Spruce Root Secures Federal Funding for Heat Pump Installation in Southeast Alaska

USA: Spruce Root has announced that it has secured federal funding to install up to 240 air-source heat pumps on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. These heat pumps, recognized globally as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuel-based heaters, can offer significant cost savings for residents in rural Alaska, where affordable natural gas is not available.

Spruce Root, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in Southeast Alaska, particularly those in rural and Native-owned businesses, created a green bank last year to channel federal funding into renewable energy projects aimed at reducing high energy costs. The organization has partnered with the Ketchikan-based Alaska Power & Telephone Company (AP&T) to obtain funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, through the U.S. Department of Energy.

Prince of Wales Island, home to around 6,000 residents, is supported by three hydroelectric facilities that often generate more than 100% of the island's power needs. This abundance of clean energy means that the new heat pumps, which operate on electricity, will allow residents to heat their homes without relying on diesel or other carbon-emitting fuels.

Source: Alaska Public Media