New federal law will tie Anchorage's block grant to housing growth in 2029

Congress could soon transfer roughly 50 acres of land next to Anchorage's regional landfill to the municipality, clearing the way for a planned waste-to-energy plant.

Nolan Cloutier, director of Solid Waste Services for the Municipality of Anchorage, told the Anchorage Assembly Legislative Committee Thursday that both the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act contain language that would convey the parcel, adjacent to land the city already leases from JBER, "for the purposes of ultimately hosting a waste-to-energy plant."

Suzanne Fleetgreen, the department's engineering and planning manager, said terms are still being negotiated. "So it's about a 50-acre piece of land," she said. "There are some specifics to be worked out about the exact conditions of the transfer, but that's something we've been working on with Brownstein and our lobbyists, as well as with the offices of congressional delegation, and should have more updates on that soon."

The House language "cuts to the chase more," directing the Department of War and Department of the Interior to grant access to roughly 49 acres and transfer it to the municipality, Fleetgreen said. The Senate's committee report language merely "instructs the Department of War to more sort of study, evaluate," which she called "gentler language." The House has passed its NDAA version, but the Senate has not; the Senate Armed Services Committee advanced its version 18-9 in June, and the full Senate later stalled a related defense measure 50-46 amid disputes over the Iran war and federal budget. Fleetgreen said the Senate has until year's end to act, after which negotiators will reconcile the two bills.

Asked whether the Senate's approach could delay the project, Fleetgreen said she doesn't expect major holdup. "They are supportive of the transfer, so I don't think we will see delay there," she said, adding JBER "has been really helpful and supportive."

A Jacobs consulting engineer told the Assembly in May the plant could generate 25 to 30 megawatts, enough for roughly 20,000 homes. The city's 2026 legislative program seeks $2 million in state Renewable Energy Fund money for predevelopment work.