Some of the issues are quite similar to the rest of the West. Alaska had 2.5 million acres burned by wildfire in 2019. It is further north, but it can get very dry in summer with a lot of vegetation/fuel stored. In addition, some areas in Alaska were hit particularly hard by the pandemic when tourism and cruise ships were cut and when the economic slowdown lowered demand for oil and gas.
Unlike other areas, the region does not have an extensive grid or markets, so generation options are more limited and location-specific. Harsher weather and broad expanses of territory also drive up the cost of electricity. This is leading to development of new resources and energy technologies that might be cost-prohibitive elsewhere.
Alaska has a strong and resourceful group of utility leaders and customer-owners coming up with creative localized solutions. These are communities that come together as they always have, in the good times and the bad, to support each other and make sure they can keep the lights and the heat working.