Renewable Energy in Mongolia and Summer Field School opportunities in Mongolia

With its vast steppes and blue skies Mongolia has the potential to tap its abundant solar and wind resources to provide clean power both domestically and to regional countries such as Japan, Korea and China. Mongolia has three potential markets for renewable energy: off-grid applications to supply nomadic herders in rural areas; on grid applications to supplement and replace inefficient Soviet era coal fired plants; and export potential through an envisioned “Asia Super Grid” that would allow sparsely populated Mongolia to supply clean power to Japan and Korea. However, an aging and limited infrastructure, a small domestic grid and geopolitical rivalries have held back development. Concerns have also been expressed over fear that large scale renewable power development will mar pristine landscapes, interrupt wildlife migration, and displace local people.

This talk will highlight the key opportunities and challenges Mongolia faces in the development of renewable power resources to meet the needs of both its local population and the region. It will highlight the findings and discussions from a course from the ACMS Mongolia Field School in summer 2019, where participants visited wind and solar farms, met with government and international experts, talked with herders about the household application of renewables, and camped on the site of a proposed hydro power dam that has led to a dispute between China and Russia.

The presentation will also offer an overview of the ACMS Summer Field School 2020, which offers a range of field courses in Mongolia for students, faculty and interested individuals. Courses include topics connecting Buddhism and conservation, looking at how climate change and mining are impacting grasslands and traditional herding practices, Mongolian music and literature and other topics. The courses offer an educational travel experience blending academic insights and discussions with travel experiences that allow participants to interact with local people and locations off the usual tourist track. For more information on the ACMS Summer 2020 Field School visit: www.mongoliacenter.org

Dr. Charles Krusekopf is Executive Director of the American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) and Professor and Director of the MBA program at Royal Roads University in Victoria BC. He has extensive experience working and conducting research in Mongolia and other Asian countries for organizations including the World Bank, the Soros Foundation, the Asia Pacific Foundation and the US State Department.

Sedgewick Building, University of Victoria, Room C168