Interactive map models Fairbanks borough energy costs

Interactive map models Fairbanks borough energy costs

A new interactive web map developed by researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks gives policymakers and residents a clearer picture of how energy costs affect households across the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

The online mapvisualizes energy burden, or the percentage of annual gross household income that is spent on residential energy services, such as space heating and electricity.

Developed by Jesse Kaczmarski and Ian MacDougall, the tool allows users to explore how energy costs vary by neighborhood and how factors such as energy prices drive those differences.

Users can interact with the map by changing the price of energy sources and see how those changes affect household energy burden across the borough. Each census area includes a clickable summary with local data and additional map layers, such as city and military boundaries.

The underlying data are available for download in CSV or GeoJSON formats.

The tool builds on findings from a 2024 study, which found that the average household energy burden in the FNSB is 10.12% - more than three times the national average of 3.1%. The study also highlights the cold climate, high energy prices and aging building stock that contribute to the borough's disproportionately high costs.

By turning those findings into an interactive tool, the team hopes to make data more accessible to policymakers and the public.

"This map brings complex data to life," said Dominique Pride, a co-author of the 2024 study. "Users can see, in real time, how changes in fuel prices or other factors affect different neighborhoods."

"It's a powerful resource for anyone working to make energy more affordable in the area," MacDougall said.

The tool may be especially useful when assessing cost-of-living allowances.

The 2024 report, "Spatial energy burden analysis of the Fairbanks North Star Borough," was co-authored by Kaczmarski, Pride and Erin Trochim.

Kaczmarski is an assistant professor with the College of Business and Security Management and formerly with the Alaska Center for Energy and Power. MacDougall is a data analyst with ACEP, Pride is a research associate professor with ACEP and Trochim is a research assistant professor with the Institute of Northern Engineering.

Funding for the project was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Dominique Pride, [email protected]

099-26