By Justus Karenzi
Energy is inarguably at the center of the food, energy, and water (FEW) nexus for most Arctic communities of Alaska. This is because the major local drivers of water and food security are directly linked to the availability and affordability of energy. For instance, extensive amount of energy is required for adequate heating to prevent water and water pipes from freezing. In addition, since most of the food is imported from outside the state, the ability to produce food locally and economically is becoming a priority across the communities in Alaska. One way to increase food production is to extend the growing season using greenhouses. For this to be possible, affordable and locally available energy sources to heat and provide artificial lighting during the winter months is a priority.
The immense geographical range of Alaska and vast natural resources provide unique opportunities for renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass. These technologies would not only cut down on the high costs associated with importing diesel, but might also enhance the synergies between food, energy, and water systems in the communities. On a community level, some of the opportunities for renewable energy resources include powering community water and wastewater treatment systems, cold storage, irrigation systems, food storage and preservation, and seafood processing. On a household level, renewable energy – powered membrane technologies are ideal for small scale water purification systems for isolated communities where potable water sources and power grids are limited or nonexistent.
To understand the impacts of intermittent renewable energy on FEW system dynamics, the connections and linkages representing energy flows within the FEW infrastructure systems have to be identified, described and mathematically characterized. Then scenario-based studies including a mix of energy sources (firm and intermittent) and food/water infrastructure loads can be simulated and analyzed. The outcome of these studies can serve as a basis for discussions with community stakeholders and allow researchers to correlate simulation results with measurable impacts to the FEW security.
