Overview

The Green Energy Mariculture component project is designed to ensure that the industry develops sustainably and minimizes fossil fuel combustion by improving energy efficiency and using renewable energy when feasible. Three main deliverables include:

• Developing a long-term renewable energy plan
• Collecting baseline data measurements of how energy is currently being used in the industry
• Analyzing renewable energy alternatives and make recommendations, including creating a “best practices guide” through energy audit procedures and standards for the Alaska mariculture industry.

This component project allows the Alaska Mariculture Cluster to fulfill the EDA’s environmentally sustainable development investment priority by empowering mariculture entrepreneurs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their operations. In addition, the green energy component project fulfills the recovery and resilience priority by preventing reliance on fossil fuels that may become more expensive and less accessible in the future.

This project now allows the mariculture industry to grow with energy efficiency, renewable energy, and best practices incorporated into initial designs rather than hoping for a transition in the future. This effort also opens the door to entrepreneurs and business owners in rural areas and those of diverse backgrounds to access a more sustainable, cost-effective industry.