In This Issue

• Energy and Land Use Planning
• Funding Opportunities for a More Energy-Efficient Alaska
• Sustainable Energy in Rural Alaska and Native Communities

Inspiration

• Music - In late August, the Bear Tooth Theater hosted Rodrigo y Gabriella, described as: “two fast-fingered, Dublin-based Mexicans with a unique sound created on acoustic guitars. Their music is difficult to define, straddling both world and rock, and often imbued with timeless Hispano – classical influences.” They are definitely interesting, have a unique approach to making music, and will make you want to dance or do whatever you are doing much faster!
• People -Two local visionary leaders, Eleanor Andrews and Jewel Jones are well known for their decades of work to improve Anchorage through service on countless boards and generous support of many community organizations. Eleanor is the founder of the Andrews Group, a management group formed in 1987 that has created employment and training opportunities for countless Alaskans. Jewel Jones retired as the director of the Municipality of Anchorage’s Department of Health and Human Services having served under every mayor since George Sullivan and shaped the modern-day municipal public heath system. These two powerhouses came together in 2005 with the goal of starting an Anchorage affiliate for the National Urban League. They recruited board members, raised commitments of $1.5 million, developed programs and succeeded in gaining approval for the affiliate application in 2006. A proud supporter of the Anchorage Urban League, Agnew::Beck is excited to see what this organization will do in the coming years to “raise all boats”. Hats off to Eleanor and Jewel!

aNNOUNCEMENTS

• Sustainable Housing Conference
  The Cold Climate Housing Research Center and the University of Alaska Fairbanks will host the first of a planned series of biennial international conferences on circumpolar housing and community infrastructure Oct 28-30, 2007.
• Anchorage Urban League will celebrate its inauguration with a special concert featuring tenors Cook, Dixon and Young and the Anchorage Symphony on Oct 11, 2007. Click here for more information.
• Alaska Bioneers Conference
  This 3-day event will explore visionary and practical solutions for creating sustainable communities from Oct 19-21, 2007.
  

VOLUNTEERING

FALL 2007

Agnew::Beck welcomes Shelly Wade as the latest addition to our staff! Shelly brings years of experience working in rural and urban Alaska and specializes in community planning and economic development.  In 2004, she completed a Master’s in Community and Economic Development and Sociology from the Peace Corps Fellows Program at Illinois State University.  She was most recently employed as a consultant with Information Insights and has worked for the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, and the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development/Corporation for National and Community Service.  We are excited to add Shelly’s experience and energy to the Agnew::Beck team. 

Planning and Community Development

According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Big Apple is the most energy-efficient city in America.  Why? In many ways, it comes down to planning and land use decisions. Sustainability is an integral part of New York’s long-term comprehensive planning efforts (PlaNYC2030). The city also sets the standard for private industry by greening its buildings and infrastructure (such as replacing nearly every red and green stoplight in the city with energy-efficient LED lights). New York is a densely populated area where people can walk, bike or take transit to accomplish most, if not all, of their daily tasks (such as commuting to work, shopping, and playing). Of course, Alaska is and always will be a much different place, but our planning and land use decisions still impact the amount of energy we consume.

Several of Agnew::Beck’s current projects illustrate the spectrum of issues that energy impacts will present to Alaskans. On the Hillside of Anchorage, steep slopes and shallow soils prevent significant areas of high-density development, but in the Hillside District Plan, Hillsiders are nevertheless starting to think about how much living in a suburban part of Anchorage is going to cost them in future years, as gas prices climb. In the Midtown District of Anchorage, the Municipality is thinking about how this central part of the city can become a denser, more walkable area with a mix of uses that will encourage a vibrant, healthy, and energy efficient urban experience. The City of Homer is mindful of its energy impacts in its Comprehensive Plan, which identifies among its goals reducing sprawl and efficiently using the community’s physical infrastructure. Homer is also pursuing economic development around responding to global climate change, encouraging green buildings and small-scale, non-auto-dependent land use in its downtown plan, as well as fostering eco-friendly tourism.

Funding Opportunities

The US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service is currently accepting applications for its High Energy Cost Grant Program.  This program provides financial assistance for the improvement of energy generation, transmission, and distribution facilities serving eligible rural communities with home energy costs that are over 275 percent of the national average. Applications are now being accepted. The deadline is October 1, 2007.  Click here for information.

The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s (AHFC) mission is to provide Alaskans access to safe, quality affordable housing.  AHFC encourages energy efficient housing construction and renovation through a number of funding opportunities and by acting as a clearing house for information and additional resources.  Visit their webpage for a description of funding and educational opportunities, as well as links to resources around the state working to ensure greater energy efficiency for Alaskan housing.

Recognizing the many challenges inherent to fuel storage, energy delivery and the high cost of providing energy in rural Alaska, the Denali Commission has made energy its primary infrastructure theme since 1999.  A recently released solicitation for Letters of Interest in alternative energy and energy efficiency projects based in rural parts of the state received over 100 responses.  For communities interested in developing projects of this type, Denali can be a great place to get started.  Thought the LOI solicitation is now closed, with the high priority this funder places on improving energy infrastructure, it is likely that more opportunities will be available in the future.  Keep an eye on new developments
or sign up for Denali’s e-newsletter.

The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), whose mission is reducing energy costs in Alaska, has a number of programs to promote the use of alternative energy sources (such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric and others) in Alaska. The AEA’s alternative energy programs are designed not only to help both individuals and communities find low-cost energy alternatives for themselves, but also to explore their potential to create economic development opportunities through alternative energy. Check out the AEA’s biennial Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency Assistance Plan, which describes funding opportunities related to alternative energy.

Indigenous Planning

The Alaska Renewable Energy Fair held in August highlighted some of the work being done in Alaska to explore alternatives for energy in Alaska's Native and rural communities. Alaska Village Initiatives led a workshop on the potential of biomass as a sustainable renewable energy source for rural Alaska. The Alaska Energy Authority (see Funding Opportunities above) promoted the potential of wind power as an economic development option for rural Alaska.

Native communities in the Lower 48 are also doing some inspiring energy-related work. NativeEnergy is a privately held Native American energy company that helps build Native American, farmer-owned, and community-based renewable energy projects that create social, economic, and environmental benefits.

The Intertribal Council On Utility Policy (COUP), which holds a majority ownership interest in NativeEnergy, is a not-for-profit council of federally recognized Indian tribes in North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, with affiliates throughout the northern Great Plains.  It provides a tribal forum for policy issues dealing with telecommunications and energy utility operations and services, and strongly adheres to the principles of tribal self-determination and ecological sustainability, supporting the development of sustainable homeland economies built upon renewable energy resources.