ACES Eligible Communities
The ACES Program is currently planning to serve the following communities within the regions below. Please note that this list of communities may change due to changes in program capacity or in the community attributes listed below under Heat Pump – Community Compatibility. If you do not see your community included and are interested in participating in the program, please reach out to aces@akheatsmart.org. Additional questions about eligibility may be answered by checking out the Frequently Asked Questions page.
| Region | Eligible Communities |
|---|---|
| Southern Southeast | Ketchikan, Metlakatla, Petersburg, Saxman, Wrangell |
| Prince of Wales and Hyder | Coffman Cove, Craig, Hollis, Hydaburg, Hyder, Kake, Kasaan, Klawock, Naukati, Thorne Bay, Whale Pass |
| Northern Southeast | Angoon, Gustavus, Haines, Hoonah, Juneau, Klukwan, Pelican, Sitka, Skagway, Tenakee Springs, Yakutat |
| Southcentral | Chenega, Cordova, Tatitlek, Valdez, Whittier |
| Kenai Peninsula | Seward, all communities served by the Homer electric grid |
| Kodiak Island | Akhiok, Kodiak, Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, Port Lions |
Heat Pump – Community Compatibility
The ACES Program is currently operating with an open enrollment process. Households from the communities listed above are welcome to apply. While homeowners in any of the listed communities may apply, please note that based on current electricity rates, makeup of electrical generation (i.e. diesel vs hydro), and workforce presence and availability, an applicant’s home may not be a good fit for the program. This could be for feasibility reasons, project cost and payback specifics, grid limitation issues, or other factors. If an application is deemed eligible for the program, a home energy assessment will follow the eligibility determination and be conducted to help assess the home’s feasibility of a heat pump addition, including estimation of payback periods and CO2 emissions reduction.
Eligible communities are broken out into three categories below based on relative compatibility of heat pumps in that community. Regardless of which category your community falls into, please apply to the ACES program and let us help you decide if a heat pump is right for you!
High Compatibility Communities
Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Metlakatla, Petersburg, Port Lions, Saxman, Sitka, Wrangell
Rationale:
- Contractors present
- Lower kWh rates
- Community heat pump education efforts and support strong
Moderate Compatibility Communities
Anchor Point, Coffman Cove, Cordova, Craig, Gustavus, Fritz Creek, Haines, Halibut Cove, Hollis, Homer, Hydaburg, Kake, Kasaan, Klawock, Klukwan, Naukati, Port Graham, Seward, Seldovia, Skagway, Thorne Bay, Valdez
Rationale:
- Contractors may be present, but are likely limited
- Medium to high kWh rates (longer payback period)
- Mixed electrical generation (some diesel power generation)
- Community heat pump education and energy efficiency efforts required
Lower Compatibility Communities
Akhiok, Angoon, Chenega, Hoonah, Hyder, Kake, Larsen Bay, Nanwalek, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, Pelican, Tatitlek, Tenakee Springs, Whale Pass, Whittier, Yakutat
Rationale:
- Contractors not present (likely need for imported contractor services)
- High kWh rates ; PCE may not exist
- Mixed electrical generation
- Lower household savings and lower carbon reductions
- Heat pump education, workshops, and community outreach needed
Communities Income Brackets & Incentives Levels
The table below will help you to determine your ACES incentive payment for 2025 based on your household income relative to your community’s Area Median Income (AMI). If you do not see your community listed, please reach out to aces@akheatsmart.org. Please note that there is no upper income limit on the $4,000 incentive level.
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement #84101201 to Southeast Conference (SEC). The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.