Kenai City Council authorizes intervening in federal review of Cook Inlet data center

The Kenai City Council voted unanimously Oct. 7 to authorize the city to file a motion to intervene in the federal review of a proposed undersea data center in Cook Inlet.

The city filed the motion Oct. 13, seeking to become a party to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proceeding on DeepGreen Cook Inlet SPV, LLC. The council scheduled the vote last week. City Manager Terry Eubank told the council Sept. 16 that intervening doesn't necessarily signal support or opposition and could preserve the city's position as a party to the proceedings.

DeepGreen seeks a preliminary permit, which authorizes study and priority to file a license application but not construction, for a hub in the Upper Cook Inlet East Foreland Corridor. The Federal Register notice lists about 330 to 350 marine hydrokinetic turbines, 66 underwater data center pods and a roughly 3.5-mile hybrid power and fiber-optic subsea cable, generating an estimated 100 megawatts.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough and the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Conservation Alliance also filed motions to intervene. Cook Inletkeeper, which said it would submit comments and its own motion, reported in September that FERC had received nearly 40 individual comments, which it described as mostly or entirely opposed.

Comments and motions to intervene are due by 5 pm Eastern time Nov. 2. Anyone may comment online.