Alaska's Global Impact – Energy Grid Innovation & Wildfire Management

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Hello Friends,

For those of us who live here in Alaska, the idea that what happens in the Arctic can have profound impacts elsewhere feels both natural and obvious. Migratory birds returning overhead and thawing permafrost beneath our feet serve as two reminders of the interconnectedness of the natural world and its vulnerability to forces set in motion beyond our borders.

This realization brings with it responsibility. Alaska, which holds 53% of the nation’s stored carbon and possesses the bulk of its intact ecosystems and wild lands, is more than just a place to conserve; it presents a unique opportunity to develop climate solutions that can have a global impact.

This understanding underpins everything we do at Alaska Venture Fund – the projects we pursue, how we approach our work, and our willingness to build bridges and collaborate with unconventional partners – because we recognize that what happens in Alaska matters. Not just for the people who call it home, but for people everywhere.

If you would like to learn more about our work, we would love to hear from you.

The Alaska Venture Fund Team

Alaska Venture Fund - News & Views

Updates, stories and perspectives that inspire our work.

Co-Stewardship in the Chilkat with Natalie Dawson [Video]
“In Alaska we have a unique opportunity to direct the future of lands and waters that we don’t have in other parts of the country.” AVF’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Dr. Natalie Dawson is working with tribal governments in Southeast Alaska to develop innovative management agreements to bring ancestral lands and waters back under Indigenous stewardship. Watch the video to learn more about this work.

Alaskans Driving Change: Clay Koplin
Alaska has nearly one-sixth of the world’s hybrid microgrids. Cordova, a remote community that is one of the state’s preeminent commercial fishing ports, is a leader in innovation among utilities in Alaska. As CEO of the Cordova Electric Cooperative, Clay Koplin is leading the way to a full renewable energy transition and is establishing an example for smart microgrids worldwide. Read the story.

Bristol Bay Celebration at the White House
Members of our team were invited to celebrate the recent EPA decision and decades of hard work to protect Bristol Bay with President Biden and friends at the White House. It was deeply moving to see so many of our partners from the Bristol Bay Defense Fund in the Rose Garden and to hear the President speak about the importance of protecting the region for generations to come.

NEW: Bristol Bay Forever
“Forever is a bond to our past and hope for the future.” We’re excited to announce the evolution of the Bristol Bay Defense Fund’s “Stop Pebble Mine” campaign. The campaign, which will now be known as “Bristol Bay Forever” will continue to work to secure full protections for this irreplaceable watershed. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. More here.

We’re Hiring!

We are looking for driven, dynamic individuals who believe in Alaska’s potential and want to build a future based on opportunity, innovation and sustainability. Learn more about our open position: Administrative Assistant

From Across Alaska

News that impacts our work.

Carbon Loss – Why Alaska’s upcoming wildfire season will have global impacts: “As the Arctic breaks down, the climate connections of the whole planet break down.” Alaska’s wildfires and melting sea ice are contributing to extreme weather events around the globe. Now, after years of increasing wildfire across the state, initiatives seeking to prevent and mitigate wildfire and safeguard Alaska’s stored carbon are underway. AVF is building a portfolio of work and supporting philanthropic investment in wildfire mitigation and research, permafrost protection, and Indigenous stewardship efforts. Reach out if you’d like to learn more.

Natural Climate Solutions – Alaska Legislature establishes a framework for carbon sequestration: In a development that would have seemed improbable just months ago, Governor Mike Dunleavy’s bill to establish a framework for leasing state lands for carbon sequestration moved rapidly through the Alaska legislature with near unanimous support. Combining the potential of new revenue for Alaska and natural climate solutions for the globe, the bill’s reception reflects a profound shift in thinking about climate solutions and Alaska's role as an important geography for the climate transition.

Infrastructure Funding – Communities are planning for a deluge of projects: With the recent influx of federal infrastructure funding for essential projects in rural Alaska, many of Alaska’s underserved communities now have the opportunity to build much needed infrastructure. To help overcome local capacity challenges that can hinder planning for long-term sustainability, we are convening collaborative efforts between communities, Tribes and other entities in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim and Iliamna regions to advance scaled solutions and to help secure additional funding to support sustainability efforts.

Learning Alaska

Resources on Alaska's landscape and policy.

Alaska Native Hunting & Fishing Rights [Video]

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [Video]

Watchable Wildlife in Alaska [Storymap]

In case you missed it:

Voters elected two “clean energy” board members to Alaska’s largest electric utility, affirming the importance of renewable energy priorities to voters. [Alaska Beacon]
Investing in Alaska’s trails and outdoor recreation infrastructure is a key step towards a more resilient regenerative economy for Alaska. [Alaska Public Media]
Change is happening as Tribal organizations leave the Alaska Federation of Natives. [Anchorage Daily News]
An Alaskan Village’s Journey Back to the Future - “Despite being a remote village of just under 70 residents, Igiugig’s journey to sustainability – its technology trials, snags, and successes could help nudge the entire state toward a more sustainable future.” [NREL]
A new Alaska Airlines jet featuring a spectacular formline salmon design by Alaska Native artist Crystal Worl, took to the skies last week. [Alaska Beacon]
“Before you care for something, you have to care about it.” – The Bear Coast stretches along the north end of the Alaska Peninsula from Lake Clark National Park to Katmai National Park. Fueled by salmon, this region has the best bear habitat in the world. [Natural Habitat Adventures]

Alaska's wild brown bears—and the salmon they feed upon—face many threats, including mining (such as the Pebble Mine), oil and natural gas extraction, hunting, and a changing climate.

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