Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy (ARENA) III

The Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy (ARENA) III builds on the success of the first (2017) and second (2022) ARENA project iterations and seeks to provide participants with the knowledge base, skills, and collaborative networks necessary to help develop clean energy projects in their own communities or regions.

Throughout the Arctic, there are many examples of human resourcefulness and creativity in developing and adapting technology to the challenging environment. In remote communities that are not connected by transmission or pipeline to a larger regional or national network, energy for heat, power and transportation must either be imported as liquid fuel at high cost or accessed through local resources that must be used in close physical and temporal proximity to its origins. Maximizing the use of locally available renewable resources to provide affordable, reliable and clean heat and power is a priority across the region. Nonetheless, there are disparities in where and how renewable resources have been developed. For many communities, it remains a challenge to effectively integrate these resources to achieve a balance of energy security, economic viability, and environmental and public health.

ARENA III includes on-site sessions in Alaska, United States; Nunavut, Canada; Greenland, Kingdom of Denmark; and Iceland. This will allow the cohort to explore the geographical, cultural, and renewable energy landscapes in each location and to observe the integration of robust renewable energy economies within Arctic countries. ARENA III will also continue to learn from the successes of ARENA I and II by exploring the possibility of in-person engagement with ARENA alumni.

ARENA III directly supports two SDWG Strategic Framework priorities, including educational opportunities, by building knowledge and skills surrounding the development and implementation of sustainable energy projects in remote Arctic communities while developing circumpolar networks of clean energy experts; and sustainable energy, by encouraging sustainable management, use, and development of renewable energy resources in remote Arctic communities. By recruiting participants who live and work in the Arctic, ARENA III is supporting Arctic residents by encouraging local capacity building in the undertaking of renewable and resilient energy projects. As a broad goal of the ARENA project is to reduce dependance on fossil fuels, it also contributes towards reducing the impacts of climate change and pollution in the Arctic, a cross-cutting objective stated in the Arctic Council Strategic Plan and a priority linked to activities in other working groups, including ACAP, AMAP, and CAFF.