Golden Valley issues its first energy emergency alert, warns of possible outages

Golden Valley Electric Association issued its first-ever Energy Emergency Alert on Monday, entering Level 2 after one generating unit went offline unexpectedly while two others were down for planned maintenance. At Level 2, the Interior co-op's backup power supply is limited to one generating unit, and controlled outages may become necessary, GVEA said in a Tuesday release explaining the alert.

The co-op asked members to take more substantial conservation measures and prepare for possible outages. It schedules maintenance before winter, when temperatures drop and demand for electricity rises.

If GVEA does not have enough power to meet demand, it would move to Level 3. Its Controlled Load Shed Program would then rotate 30- to 60-minute outages through designated zones, with zone-specific text notifications to members. The co-op said the levels do not always come in order.

The alert system is new, but the supply problems behind it are not, GVEA said. For years the co-op bought natural gas-generated power from Anchorage-area utilities, and it lost that access because of Cook Inlet gas shortages. A September board recap counted 15 Level 1 events since March and five Level 2 events since January. Alaska News reported Aug. 22 that GVEA staff found the co-op ran short on reserves 236 of the last 250 days.

In the release, GVEA also said its board has approved moving ahead with a battery storage system estimated at about $130 million. Members' share should run around $18 million after loan forgiveness and tax credits, GVEA said. The battery could supply 70 megawatts for up to two hours, which the co-op said will help it manage short stretches when there isn't enough power.

At an Aug. 25 meeting, the board authorized GVEA's CEO to pursue new baseload generation capped at $80 million, according to a meeting recap. GVEA is evaluating a used LM6000 turbine, or an equivalent, that can burn naphtha, a petroleum product the co-op says has historically held steadier prices than diesel.

GVEA called the projects "important steps to improve the situation" but said they are only part of the solution and "will take time to complete." The co-op said it will need more baseload generation in coming years, whether owned by GVEA and its members or by other entities, and that its supply problems will continue in the meantime.

Members can check the current alert level and find their outage zone on GVEA's Energy Emergency Alert page.