Kotzebue is receiving more than $3 million to invest in tribally produced renewable solar energy to improve resilience and reduce energy costs, federal officials said.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced last week that it has selected 12 local governments and tribes to receive more than $31 million in funding through the Communities Sparking Investments in Transformative Energy. Of that sum, the Native Village of Kotzebue — in collaboration with Kotzebue Electric Association, Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corp., the Northwest Arctic Borough and Atautchikun — is set to receive $3,350,000.
The grant will help the village create “a solar farm that will be owned by the tribe,” said Chad Nordlum, energy project manager for the Native Village of Kotzebue. “We will sell power to KEA, which will produce income for the tribe, but also lower fuel bills. We’ll be burning less diesel fuel, which is one of our ultimate goals, as well.”
The village will sell the electricity at a reduced rate, Nordlum explained, which will create instant savings to consumers, as well as income for the tribe that’s not tied to any grants.
He said the solar will be about 700 kilowatts, or more than two-thirds of a megawatt of power.
Kotzebue has been known as a pioneer in wind energy and, more recently, in solar, Nordlum said, but the big change this project brings is having tribal involvement. Previously, Kotzebue Electric Association was producing renewable energy. There are currently two megawatts of wind and one megawatt of solar that KEA owns, Nordlum said
“This is the first renewable energy project where KEA is purchasing the renewable energy,” said Matt Bergen, who recently retired from Kotzebue Electric Association but is still involved in energy projects. “It just basically increases the amount of renewable energy that we can bring on to our system.”
The model where the village produces and owns renewable energy has been pioneered in Northwest Alaska by Shungnak, Nordlum said.
In the future, the village of Kotzebue is also considering new wind energy projects — something that works well in combination with solar arrays, Nordlum said.
“In the summer, you get a lot of solar power, the sun is up 24 hours, right?” he said. “It kind of balances out when the wind blows in the winter, (and) you get more wind power. They work very well together.”
The federal initiative supports clean energy projects in smaller and disadvantaged communities, as well as communities that are transitioning away from the fossil fuel industry, Department of Energy officials said.
“These grants will reduce energy costs, increase resilience and create jobs and economic opportunity in places that have historically been left behind by federal programs,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a statement.
In addition to funding, selected communities will also receive technical assistance to support project implementation, including a DOE-sponsored clean energy professional who will be located in the host community for 18 months to help build capacity and support project outcomes, federal officials said.