FINAL REPORT AND TECHNICAL PROCEEDINGS AES Final Report & Technical Proceedings | Executive Summary 1 Arctic council • u.S. DEpArtmEnt of StAtE • inStitutE of tHE nortH The Arctic Energy Summit: The Arctic as an Emerging Energy Province international polar Year project #299 prepared by: James r. Hemsath pE, pmp Senior fellow the institute of the north Anchorage, Alaska february 2010 conference photos by clark James mishler contents 3 IPY LETTER 5 FoREwoRd 6 CHAPTER 1: Executive Summary An introduction to the international polar Year the Arctic as an Energy province the Arctic Energy Summit recommendations from the Summit organization of this report conclusions 14 CHAPTER 2: Arctic Energy Summit Technology Conference plenary Sessions panel Sessions policy Human resources rural Energy in the Arctic Shipping and transportation options Environmental concerns infrastructure and the impact of climate change impacts of Energy Development on the people of the north Energy Security Arctic Energy technology conference themes rural and renewable Energy in the Arctic Extractive Energy in the Arctic Sustainability of Energy in the Arctic presentations and papers 30 CHAPTER 3: The Arctic Energy Action Team results and recommendations Extractive Energy: the Development of Arctic coal renewable Energy: the Development of tidal Generation rural Energy: the Development of Alternative transportation fuels 34 CHAPTER 4: The Arctic Energy Education and outreach Program the Arctic Energy Summit Website the Arctic Synergy Education and Youth 36 APPENdICES: Appendix 1: Extractive Energy Abstracts Appendix 2: renewable Energy Abstracts Appendix 3: rural Energy Abstracts Appendix 4: Sustainability Abstracts (Electronic version only; available at www.institutenorth.org) Arctic Energy Summit technology conference Agenda list of conference participants papers and presentations conference photo Gallery 1 2 AES Final Report & Technical Proceedings 28 March 2006 Dear Mr James Hemsath On behalf of the ICSU/WMO Joint Committee for the International Polar Year 2007-2008 we wish to thank you for submitting a proposal (#299) entitled ‘International summit and working group conference on the development and deployment of energy resources in the arctic including remote and rural villages’ for consideration as an IPY activity. Success of the IPY depends fundamentally on excellent research and support and on a high level of international coordination, derived from the talents and energy of groups such as yours. The IPY Joint Committee has now evaluated more than 200 proposals for scientific or educational significance, for consistency with the IPY theme, regions and time frames, for evidence of international collaboration, and for development of effective management plans covering communications, operations, data and education and outreach. The Joint Committee examined each proposal for evidence of involvement by scientists from non-polar nations, for indications of interdisciplinarity within the proposal and of linkages to other IPY activities, and for evidence that activities proposed would contribute to an IPY legacy. The Joint Committee considers that your proposal as submitted includes very strong scientific, education and outreach components and demonstrates a high level of adherence to IPY themes and goals. The Joint Committee therefore endorses your proposal as a prominent and valued part of the IPY program. The Joint Committee intends that these endorsements will provide assistance as IPY participants seek funding for the work proposed. The IPY International Programme Office will shortly provide additional guidance for project coordinators and steering groups, including descriptions of initial IPY information management processes. As part of that information exchange, we will expect project coordinators to keep the IPO informed about funding status of their projects and about substantial changes from the projects as proposed. In all cases, we wish you enormous success with your component of the IPY. Yours sincerely Co-chairs of Joint Committee Ian Allison Michel Béland c/o British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1223 221468 Fax: +44 (0)1223 221270 Email:[email protected] 3 4 AES Final Report & Technical Proceedings foreword the overarching goal of the Arctic Energy Summit was to create a forum to engage in a dialogue on energy development in the Arctic. the Summit brought together the people of the Arctic to discuss, share and create a balanced approach toward sustainable extractive, renewable and rural power; with the vision of creat- ing energy wealth while eliminating energy poverty. to assist in the achievement of this goal, Arctic energy was examined as com- prising two energy sources, extractive and renewable; and two methods of deploy- ment, external and internal. Extractive sources - oil, gas, coal, natural gas from coal seams, methane hydrates - all have an external component, in which the resource is used outside or external to its source, typically used for the creation of wealth; as well as having an internal deployment for use by the people of the north. likewise, renewable energy sources - wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass - all can be deployed within, as well as external to, the Arctic. A very specific internal need required additional focus: the sustainable develop- ment of rural energy sources and ways in which to minimize the debilitating costs for energy that the people of the north are forced to carry, even in a subsistence economy. the goals of the Summit were accomplished through the implementation of three activities - the first an Education and outreach program, consisting of a website dedicated to Arctic energy and a weekly electronic newsletter (the Arctic “Far better it is to dare mighty Synergy) sharing information of interest on the use of energy in the Arctic. the things, to win glorious triumphs, technology conference, facilitating technology transfer, was the second activity; even though checkered by and the third was the creation of an Arctic Energy Action team that was convened to examine in greater detail specific development opportunities for energy in the failure, than to take rank with Arctic. those poor spirits who neither it is the belief of the institute of the north that the Arctic Energy Summit has enjoy much nor suffer much, put a voice and face to energy in the Arctic, helping to shape our culture rather than having it imposed upon us. because they live in the gray the eight Arctic nations have the opportunity to make a true change in how the twilight that knows not victory Arctic is viewed and to create a new energy vision of the north for the people of nor defeat.” the north. With vision, energy and action we can lead this change and we can make a difference. the challenge and decision is ours to make. Theodore Roosevelt, 1858 - 1919 AES Final Report & Technical Proceedings 5 CHAPTER 1 Executive Summary An Introduction to the International Polar Year the fundamental concept of the international polar Year (ipY) of 2007-2008 was that of an intensive burst of internationally coordinated, interdisciplinary, scientific research and observations focused on the Earth’s polar regions. the official observing period of the ipY ran from 1 march 2007 until 1 march 2009. the main geographic focus was the Earth’s high latitudes, but studies in any region relevant to the understanding of polar processes or phenomena were encouraged. the intent of the ipY was to exploit the intellectual resources and science assets of nations worldwide to make major advances in polar knowledge and understand- ing, while leaving a legacy of new or enhanced observational systems, facilities and infrastructure. Arguably the most important legacies will be a new generation of polar scientists and engineers, as well as an exceptional level of interest and participation from polar residents, schoolchildren, the general public, and decision- makers, worldwide. the research addressed six themes: 1. to determine the present environmental status of the polar regions; 2. to quantify and understand past, present and future natural environmental and social change in the polar regions; 3. to advance understanding on all scales of the global linkages and interactions between polar regions and the rest of the globe, and of the processes control- ling these; 4. to investigate new frontiers of science in the polar regions; 5. to use the unique vantage point of the polar regions to develop and enhance observatories from the interior of the Earth to the Sun and the cosmos beyond; 6. to investigate the human dimensions - cultural, historical and social - that shape the sustainability of circumpolar human societies, and to identify their unique contributions to global cultural diversity and citizenship. The Arctic as an Energy Province the Arctic is home to nearly 20 percent (u.S. Geological Survey) of the world’s energy resources, typically thought of in terms of fossil fuels: oil, gas and coal. in addition to these more traditional resources, the Arctic also has a wealth of renew- able energy resources including wind, hydro, tidal and geothermal. the projected doubling of energy use and tripling of electricity demand within the next half century worldwide has resulted in a significant increase in attention paid to the lands of the High north as a source of new energy for the world. 6 AES Final Report & Technical Proceedings | Executive Summary When describing the Arctic, expressions such as last