Urban Alaska can learn from energy innovation in rural Alaska

The state’s rural areas lead the world in renewably powered microgrids

During visits to my aunt’s house in Germany when I was a young girl, I loved to snuggle up to the Kachelofen – a colorful tiled masonry stove with a built-in bench – on chilly mornings. I could always count on it to be toasty warm and it was my favorite place to curl up with a book. At the time I never thought to ask where that heat came from, despite never seeing any evidence of the wood or coal traditionally burned in them. It was just nice and warm, and slowly released heat into the house all day. I never questioned it.