GVEA Generation Fleet
Glance Back at 2021
Eva Creek Wind Farm
- Full commercial operation: January 7, 2013
- Capacity: 24.6 megawatts
- 12 Senvion cold-climate turbines
- 2021 capacity factor: 26.2%
- In 2021, 52,376,090 kilowatt-hours were contributed to GVEA's grid; that's enough to power 7,274 Interior homes (using an average of 600 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month) for a year
Fairbanks Solar Farm
- Fully operational: October 4, 2018
- Capacity: 563 kW Solar PV System
- Each of the 1,760 panels can generate up to 320 watts
- 337,443 kilowatt-hours were contributed to GVEA's grid; enough to power 46 Interior homes (600 kWh per month) for a year
- Peak-energy day was May 14, 2021, with 389 kWh generated
SNAP GVEA's Renewable Energy & Net Metering Program
- 578 members are SNAP/SNAP+ producers, 111 more than 2020
- 99% of SNAP production is from solar energy
- 2021 SNAP and SNAP+ production totaled 1.98 million kWh
- Currently, 65% of GVEA members participate in the Good¢ents roundup program
- Since 2011, a total of $1,330,642 in Good¢ents grants have been awarded to non-profits within GVEA's service area
- 8 academic scholarships are awarded each year to students in GVEA's service area
- Top Business Supporter of the United Way of the Tanana Valley
GVEA's reliability was over 99.9% in 2021. The Battery Energy Storage System, or BESS, responded to 57 events this year, preventing approximately 211,937 outages; this equates to an average of 4.5 prevented outages per meter.
- District 1: David Messier, Treasurer
- District 2: Tom DeLong, Chair
- District 3: Rick Solie
- District 4: Gary Newman, Secretary
- District 5: Chris Bunch
- District 6: John Sloan, Vice Chair
- District 7: Todd Adams
- Incorporated in 1946
- Owned by 35,268 members
- Service to nearly 45,149 meters throughout Interior Alaska, including Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Nenana, Healy and Cantwell
- Average of 10.7 members per mile of line
- 3,292 miles of power lines
- 40 substations, including one mobile
- 9 generation facilities
- 381.5 megawatts of capacity
- 5,972 square miles of service territory
- 280 full-time employees
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.