Nome, Alaska, is running out of fuel. However, in 2007 a DoE study concluded that geothermal energy, followed by natural gas, and then wind combined with diesel, would all offer significantly less expensive alternatives than continuing to rely on diesel alone.
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| A US Coast Guard icebreaker attempts to lead a Russian tanker through the thickening ice (Image: Petty officer 1st class Sara Francis, US Coast Guard) |
An unprecedented rescue attempt is playing out in the Arctic as a US icebreaker attempts to lead a Russian tanker across the frozen Bering Sea before the icebound village of Nome, Alaska, runs out of fuel. New Scientist explains why the remote outpost is so vulnerable, what it is doing to kick its oil addiction – and what happens if the rescue fails.
Why is Nome so dependent on petroleum?
The western Alaskan settlement of 3600 people gets nearly all its electricity by burning diesel fuel. Severe storms in the Bering Sea kept a final fuel shipment from arriving before winter ice blockaded the city.
Can't an Alaskan outpost be forgiven for relying on diesel?
Well, diesel fuel is second only to coal in terms of carbon-dioxide emissions from energy production. Nome residents currently pay 38.62¢ per kilowatt-hour for electricity – more than three times the US average. In 2007 local officials asked the Department of Energy to see if a less expensive alternative existed.
The DoE study concluded that geothermal energy, followed by natural gas, and then wind combined with diesel, would all offer significantly less expensive alternatives than continuing to rely on diesel alone.
