A free, clean energy fair organized by Renewable Juneau and featuring a wide variety of community collaborations will kick off Sunday afternoon from 2-5 p.m. at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. Coinciding with the national “Sun Day” initiative first inspired by the work of writer and environmental activist Bill McKibben, Juneau’s fair will be one of 440 events in 47 states on Sept. 21, coinciding with the autumnal equinox. In a fun play on words, free ice cream sundaes will be provided by Renewable Juneau.
Renewable Juneau board president Sally Saddler said in an interview Wednesday that the goal of the fair is to be educational, inspirational and fun, as well as celebrate good things happening in Juneau, with respect to renewable energy.
“There is so much good that’s going on, and in a day and age where I think we need good things to focus on, to give us hope and inspire us, I’m hoping that this festival will be able to fit that need,” she said.
Conor Lendrum of A Phantom Quill is helping organize the fair. In an interview on Wednesday, he said fairgoers can expect an atmosphere similar to “a small, local carnival.”
“We’ll have games, we’ll have live music,” Lendrum said. “It’ll be a light and fun time with the hope of having everyone who attends leave knowing at least one thing they can do in their life to help reduce their emissions, reduce their costs and increase the electrification in their life.”
Lendrum pointed out that the low cost of electricity in Juneau, supported by hydropower, means that when people choose clean energy options — like using electric vehicles or heat pumps — they can help reduce admissions while saving money.
The fair will be divided into five main sections.
“Bright Local Business” will showcase local businesses aligned with environmental practices or those that have adopted green infrastructure.
“Savings Start at Home” will focus on heat pumps, weatherization, and home energy efficiency education, with booths from Alaska Heat Smart, True North Federal Credit Union, Tlingit & Haida Regional Housing Authority and local contractors.
“Power Up Juneau” will have representatives from AELP, REAP, and ETIPP, providing educational information about Juneau’s energy sources..
“Riding on Rain” will concentrate on gasless transportation, featuring electric vehicle information and a booth with the Juneau Bike Doctor.
“Power Together” will be a hub for community activist groups and organizations where people can learn about, volunteer for, or donate to various environmental or community causes.
In addition to the Sun Day celebrations, Juneau’s 12th annual EV Round-Up will coincide with the fair this year. Juneauite Duff Mitchell has been organizing the annual event during National Drive Electric Week for years, but with the crossover in mission, Lendrum said they agreed to combine efforts. EVs will gather in the parking lot across Egan Drive from the JACC, by the Buoy Deck. There will be a separate display of EVs in the parking lot in front of the JACC, including one of CBJ’s electric buses, an electric boat from a local tour company, Rainbow Food’s electric van, Hansen Gress’s all-electric fleet of employee vehicles and examples of local, purchasable EVs through Affordable Auto Sales.
Lendrum said that throughout the day, various presentations will be held within the gallery at the JACC, including Alaska Heat Smart sharing information about federal grant opportunities available for subsidizing heat pump installation and a presentation on ways people can improve weatherization in their homes, increasing heat efficiency, preventing energy loss and extending the life of homes.
Acknowledging that this topic can be difficult to face at times, Lendrum said there will be food trucks, engaging games and live music from four, local musicians throughout the day: Dara Rilatos, Lisa Puananimōhala’ikalani Denny, Marian Call and Salim Theo Jesse “FySH” Houck.
He said the hope is that there is something there for everybody.
“We want people to bring their kids. We want people to come as families. We want it to feel like something for the whole community where, even if you aren’t in a place where you can buy a new car and switch to an EV or you don’t have the kind of housing situation where you can start a big, clean energy transfer, you can still come out and have a good time.”
Saddler said she hopes attendees will stop by the Renewable Juneau booth and talk about the recent Clean Energy Ambassador Program the nonprofit is starting. She said the idea is to start more solution-centered conversations about renewable energy by finding individuals passionate about different aspects of the movement. She said a Clean Energy Ambassador could be someone who has experience installing heat pumps or perhaps enjoys driving their electric vehicle. Saddler said the ambassador program, much like Sunday’s fair, is all about creating more conversations amongst neighbors, friends and family to get more people embracing clean energy opportunities available in Juneau.
Electrify Juneau! A Clean Energy Fair will be held in the at JACC from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. Admission is free. You can find more information on the event and Renewable Juneau’s work within the community at renewablejuneau.org.
This story has been corrected to reflect that the fair will take place inside the Juneau Arts and Culture Center building.
