**Title**: Energy in the North - Ingemar Mathiasson
**Date**: July 16, 2025
**Participants**: Amanda Byrd, Ingemar Mathiasson

00;00;00;26 - 00;00;03;27 [Ingemar Mathiasson] So the IPP model in particular in Alaska, instead of having the utility produced to power where our current PCE fund doesn't allow the PCE to be recovered. If an independent power producer like the tribe sells the power to the utility, then the PCE can be recovered, and then the tribe can utilize the otherwise lost PCE to offset their high cost of fuel. For example.

00;00;25;09 - 00;00;29;22 [Amanda Byrd] This week on energy in the North, I continue my conversation with Ingemar Mathiasson, the energy manager for the Northwest Arctic Borough. Ingemar is originally from Sweden and moved to Alaska in 1987, and since 2009 he's been managing multiple renewable energy projects in 11 communities in the region and helping to develop Some of the most innovative energy systems in the world. One of those systems is the Shungnak solar and battery installation that won two awards. I started the conversation by asking Ingemar about those awards.

00;00;57;03 - 00;01;02;14 [Ingemar Mathiasson] The first one was in 21 when it was built as the most innovative award. Together with Ageto and Launch Alaska project that was, promoted and out there and won an award as the as the best, constructed, solar array for a community that year. And then in 22, we ended up with, once we saw the production, equitable community solar array in the US, and got an award of about $10,000 from, from that group down in San Diego that year. And what interesting was to to talk to them all in that, in that particular award. All the people from all across the United States were there and talked about their community at various, but ours was special. The difference was we were the only one that had a battery.

00;01;43;27 - 00;01;48;17 [Amanda Byrd] In Alaska is almost all of the solar arrays, in remote communities are attached to a battery.

00;01;51;09 - 00;01;52;03 [Ingemar Mathiasson] yeah. Correct. But this was the first time in IPP a tribe would own the battery and solar array combined.

00;01;57;22 - 00;02;01;28 [Amanda Byrd] So the tribe is playing the role of the independent power producer.

00;02;01;29 - 00;02;05;00 [Ingemar Mathiasson] So the IPP model in particular in Alaska, instead of having the utility produced to power where our current PCE fund doesn't allow the PCE to be recovered. If an independent power producer like the tribe sells the power to the utility, then the PCE can be recovered, and then the tribe can utilize the otherwise lost PCE to offset their high cost of fuel. For example.

00;02;26;24 - 00;02;32;19 [Amanda Byrd] You've lived and worked with the communities in the region for decades, and you really have explored all of the energy types, and you must have a pretty clear vision for the future of those communities.

00;02;37;22 - 00;02;43;20 [Ingemar Mathiasson] Well, as much as possible, become independent with our energy resources that we have, no matter what it is. You know, wind, solar, hydro, if we can geothermal, would be great. Wave power. Any low hanging fruit of developing energy at home should be looked at first before we start importing anything from the outside. We're way too vulnerable for the fluctuating prices and politics out in the world, and it's basically a survival issue.

00;03;05;05 - 00;03;10;13 [Amanda Byrd] You lived in Ambler for many years and must have really fond memories of living in the Arctic.

00;03;10;13 - 00;03;17;00 [Ingemar Mathiasson] The cleanliness of it. The people, there's a lot of different things to love about the Arctic. It's been interesting and transformative for me to try to hold together 21 different government that had different political ideas and the sovereignty issues that exist between them to regionalize and hold together the region. To make people understand that regionalization is the way to go. We're all in it together, not just as a region, but as a state. We all are in the same boat, and it's the same energy we're using, and we need to work on the future together.

00;03;44;27 - 00;03;52;27 [Amanda Byrd] Ingemar Mathiasson is the energy manager for the Northwest Arctic Borough, and I'm Amanda Byrd, chief storyteller for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power. Find this story and more at uaf.edu/ACEP