Kodiak Island Wind Farm (By Jim Jager / October 11, 2011) |
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska, or RCA, has approved the Fire Island power purchase agreement. It clears the way for Chugach Electric Association to purchase power from the Fire Island wind project.
Cook Inlet Region, Inc. is building 11 wind turbines on the small island, which is located near Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Senior Vice President of CIRI, Ethan Schutt, called the RCA approval a “significant victory.”
Chugach Electric Association has agreed to purchase up to 17.6 megawatts of power at a flat net price of $97/megawatt-hours for 25 years. For Chugach’s customers it means higher prices on today’s average price of Cook Inlet generated power, but is cheaper in the long term.
The project is expected to be finished late next summer. It will supply about four percent of Chugach Electric’s load.
People living in Anchorage will be able to see the wind turbines looking toward the inlet from either Point Wornozof or Kincaid Park.
