The futures of northern cities and the evolution of their energy systems provoke many types of imaginations. Northern and cold regions are changing with many unprecedented long-term implications affecting human habitats. Climate change is impacting the Arctic at nearly twice the rate of the global average. Permafrost thaw, erosion, and increases in seasonal temperature variances are putting pressure on crucial infrastructure developments. In many sparsely populated areas in the North, remote cities rely on unsustainable patterns of energy use. When energy systems are in transition, seeking sustainability, attention has to be paid to their particular characteristics and demands. Heating is re-quired in cold winter temperatures, and the sunlight is present only for limited amounts during the day. The future of urban energy use will also be influenced by the diffusion of global innovations, novel lifestyles, and technologies.