Railbelt grid
RSSThe Railbelt grid is Alaska's main power grid, running from the Kenai Peninsula through Anchorage, the Mat-Su and Fairbanks. Utilities coordinate transmission through the Railbelt Transmission Organization (RTO). The grid faces Cook Inlet gas constraints and transmission upgrades.
White House restates $150 million for Beluga-Healy line; source of $268 million share unclear
The White House says DOE "will invest $150 million" in the Beluga-Healy line; DOE said "up to." Who covers the other $268 million is still unclear.
by Melinda Communities.News1w ago1 min read
Railbelt-wide unified dispatch likely needs legislation, REAP analyst says
Running the Railbelt's power plants as one system would save money, a REAP analyst says, but it probably takes a policy push to make it happen.
by Melinda Communities.News1w ago2 min read
Vance announces Railbelt transmission project at Fairbanks rally
The Trump administration will fund up to $150 million toward a 223-mile transmission line on Alaska's Railbelt grid, Vice President JD Vance announced Monday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
MEA lays out how rolling outages would work if Southcentral runs short of gas this winter
MEA's plan if the gas runs short: nine groups, 30 to 45 minutes dark apiece, turns every few hours. Step six of six, and the co-op hopes to never get there.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min read
Public comment is open on Cook Inlet subsea data-center plan
Comments close Nov. 2 on a proposed tidal-powered subsea data center off Nikiski. The permit would authorize study, not construction.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Three Homer Electric generators failed at once, and hydro covered the gap
Three of Homer Electric's generators failed at once in August. It bought hydro to cover, from a dam whose lines cannot carry its full output.
by Alaska News3w ago2 min read
Alaska's transmission tariff would grandfather 11 existing agreements
Alaska created a body to end the tolls utilities charge each other for moving power. Its plan would leave 11 existing agreements in place indefinitely.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read
A $400 million expansion of Bradley Lake hydro would power about 30,000 homes and cut Southcentral's gas use
A $400 million Bradley Lake hydro expansion would power about 30,000 homes and offset 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas a year, easing Southcentral's gas crunch.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A $413 million cable would give Kenai and Anchorage a second power link
One transmission path links Kenai to Anchorage. A $413 million subsea cable would add a second, if AEA can raise the half that isn't federal.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Alaska's main power grid is getting its first mandatory cybersecurity rules, but not for years
Alaska's main power grid is finally getting mandatory cybersecurity rules, but none takes effect until 2027 at the earliest, phasing in slowly through 2029.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Railbelt ratepayers will repay up to $100M for a Bradley Lake expansion built around federal tax credits
Railbelt electric customers will repay up to $100M to expand the Bradley Lake hydro plant, its dam sized to chase up to $200M in federal tax credits.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
As Cook Inlet gas runs short, Alaska moves to squeeze 38% more power from an existing dam
With Cook Inlet gas set to run short by 2027, Alaska wants to squeeze 38% more power from the existing Bradley Lake dam — raising the reservoir 16 feet and piping in glacier melt, no new plant required.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Railbelt Transmission Organization schedules three subcommittee meetings
The Railbelt Transmission Organization scheduled three closed subcommittee meetings in late July to finalize a tariff that would standardize power-sharing charges among utilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
The public can't sit in as the Railbelt reworks your power costs
The body redrawing how Railbelt transmission costs get split is meeting behind closed doors this week — legal under its own bylaws, though the binding decisions still face public review.
by Melinda Communities.News3mo ago1 min read
DNR, Mental Health Trust finalize MEA easements for Wasilla utility corridor
DNR and the Alaska Mental Health Trust approved easements letting Matanuska Electric Association build and maintain power lines along Church Road and Shampine Lane in Wasilla.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
RTO tariff subcommittee meets Thursday on transmission costs
Alaska's largest power grid is rewriting transmission cost rules this week to let utilities buy cheaper power as Cook Inlet gas supplies tighten and bills rise.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
RTO schedules closed subcommittee meetings for June 10–11
The Railbelt Transmission Organization will hold three closed subcommittee meetings June 10 and 11 to discuss technical standards, transmission tariffs, and financing for Alaska's 700-mile electric grid serving two-thirds of the state's population.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read