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Renewable Energy in the Arctic MAGAZINE Reducing black carbon & methane 14 No. 3 The currency of power 19 2015 THE CIRCLE Overcoming diesel dependence 20 RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE ARCTIC PUBLISHED BY THE WWF GLOBAL ARCTIC PROGRAMME THE CIRCLE 3.2015 RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE ARCTIC Contents EDITORIAL Getting real on renewables 3 IN BRIEF 4 GWEN HOLDMANN Alaska – the microgrid frontier 6 JEAN-FRANÇOIS VERRET Raglan Mine’s wind power 10 KLAUS DOHRING Colville Lake captures the sun 12 JON KAHN Reducing black carbon and methane 14 AMOS HOCHSTEIN Prioritizing renewables 15 GUÐNI A. JÓHANNESSON Iceland – renewables as a national project 17 PÁLL TÓMAS FINNSSON The currency of power – renewables to hydrogen 19 JOSHUA PEARCE Overcoming diesel dependence in Nunavut 20 HARMEET BAWA Clean sustainable energy for Greenland 23 THE PICTURE 24 The Circle is published quar- Publisher: Editor in Chief: Clive Tesar, COVER: Northern lights behind terly by the WWF Global Arctic WWF Global Arctic Programme [email protected] wind turbine at Raglan Mine, Programme. Reproduction and 8th floor, 275 Slater St., Ottawa, quotation with appropriate credit ON, Canada K1P 5H9. Managing Editor: Becky Rynor, Quebec, Canada. Photo: Glencore Group are encouraged. Articles by non- Tel: +1 613-232-8706 [email protected] affiliated sources do not neces- Fax: +1 613-232-4181 ABOVE: Boreholes at sarily reflect the views or policies Design and production: of WWF. Send change of address Internet: www.panda.org/arctic Film & Form/Ketill Berger, Hellisheiða virkjun geothermal and subscription queries to the [email protected] powerplant, Iceland. address on the right. We reserve ISSN 2073-980X = The Circle Photo: Jesús Rodríguez Fernández, flickr.com/Creative Commons the right to edit letters for publica- Printed by St. Joseph Communications tion, and assume no responsibil- Date of publication: ity for unsolicited material. August 2015. Thank you for your interest in The Circle. Many of our subscribers have moved to an e-version. To receive an electronic copy in your email instead of a paper 2 The Circle 3.2015 copy, please write to us [email protected] and help us reduce our costs and footprint. EDITORIAL Time to get real on renewables THE FIRST International Renewable Energy conference three times those of renewables and energy efficiency in Bonn, Germany just over a decade ago heralded many combined. The recently assessed subsidies to fossil fuels successes. Attending governments, civil society organiza- and externalities of unaccounted air pollution and car- tions, academics and businesses agreed renewable energy bon emission costs by the International Monetary Fund deployment and investments needed to more than triple amount to more than $US 5 trillion annually. So the in the decade to come. This edition of The Circle looks at renewable energy spring is comparatively small, but as EDITORIAL Getting real on renewables 3 just some of the success stories and advances for renew- this edition of The Circle underscores, it is hardy. IN BRIEF 4 able energy in the Arctic which are part of a global trend. The clean energy revolution is already a big wedge GWEN HOLDMANN Alaska – the microgrid frontier 6 Since 2004, global renewable energy investments have in the rather conservative incumbent energy system. JEAN-FRANÇOIS VERRET Raglan Mine’s wind power 10 grown six-fold from about $US 50 billion to approximate- Recent coal divestment moves by the Norwegian Sover- KLAUS DOHRING Colville Lake captures the sun 12 ly $US 300 billion worldwide by the end of 2014. eign Wealth Fund, the largest of its kind JON KAHN Reducing black carbon and methane 14 Solar and wind power has also grown since 2006, now globally, and by AXXA, one of the largest AMOS HOCHSTEIN Prioritizing renewables 15 providing about 6 per cent of all electricity in the world. global reinsurers, send a strong mes- GUÐNI A. JÓHANNESSON Iceland – renewables as a national project 17 For the first time, renewable energy additions in 2014 sage. But as you will read in the following PÁLL TÓMAS FINNSSON The currency of power – renewables to hydrogen 19 for new electricity capacity were higher than all fossil pages, smaller companies are also making JOSHUA PEARCE Overcoming diesel dependence in Nunavut 20 fuels combined worldwide. global inroads in the renewables sector. HARMEET BAWA Clean sustainable energy for Greenland 23 And compared to a decade ago, there are now over Green Sun Rising in Canada recently THE PICTURE 24 four times more countries with installed the largest numerous renewable energy solar project to date STEPHEN SINGER is policies in place. THE REAL DEBATE CAN- in the Northwest Ter- the Director, Global Climate change is just one of ritories and the larg- NOT BE ABOUT WHETHER Energy Policy, WWF the drivers along with erratic and est anywhere north International high fossil fuel import prices. WE ACHIEVE A FULLY of the Arctic Circle to More jobs from renewables com- significantly reduce pared to the incumbent fuels; RENEWABLY POWERED one remote community’s dependence less air, land and water pollution ECONOMY, BUT WHEN. on diesel fuel. Iceland is already in and less demand on fresh water an enviable situation with nearly 100 particularly in drier countries all per cent of its energy consumption add to the argument for renewable energy. fuelled by emission-free hydro-and geothermal energy. India recently committed to revolutionize its domestic Yet, Páll Tómas Finnsson says that country is going even coal-based energy system and targets 170 gigawatt (GW) further with plans to harvest wind and solar power. renewables by 2022. China has a similar plan to boost Jon Kahn with Sweden’s Ministry of Environment and renewables to 400 GW by 2020. This is the equivalent Energy also urges Observer states to the Arctic Council of up to half of the power generated by coal in India and to do their part in the southern hemisphere where many almost one quarter of all coal consumed in China today. pollutants originate and which contribute to despoiling Surprisingly, the latest large solar plant in Dubai pro- the unique Arctic environment. vides cheaper energy than subsidized fossil fuel power. The real debate cannot be about whether we achieve a The irony that this plant is in the heart of OPEC (Organ- fully renewably powered economy, but when. WWF says isation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) domain cannot 100 per cent renewables by 2050. That would be great. be missed. With recent trends, however, that might be overly conser- But I am not naïve. The dire truth is that overall vative. It’s time to get real on renewables and its econom- investments in fossil fuels and nuclear are still about ics. The Circle 3.2015 3 IN BRIEF A better fuel for Norway rejects Arctic shipping drilling near RISKS ASSOCIATED with using Barents Sea ice heavy fuel oil for shipping could be greatly reduced by IN A RARE MOVE, Norway’s switching to liquid natural Parliament has rejected an gas according to a study on offshore drilling proposal marine fuel alternatives com- from its own Ministry of missioned by WWF-Canada. Commons Photo: Education Specialist, flickr.com/Creative Climate and Environment. “Of all the marine fuel using data collected over 60 WWF and major scientific options, heavy fuel oil is the Growth of Arctic years. Scientists have known institutions criticized the most polluting and will cause for some time that shrubs Ministry for putting politics the most damage in the event shrubs may are gradually moving north. over science to extend off- of a spill,” says David Miller, accelerate global However, the rate at which shore drilling. The proposal President and CEO of WWF- the “shrubline” is moving in would have moved the north- Canada. warming different parts of the Arctic ern limit for offshore drilling The study, Fuel Alter- has been a mystery. This in the Barents Sea to the edge natives for Arctic Ship- ONE OF THE LARGEST stud- study suggests the changes of the sea ice, well beyond the ping assessed the environ- ies to date on how climate are happening faster in recommended limit set by mental impacts of heavy fuel change is altering the Arctic northern Europe and Russia scientific advisors. The mar- oil (HFO), diesel, and liquid has found that shrubs are than in North America. ginal ice zone is the Arctic’s natural gas (LNG), and com- gradually taking over the The slow shift from grassy biological engine, and an oil pared ship design, fuel con- tundra and are likely the to shrubby landscapes could spill there could have enor- sumption, and the economic cause of their own climate have profound consequences mous adverse consequences. aspects of each marine fuel feedback. for Arctic peoples and ani- When Arctic sea ice retreats option. In the publication, Nature mals. Caribou, for example, northward in spring and It found that the use of Climate Change, Dr. David require the lichens found in summer, an explosion of life LNG reduced pollutants by Hik says shrub roots, which the open tundra and can’t eat from plankton to polar bears up to 97 per cent. Greenhouse penetrate deeper into the soil shrubs. Moose, on the other follows, making the ice edge gas emissions were reduced than grass roots, will also hand, graze on shrubs and the most important marine by up to 25 per cent. There likely break up permafrost their population has been area in the Arctic. was also a significant reduc- and allow water to trickle growing in the North. Arctic tion in the risk of environ- down into it. permafrost is considered one mental damage from spills, “All of the evidence is that of the globe’s great store- Veteran researchers since LNG dissipates almost this leads to the release of houses of greenhouse gases immediately.
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