Feasibility of geothermal energy of the Aleutian Islands
ACEP summer intern Emily Cook presents her project on geothermal energy feasibility of the Aleutian Islands.
September 24, 2025
Geothermal energy 鈥 energy produced by harnessing heat below the Earth鈥檚 surface 鈥 is gaining attention in U.S. energy policy. It requires minimal land use and is one of the most stable sources of renewable energy today.
As less and less of the Arctic Ocean is covered with ice due to , Arctic waters remain open for longer some years than in the past. Alaska stands at a critical juncture as routes such as the Northern Sea Route, Northwest Passage and Transpolar Route are navigable longer throughout the year.
To support an increase in shipping traffic in the Arctic Ocean, ACEP summer intern Emily Cook conducted a feasibility report under the mentorship of Magnus de Witt. She analyzed the geothermal energy potential of the Aleutian Islands for marine purposes.
Cook鈥檚 report involved geologic, economic, technical and geopolitical perspectives on converting geothermal energy into sustainable electrofuels, or e-fuels, in a rapidly growing Arctic maritime shipping industry. E-fuels are a class of synthetic fuels that can replace fossil fuels in internal combustion engines. The report includes policy recommendations, market outlook and an understanding of the geopolitical climate and environmental benefits for local communities.
Her work has a significant potential for Alaska. Alternate sustainable e-fuels could support global efforts and serve as an example for future projects to follow, creating cost-effective and reliable energy infrastructure in remote areas. As federal interests in Alaska are growing 鈥 from critical minerals to oil, her work could provide ways to assess geothermal energy as potential economic opportunities, energy independence and a future Arctic that aligns with local goals.
ACEP summer intern Emily Cook, who enjoys exploring new places, hikes on Harding Icefield in Kenai Fjords National Park on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska over the July 4th weekend.
Cook, a geophysics major at Binghamton University in upstate New York, found that interdisciplinary learning was one of the greatest parts of the internship, which spans more issues than just energy in Alaska.
鈥淔rom attending the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference to touring the Geophysical Institute, to hearing flash talks from ACEP faculty each week, there is so much to learn from the professionals that make this research come alive,鈥 she said.
For Cook, having the opportunity to travel and learn from other people working within the industry was also rewarding. She at the Geothermal Energy from Oil and Gas Demonstrated Engineering conference in Reno, Nevada, in late July.
This internship was funded by the U.S. through ACEP鈥檚 Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. View the on ACEP鈥檚 YouTube channel. For more information on this project, contact Magnus de Witt at mdewitt9@alaska.edu.