GVEA’s Board of Directors gave the Eva Creek Wind Project a final nod of approval on June 27, 2011. The cooperative’s seven directors voted unanimously in favor of what will be the largest wind project in Alaska and the first by any Railbelt utility.

At 24-megawatts (total of 12 turbines), Eva Creek will meet the board’s goal of having 20 percent of the system’s peak load generated by renewable resources by 2014. GVEA’s 2011 peak load was 211.5 MW.

This is really exciting news for Golden Valley and the Interior as a whole. GVEA has been researching wind in the Eva Creek area since 2003; we’ve done our due diligence. Eva Creek integrates well into GVEA’s system, helps reduce our dependence on oil and meets the cooperative’s renewable energy pledge. And it won't raise rates.

In fact, assuming oil prices of $90 per barrel, Eva Creek will save members $13.6 million over the next 20 years.

Project Advantages

• Meets GVEA's renewable energy pledge
• No impact to rates
• Helps "kick the oil habit" by displacing 76,686,000 kilowatt-hours (36 percent capacity factor) of oil with renewable energy annually
• GVEA-owned and operated

Projected Costs

Total project costs: $93

Amount financed: $84 million

Annual debt service: $6,056,100 (20-year amortization, 1.05% interest)

Operating costs: $1,500,000 annually

Cost of energy: $0.095/kWh

Employment Opportunities

Michels Wind Energy, a division of Michels Corporation, currently is accepting applications for potential employment opportunities based at the Eva Creek Wind Farm near Ferry, AK. To be considered for employment, please fill out a general application online at www.michels.us under Join Our Team.

Michels Wind Energy will also be utilizing local businesses as subcontractors to perform various scopes of work.