exterior and interior. Encourage students to be thorough with recording what they see. Ideally, this tour is led by your school’s maintenance staff.

• When they return to the class they can complete the mapping. 

Once mapping is complete, students can partner or group up to discuss the following:

• How will seasons affect energy use? What are patterns that you can or will see?

• Where does the energy identified come from?

• What type of energy infrastructure is the school supplied by?

• What type of heating system is the school relying on? (Boiler, furnace..? Was there a fuel tank outside?)

• Compare and contrast the draft map to the final map, were there energy related structures you never notice before?

• What energy source is not currently being used by your community that you think might be beneficial to incorporate? (Utilize the Renewable Energy Atlas of Alaska to help with this if needed.)

• Will this new knowledge influence your energy use at school? At home?

• Wrap up: Ask each group to report one thing they learned about their school’s energy supply to the class. Discuss any remaining questions they may have.

Extensions:

• Repeat the exercise, but have students do their own homes.

• Ask students to design their school’s energy supply infrastructure if renewable energy resources were being utilized.

• Have students compare their school energy supply infrastructure to a school in a different region of Alaska. (i.e. Hub community v. rural remote)  

• If the facility manager at your school is available consider creating a job exposure extension activity. This individual could be invited to provide information directly to the students. This will expose students to the roles & responsibilities, training/certification/education requirements, etc.

• Follow up with one or more of these AKES lessons: Energy Efficiency Action Plan, BMON (Building Monitoring), or My Electric Use.

Evaluation:

• Ask students to identify the energy supply infrastructure of your school and energy resources currently being used and submit a completed School Energy Map.

Alaska Native Knowledge Network: Village Science Gas Lamps & Gas Stoves

Shugnak, Alaska Community Microgrid (Blue Planet Energy) April 18, 2022

GVEA Railbelt Cooperation, May 6, 2022 (0:00-1:00)

A Rural Alaskan Village Confronts Energy Cost Challenges and Climate Change Feb 15, 2020

Alaska Electric Light & Power Co.

Northern Lights “A Brief History of Alaska’s Electrical Cooperatives”, 1994 (pdf)

“The Early Electrification of Anchorage”, 2002 (pdf)