The Biden administration has promised Alaska over $200 million in order to enhance the Railbelt electric grid that extends across the state from Homer up to Fairbanks.
The project comprises a high-voltage submarine cable that connects Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage and numerous battery energy storage systems.
The three Alaskan members of the congressmen praised their appreciation for the Department of Energy award. In the joint press release they noted that the money came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill of 2021 which each of the U.S. senators voted for.
Congresswoman Mary Peltola says her office was the one who led pressuring the Biden administration to grant the money. She claims that she personally spoke to the president and Energy secretary regarding it.
“Every penny we requested was received, so I believe that really does say something,” she said.
This federal loan will then be matched by the same sum from the Alaska Energy Authority, bringing the total amount to $413 million. The state energy authority has long pushed for infrastructure upgrades to ensure the grid’s reliability and better able to deliver the hydroelectric energy from Bradley Lake, near Homer.
Peltola says that the changes will allow power to be sourced from different sources.
“We’ve had to modernize our grid to allow renewable energy to be integrated into the grid and to provide redundant services,” she said. “And due to our extreme weather patterns and long distances, this is an investment must be made.”
The project is scheduled to be completed in eight years.
