From Alaska to Luleå: Lessons on Policy, Innovation and the Green Shift

Northern Sweden and Alaska share many similarities when it comes to opportunities and conditions for the green transition, yet there are also meaningful differences.
“In Alaska, we are still in the early stages of planning for large-scale green transition projects. Here in Sweden, so much is already happening on the ground,” says Penny Gage, a Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar from Alaska, hosted by Luleå University of Technology’s Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic, in cooperation with the Political Science Unit.

Penny is the Chief Policy & Partnerships Officer at Launch Alaska, the state’s first and largest accelerator program for climate tech startup companies. In her role, she leads nonpartisan policy and advocacy efforts to advance the energy transition in Alaska, while supporting startups from around the world that are ready to grow and commercialize their technologies in her state.

“Alaska is well known for oil and gas, but we also have significant potential in alternative energy sources such as tidal, geothermal, solar, and wind power.”

Penny holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Communication. Her interest in international relations began early in her career, and her first connection to northern Sweden dates back to 2007, when she visited Luleå to spend time with two LTU students she had met during their exchange semester at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Curious about Swedish culture

“I was curious about Swedish culture and thought I might live abroad someday after graduate school, but ultimately returned to my home state of Alaska. It’s wonderful to be back in Luleå again.”

Her interest in Nordic energy policy was further shaped by the work of a former Fulbright Arctic Initiative scholar from Alaska who studied Iceland’s electricity system. Several years later, that scholar organized a policy tour to Iceland with Alaska legislators, utility executives, and other energy leaders. The trip offered practical examples of how clean energy systems function at scale, and just months afterward, the Alaska State Legislature passed legislation reforming the state’s electric transmission system, drawing inspiration from Iceland's model.

“Seeing how that experience accelerated policy impact helped me recognize the power of international exchange and motivated me to apply for the Fulbright Arctic Initiative myself.”

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative (FAI) was initiated ten years ago when the United States held the chairmanship in the Arctic Council. The FAI was launched by the Fulbright Program - the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program - as part of its broader mission to promote cross-border scholarly exchange and mutual understanding. Its purpose is to bring together scholars, professionals and practitioners from the Arctic-region countries to collaborate on interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research addressing the shared challenges of the Arctic - for example climate change, energy and infrastructure, Indigenous and local community resilience, health, and sustainable development.

Penny Gage with Karin Beland Lindahl by the Akkats hydropower plant. Photo: Private

A multi-national model

Unlike many traditional individual Fulbright awards, the FAI uses a multi-national, collaborative model. Scholars from all member states of the Arctic Council participate as part of thematic research teams over an 18-month period, combining field-work, exchange, webinars and in-person meetings.

The current FAI cohort includes 20 scholars and practitioners from across the Arctic from 2024 to 2026.

“I’m the only non-academic in the group, which has been a valuable opportunity to bridge policy, research, and practical implementation.”

While in Sweden, Penny visited the Akkats hydropower plant outside Jokkmokk to observe a large-scale hydro installation and reflect on community, environmental, and Indigenous impacts in northern contexts with Associate Professor in Political Science Karin Beland Lindahl.

“I am Tlingit Alaska Native, so it was meaningful to compare how major industrial projects have affected Indigenous and local communities in both Sweden and Alaska.”

Penny also visited Hybrit, the fossil-free steel pilot plant in Luleå using hydrogen technology, together with Political Science Professor Simon Matti, and in October she joined Political Science Associate Professor Charlotta Söderberg at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik.

Charlotta Söderberg and Penny Gage at Luleå University of Technology. Photo: Private

Long term planning

During her time in Sweden, Penny has noted the strong role of long-term policy planning:

“There is a long-term perspective in Swedish and European Union regulations related to the energy transition. Industry needs stability and predictability in policy frameworks to plan and thrive, and that kind of consistency can be harder to achieve in the United States, where national policy shifts more frequently.”

She also observed broader government funding and support for innovation and startup development in Sweden compared to Alaska.

Additionally, she notes that Alaska and northern Sweden share similar challenges related to workforce and growth:

“We both need more skilled workers to meet the needs of emerging industries. Housing shortages are also a shared concern, and there is a risk of communities becoming fly-in/fly-out regions if growth outpaces infrastructure.”

Luleå can attract residents

However, she believes Luleå has strengths that help attract new residents.

“During my stay here with my husband and our two children, we’ve appreciated the strong community infrastructure - from accessible public spaces and playgrounds to having grocery stores and abundant services in the city centre. We really love this community.”

When this interview was done, Penny had only a week left in Luleå. But she hopes to continue developing partnerships with scholars and public officials in Norrbotten. She and Charlotta Söderberg hope to collaborate on research projects between Alaska and Luleå in the future.

Penny Gage gratefully acknowledges financial support for this research by the Fulbright Arctic Initiative and the Fulbright Commission in Sweden. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Fulbright Program, the Government of the United States, or the Fulbright Commission in Sweden.