Does geothermal have a future in Alaska?

By: Gwen Holdmann

Outlets: Alaska Beacon

Published: June 10, 2026

Words: 2,744

Last Updated: 13 hours, 19 minutes ago


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In my office hangs an old black-and-white USGS geothermal map of Alaska from the 1980s. Most of the map is nearly blank — white space with just a few major rivers and roads transecting the landscape. The only color delineates Alaska’s known geothermal systems and their relative importance for future development: green for low to moderate importance, orange for high importance.

None of the geothermal sites are labeled, but the patterns are familiar. Small green …

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