Distributed Energy Resources, Commercial, Solar, Wind - August 16, 2024
DOE Funds Alaska Energy Improvement Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy announced five awards for projects in Alaska under the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program.
Funding for these projects were allocated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which aims to improve the resilience, reliability and affordability of energy systems in communities across the U.S. with 10,000 or fewer people.
The ERA funds community-driven energy projects that demonstrate new energy systems and build clean energy knowledge and capacity throughout rural America.
"The Arctic Energy Office is thrilled to see these projects getting supported through the competitive process under the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas program," said Erin Whitney, Director of the Arctic Energy Office, in a statement. "This amount of funding for Alaskans - up to $36.02 million for all phases of the competitive awards, and $12.3 million across the three grant recipients - shows the caliber of the applications from Alaska and the need for our state's residents for infrastructure and clean energy project support."
The five projects include:
- The Old Harbor Hydroelectric Project plans to construct a run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility on Kodiak Island, Alaska, that is capable of generating about 3,470 MWh of energy annually and offset diesel fuel use at the local power plant by 95%, enabling a year-round reliable energy source. The OCED announced a $1.5 million award for their first phase of work with federal cost share reaching up to $10 million for all phases of the project.
- The second project is located in Nulato, Huslia, Minto, Kaltag, Grayling, Anvik, Shageluk, Holy Cross, Alaska. This project aims to deploy high-penetration solar PV and battery storage systems into existing microgrids in eight remote tribal communities currently relying on diesel for 100% of their electrical production. For phase one, the OCED award is $4.1 million with up to $26.07 million as a total federal cost share for all phases of the project.
- For the third project, the OCED announced a $2.3 million award for the Ouzinkie Independent Power Energy Improvement Project to construct a 160-kW solar PV array and 210-kWh battery energy storage system for a microgrid for the Native Village of Ouzinkie on Spruce Island, Alaska.
- An award of $5 million was allocated for the fourth project to the Kokhanok Village Council in Kokhanok, Alaska, that plans to install a 1-MW battery energy storage system — as well as 100 kW solar PV, a new 100 kW wind turbine, and electric thermal storage (ETS) heating units — to Kokhanok, Alaska’s microgrid;
- The fifth project received $5 million for the Tanana Chiefs Conference for the Tanacross Solar PV and Tok Battery Energy Storage System to install upgrades at the Alaska Power & Telephone (AP&T) power plant in Tok, Alaska, providing the technical requirements to incorporate 1.5 MW of solar PV and a 1.5-MWh battery energy storage system on the grid that provides electricity to federally recognized tribes in Tanacross, Tetlin, and Dot Lake in Tok, Alaska.
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