ARENA 2024-2025 visits Canada and Greenland
The 2024/2025 ARENA cohort tours the Innavik Hydroelectric facility in Inukjuak, a community in northern Quebec, Canada.
January 16, 2025
The cohort gathered in Canada and Greenland in October for the second of three on-site programs.
Sponsored by the Canadian government and endorsed by the , this collaborative initiative brought together energy experts, utility leaders, Indigenous leaders, and territorial and federal government policymakers for 12 days of discussions on sustainable energy strategies for northern Canada and Greenland.
This on-site program, filled with workshops, panels, site tours and cultural exchanges, emphasized Arctic-specific challenges and the potential for renewable energy solutions that respect local landscapes and communities.
The program began in Iqaluit, Nunavut, where participants learned about the northern Canadian energy landscape, the history and governance structure of Inuit Nunangat and best practices for community engagement and energy planning.
In the remote Hudson Bay community of Inukjuak, Nunavik, attendees learned about how hydroelectric power can be responsibly harnessed to support sustainable and prosperous communities. They also received a presentation on the community’s culture and history, the impact of colonization and the current efforts to integrate traditional values into community wellness and sustainability.
The visit inspired ARENA member Chad Nordlum, energy manager for the Kotzebue Tribe, to visualize a hydro project as a long-term investment in the Northwest Arctic.
In Nuuk, Greenland, the cohort learned about Greenland’s developments in hydro and wind power, district heating and water management. They toured a telecommunications site partly powered by solar energy. They also visited the 45 MW Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant, which provides clean, renewable energy to power Nuuk.
The national telecommunications company Tusass uses air-to-water heat pumps to cycle generator coolant through a heat exchanger when running on renewables and battery power at their remote facility. ARENA participant Kolt Garvey of Sunstone Electric in Palmer was encouraged.
“We are already working with partners to try and pilot this heat pump approach into our existing projects,” he said.
The final days of the program focused on collaboration, including discussions on sustainable energy cooperation among Nordic and Arctic nations, Greenland’s governance structure, its relationship with Denmark, unique cultural challenges and its role within the Arctic Council, along with Greenland’s roadmap to independence.
“Sharing our successes on renewable energy to tackle climate change is a must,” reflected ARENA participant Roderick Phillip of Puvurnaq Power in Kongiganak, Alaska.
“We need to open the borders for all countries to share renewable energy technologies to tackle climate change in the Arctic. We all live on one planet — Mother Earth,” he said.
The ARENA 2024-2025 cohort will reconvene for a third and final on-site program in Iceland in mid-February.
This on-site program was supported by Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska, Aleut International Association, Office of Naval Research’s Alaska Regional Collaboration for Technology Innovation and Commercialization program, the Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada Circumpolar Affairs, Global Affairs Canada, Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation, Nukissiorfiit, and Aleut International Association.