Fellowship spotlight: Addie Norgaard

Energy costs in rural Alaska are costly and irregular, and many communities are powered by diesel generators. Motivated to find solutions that are both cost-effective and reliable, communities are getting creative.

Across the state, more than 90 microgrids are located on or near rivers. These isolated systems are primarily powered by diesel generators, though some integrate renewable sources, most commonly solar. For river-based communities, run-of-river hydroelectric power (also known as riverine hydrokinetic energy) could provide a more sustainable alternative to expensive, imported diesel.

At the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP), based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, researchers are exploring that potential through a community-led hydrokinetic energy project in Galena, Alaska. As part of her Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship, Addie Norgaard is helping identify alternatives to diesel-powered microgrids through a locally guided approach.

“I’ve been working on identifying and summarizing community members’ goals, knowledge and concerns related to project siting, environmental impacts, and monitoring,” Norgaard explained. “These insights are essential for informing the direction of community-led research.”

In Galena, a community advisory board plays a central role in the project, making key decisions including whether to proceed, what type of technology to pursue, where a turbine might be placed to minimize disruption, and how the system would be operated and maintained over time.

To support the work of the advisory board, Norgaard helped gather and summarize insights from Galena residents into potential turbine locations based on river conditions and conflicts with other river uses.  She reported residents’ concerns about possible impacts to fish populations and boat traffic along with hopes for increased energy independence and economic development.

Norgaard is also working on data management planning. “We’re working to ensure that decisions about how data are shared are made collaboratively with our community research partner, and that the data we collect is useful and accessible to the community,” said Norgaard “This approach is important when doing community-engaged research.”

Beyond her role in the Galena project, Norgaard has been involved in educational program planning related to marine energy, assisting ACEP researchers in writing reports and outreach publications.

Norgaard holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in oceanography from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she did research on marine carbon dioxide dynamics in the Gulf of Alaska.

Looking ahead, Norgaard hopes to continue incorporating  local engagement into her work to support community sustainability in Alaska.

When she’s not collaborating with people or deep in research, you’ll find her outside and on skis.