…will we be ready? A much more electrified future is on the horizon, a reality that raises a good many questions. How will our homes and buildings be heated? Will cruise ships continue to visit? Can wind and solar power be added to the Juneau energy mix? Will it cost us more or will we realize financial savings with these energy changes?

Change is not easy, yet change is the only constant. Roll with it, adapt, shift strategies, learn from past mistakes, or get stuck in the ruts, keep the blinders on, be left behind. Really, it’s up to us. Granted, there are some larger powers on the playing field, but we are ultimately the consumers of the energy. We use it, pay for it, and ideally, we have a say in where it comes from, how it is delivered, what is planned for this new energy future.

Some energy questions popped up for many recently, spurred by a Juneau Empire article on local energy use. Renewable Juneau board members found themselves discussing the article, its assumptions, the questions it raised, some shortcomings and omissions. Our recent My Turn in the Juneau Empire speaks to our discussions. You can read it HERE.

Additionally, the nation’s leadership seems to finally be awakening to the changes rapidly intensifying across the globe in the energy sphere. The United States’ new Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was recently interviewed by the Washington Post and spoke to our possible energy future, the pressing issue of jobs creation, the realities of our nation’s grid issues, and a renewed focus on carbon neutrality by 2050. Read a lightly edited transcript of the interview HERE.