One of Alaska’s flagship mines soon could draw energy from the sun

By: Max Graham, Northern Journal

Outlets: Alaska Beacon

Published: March 20, 2026

Words: 896

Last Updated: 18 hours, 33 minutes ago

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The operator of Alaska’s massive Red Dog mine says it wants to use the sun to help power the sprawling zinc operation, which currently burns expensive, imported fossil fuels.

If built, a newly proposed 8.8-megawatt solar farm at Red Dog would have slightly more capacity than the state’s largest existing farm, in the Susitna Valley north of Anchorage.

Unlike some of the state’s other large mines, Red Dog is completely off grid in a remote …

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