The state’s largest wind energy project has received unanimous support from a Fairbanks utility to be installed just north and west of Denali National Park.
Golden Valley Electric, GVEA, gave the Eva Creek Wind Project a nod of approval on Monday evening at the Board of Directors meeting. The directors voted unanimously in favor of what will be the largest wind project in Alaska so far. At 24 megawatts, the project is supposed to meet the boards goal of having 20 percent of the systems peak load generated by renewable energy by 2014.
Bill Nordmark, GVEA board chairman says Eva Creek has been researched since 2003. Nordmark says that GVEA has done their due diligence with the project and it integrates well into their system.
In 2004, the power line infrastructure was added to the Ferry Hills area near the Eva Creek location.
The projected overall cost is 90 million dollars. Construction is due to begin in May of next year with anticipated commercial operation by September. The project is currently in a public comment period with an application from the US Army Corps of Engineers for pre-construction infrastructure.
Not everyone is happy with the project. A proposed Delta Wind Farm site is being promoted as privately funded and says that the Eva Creek wind farm is a bad financial risk.
