Incorporated in 1946, Golden Valley Electric Association took shape when a small group of Alaskans became interested in bringing electric service to the Interior's more rural areas. These pioneers applied to the Rural Electrification Administration, which granted a loan to form a not-for-profit rural electric cooperative.
Peak load was 192.7 megawatts, which was set at 10 a.m. on November 29, 2021 (temperature was -31 F). The system peak of 223 MW was set in December 2007.
GVEA operates and maintains 3,292 miles of transmission and distribution lines and 40 substations. The system is interconnected with Fort Wainwright, Eielson AFB, Fort Greely, Clear Space Force Base, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and all electric utilities in the Alaska Railbelt, which extends from Homer to Fairbanks.
One of the world's most powerful energy storage systems in terms of megawatt output belongs to GVEA. The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), came online in November 2003. It can provide 27 megawatts of electricity for 15 minutes or up to 40 MW for less time.
Good¢ents kicked off in March of 2011, and today 65% of the co-op membership contributes monthly to the bill roundup program. An independent board of trustees reviews applications and awards grants to non-profit organizations in need. Since 2011, a total of $1,330,642 in Good¢ents grants have been awarded. For a complete list of Good¢ents recipients or to access an application, our Good¢ents Program page.
SNAP, GVEA's renewable energy program, launched in 2005. In 2010, SNAP Plus became GVEA's net metering program. Currently, a total of 578 renewable energy producers participate in the SNAP program, of which 99% of production comes from solar.
A total of 1.19 billion kilowatt-hours were sold in 2021. GVEA's average residential member consumed 600 kWh per month.