CVEA files to renew Solomon Gulch hydro license before 2028 expiration

Copper Valley Electric Association has submitted proof to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that it has distributed its Final License Application to federal agencies for the Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project near Valdez. The June 12 filing is a required procedural step in the relicensing process for the small renewable hydropower facility, which CVEA is seeking to relicense under a new major FERC license.

The Project and Its Deadline

The Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project sits on Solomon Gulch Creek just outside Valdez, supplying power to local communities and industry in the area. FERC issued the original 50-year license on June 21, 1978. That license expires May 31, 2028, and CVEA has been advancing the relicensing process ahead of that date. Under FERC rules, a licensee must file a notice of intent at least five years before expiration and submit a new-license application at least two years before expiration.

"The operating license for this small renewable hydropower project will expire on May 31, 2028," CVEA says on its relicensing page. "CVEA is applying for a new FERC license."

The project's transmission line runs approximately 3.8 miles along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System right-of-way on a 34.5 kV line.

What Comes Next

The proof-of-distribution filing is a procedural docket step, not a formal acceptance. FERC's formal acceptance of the application and the environmental review process still lie ahead, and agency and public comment periods will follow. Past FERC orders on Solomon Gulch, including an earlier extension for a revised spillway analysis, show that technical or environmental issues can arise during relicensing and may affect the timeline.