Resilience in Remote Communities

NREL provides remote communities with expert technical assistance and decision support to advance energy solutions designed to increase energy security and build resilience.

A washeteria in Alaska with solar panels on the roof and a propane tank and water tank next to the building.

We partner with communities in U.S. states and territories and abroad to address the unique challenges presented by their geographic isolation, including limited energy and water infrastructure, land constraints, harsh climate and extreme weather events, high energy costs, and heavy reliance on diesel fuel.

Working collaboratively with government, industry, and community stakeholders, we develop and implement comprehensive road maps for resilience through:

Strategic energy planning
On-site technical assistance
Tools and resources
Modeling and visualization
Energy and market analysis.

Along with offering a range of services focused on disaster resilience and recovery, NREL helps remote and islanded communities in the United States, U.S. territories, and around the world achieve their energy and economic development goals as they transition to a more secure and resilient energy future. NREL offers a unique set of capabilities to help address the inherent challenges involved in such efforts, including:

Deep understanding of policy, project development, financing, and market issues
Experience developing and deploying integrated energy solutions
Specialized facilities and expert staff dedicated to advancing clean energy systems integration and mitigating associated grid stability issues.

By leveraging the frameworks, best practices, and lessons culled from more than a decade of experience addressing complex energy challenges of islands and other isolated outposts worldwide, NREL is well-positioned to provide isolated Arctic villages, U.S. military installations, and other remote communities with end-to-end technical and decision support in transitioning to a more secure and resilient energy future.