BZZZZT! Update below
From The Daily Caller:
Energy Dept Spends $7 Million On North Alaska Solar Power, Except It’s Dark 24/7
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced Monday it will provide $7 million in technical support for solar power to Native Alaskan tribes, especially those in the far north.
The parts of Alaska where the DOE intends to spend the cash have nearly 24 hours of darkness in the winter, which is precisely when Alaskans need the most electricity. Alaska has nearly 24 hours of sunlight during the summer, but that’s when demand for power is at its lowest point as there’s no need to crank up the heat. Alaska’s harsh winters make the state’s per capita energy consumption the third highest in the nation.
The villages which will receive the cash influx don’t actually have much demand for power and are currently reliant upon diesel generators.
Why am I not surprised - this is just pure pork.
UPDATE: Many thanks to reader DOuglas2 who pointed me to the source document here: ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTER‐TRIBAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ENERGY PROVIDERS NETWORK
The program is not solar specific - it is for upgrades, improvements to existing generator stations as well as possible wind and solar installations. General energy projects. Makes much more sense.
You've been had. Solar is no-where in the document linked in that article. The word "solar" appears in the full project description, but only as an example of the sort of project that would not meet criteria:
https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=56efcf31-a930-47cd-ad6b-76eec528c904