AEA Announces Village Energy Efficiency Grant Awards
Wells Fargo Outdoor Lighting Program will provide funding to forty-seven communities
ANCHORAGE—The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) announced that forty-seven rural Alaska communities from across the state have been selected to receive funding under a new Village Energy Efficiency Program (VEEP) initiative that is supported by a $1 million grant from Wells Fargo.
As a result of this solicitation and its competitive application process, the forty-seven selected communities will receive approximately $1.1 million in Wells Fargo and AEA funding, with local match at approximately $397,000. Eligible communities under VEEP are those with a population no greater than 8,000.
The City of Ouzinkie and the Municipality of Skagway are just two examples of communities that can anticipate annual savings after using the Wells Fargo/VEEP funds to replace existing lighting with the latest in LED technology.
In Ouzinkie, fifty-five streetlights and six harbor lights are expected to be replaced, reducing the City’s electric consumption by nearly 60 percent, with more than $8,000 in annual savings anticipated. Skagway will replace twenty-seven streetlights. The Municipality’s electric use is expected to be reduced by nearly 50 percent, resulting in more than $1,200 savings annually.
The Wells Fargo Outdoor Lighting Program, announced in August, is a public/private partnership designed to benefit rural Alaska communities by providing efficient outdoor lighting that can help reduce long-term fixed energy costs, while supporting community health and public safety.
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Kinross Renames Peak Project as ‘Manh Choh’
The name “Manh Choh” (“mon-CHO”) was chosen by the Village of Tetlin Chief, Michael Sam, and the tribal council, and can be translated from the Upper Tanana Athabascan language to “Big Lake,” referring to the nearby Tetlin Lake, a site of high cultural significance in the community.
ACDA Announces Block 96 Flats Development
The development brings the first 100 percent market rate apartment community to the Park Strip North district of downtown Anchorage in more than forty years.
Dunleavy Administration Will Appeal US Army Corps of Engineers Decision
Governor Mike Dunleavy announced that the Alaska Department of Law will file an administrative appeal with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Pacific Ocean Division, over the Alaska District’s decision to deny the 404 permit for the proposed Pebble Project in Southwest Alaska.
We’re honored again this year to celebrate our partnership with Junior Achievement of Alaska, a nonprofit that educates local youth about enterprise, business, money, and financial literacy. In the special section, three Junior Achievement of Alaska students weigh in on their experience with the exceptional volunteers and teachers involved with the program.
And in Industry Support, we explore the range of varied services that industry in Alaska requires, from mancamps to spill response to off-grid energy solutions.
Outside the special sections, make sure to check out the 2026 Economic forecast, where Alaska leaders share their insights on what may lie ahead in the coming year. Enjoy!