Community-Led Energy Transitions in Off-Grid Arctic Communities

Recording of Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Language: English | Duration: 11:16 .

Community-Led Renewable Energy in Remote Arctic Regions

The presentation focused on lessons learned from renewable energy projects in remote Arctic communities, particularly through the Arctic Remote Energy Network Academy and Yukon University’s Northern Energy Innovation program. It highlighted the challenges of delivering energy projects in northern Canada, including isolated microgrids, diesel dependency, extreme weather, limited transport access, complex governance structures, and the need to respect Indigenous rights and local cultures. A key message was that successful renewable energy projects depend on strong community engagement and local capacity building. Rather than bringing in external solutions, the programs work with communities to understand their needs, build trust, train local energy champions, and design projects that fit local priorities. Examples such as the Old Crow solar project showed how community preferences can directly shape project design. The presentation concluded that lessons from the Arctic could also be valuable for remote communities in other regions, including Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific.

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Speaker

Robert Cooke
Manager, Operations
Northern Energy Innovation, Yukon University
Canada

Talk of session: Off-Grid: Market Outlook and Lessons Learned

This session provides an overview of current market trends and forecasts in the off-grid sector. Industry experts will be sharing key insights from recent projects, highlighting successes, challenges and lessons learned from real-world implementation. The discussion will offer practical takeaways for stakeholders looking to better understand market dynamics and develop resilient, scalable off-grid energy solutions.

Further Talks of this session: