Chester County Ready for 100% is pleased to acknowledge Kodiak Island, Alaska for its foresight and determination in having made the change to 100% renewable energy as of 2012! In 2002 the Kodiak Electric Association created a strategy to lower their reliance on expensive diesel fuel and  began to plan for wind power, hoping to be 95% powered by renewable energy by 2020.   We are so impressed that the Kodiak Electric Association not only reached this goal, but managed to reach it 6 years ahead of schedule!  By 2014 it was reported that the 15,000 residents of Kodiak Island were receiving 99.7% of their power from wind and hydropower.  The shift to these combined renewable energies has saved the local residents $22 million compared to diesel costs.  Before adding the wind turbines, the Kodiak Electric Association had been burning roughly 2.8 million gallons of diesel a year.  The change not only saves residents money, but they have also reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by 62 million pounds per year!

Kodiak Island is happy to share their story and help others to become less dependent on diesel and other fossil fuels.   On a visit to Alaska in 2015 President Obama acknowledged that Kodiak Island’s efforts have both saved money and helped the environment.  We hope that many communities will be inspired to follow Kodiak Island’s success story!