State fund for renewable power falls prey to budget woes

Two wind turbines tower over the city of Sand Point. (Photo by Zoë Sobel/KUCB)
Since 2008, the state has set aside a pot of money for renewable energy projects like small dams and wind turbines. Called the Renewable Energy Fund, the projects it’s backed have replaced tens of millions of gallons of expensive diesel in communities from Skagway to Nome.
But with the current budget crisis, that money has disappeared.
For example, utility TDX Power last year asked the Alaska Ener