2026 Fall Energy Speaker Series | Exploring Unified Economic Dispatch (Pt. 2)

In the face of rising energy costs, more and more Alaskans are talking about the need to bring the Railbelt utilities together and more efficiently operate the grid that serves nearly 75% of the state’s residents. As part of REAP's 2026 Spring Energy Speaker Series, we hosted a webinar introducing the concept of Unified Economic Dispatch (UED). That discussion offered a basic understanding of: What Unified Economic Dispatch is and how it differs from the way Alaska’s Railbelt grid is currently operated; How the Railbelt came to be operated that way and the longstanding conversation around moving toward a more unified grid; Models for how UED has been utilized elsewhere in the U.S.; and Estimates of the benefits that UED could bring to Alaska ratepayers. At the end of that discussion, we teased a continuation of the conversation which we are pleased to bring to you now as this first installment in REAP’s 2026 Fall Energy Speaker Series! We hope you enjoy this recording of our conversation with Julie Estey, Matanuska Electric Association’s Chief Strategy Officer, and Antony Scott, REAP’s Director of Economic and Regulatory Analysis, about: What it could practically look like to adopt Unified Economic Dispatch in the Railbelt; and Actions being taken now – and decisions about to be made – that could impact the value that UED would bring to Alaskan ratepayers.