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ACEP welcomes deputy director for research

February 11, 2026

ACEP is pleased to announce Dominique Pride as the new deputy director for research, effective Feb. 8. Pride will work closely with Director Jeremy Kasper and the leadership team to mentor researchers, shape strategic planning and lead major research initiatives across the center.

“I am looking forward to helping guide and further develop ACEP’s research portfolio, so we continue to be a trusted source of high-quality, unbiased information on energy topics in Alaska and beyond,” Pride said.

Strengthening community partnerships and building trust are central to ACEP’s future, and Pride brings deep experience in this area. She has partnered with the Kotzebue Electric Association on two space-heating projects aimed at reducing residential energy costs as well as a project supporting updates to Kotzebue’s electricity metering infrastructure.

“Dominique has a strong track record of establishing and maintaining trust with ACEP’s community partners, an area ACEP intends to lean into even more in the future,” Kasper said.

New strategic priorities for the research center include partnerships along the Aleutian Islands and with Pacific island communities, which face similar energy constraints and opportunities. Additionally, Alaska’s exploration of nuclear energy and the growth of independent power producers underscore the need for both power systems and socio-economic research to ensure successful outcomes.

Mentorship will be a key way Pride contributes to ACEP’s continued growth and impact. For early career researchers like Sreedev Das, a mentor who understands the technical as well as the community context and who also listens carefully and supports realistic work prioritization is valuable.

“Dominique’s ability to have constructive conversations about research direction, workload and task prioritization is the kind of mentorship that provides clarity and confidence to early-career researchers during their formative years,” he said.

Founded in 2008, ACEP is entering a new phase of growth, and Pride is uniquely positioned to help guide the center forward. Her work will include developing new processes, expanding networks and leading large-scale research initiatives that directly impact Alaska’s energy systems. As interest in microgrid energy systems increases, ACEP is seeing growing engagement from partners ranging from Australia and Antarctic research stations to Golden Valley Electric Association and the community of Nenana, each seeking ways to increase resilience, lower costs and explore energy transformation.

Throughout her career at ACEP, Pride has been at the forefront of energy innovation. Her work has supported emerging technologies and techniques for measuring fuel consumption, tested approaches for storing and dispatching electricity and heat and informed state-level policy that shapes energy pricing and subsidy structures, particularly as they relate to disparities between Railbelt and rural communities. Earlier internships with the West Virginia Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives provided her with insight into the legislative process. 

In her new role, she will split her time between ongoing research and her responsibilities as deputy director for research.

Pride holds a Ph.D. in natural resources and sustainability from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where her dissertation examined the value of energy efficiency in Alaska’s residential real estate markets. She also earned a master’s degree in resource and applied economics from ����TV and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Marshall University.