GEOTHERMAL

Unalaska is still pursuing the Makushin Geothermal Project, even after a rocky four years to try to get the project off the ground. Today, the Ounalashka Corp. board of directors plans to meet to discuss ways to move forward, which could include dissolving its partnership with Chena Power, essentially buying them out.

The City of Unalaska is pulling out of the Makushin Geothermal Project, after the city council on Tuesday rejected the new terms requested by the company building the project.

The City of Unalaska’s administration is advising city council not to renew the Makushin Geothermal Project power purchase agreement, according to a memo released Friday, which would effectively end the city’s four-year participation with the project.

The company aiming to bring geothermal energy to Unalaska plans to pay more than $90 million to an engineering and construction firm to build the volcano-powered project, under a contract announced Jan. 18.Ounalashka Corporation/Chena Power, LLC, the company behind the project, is a joint venture between Unalaska’s Native corporation and Fairbanks-based Chena Power. And while OCCP Project Manager Dave Matthews said they plan to start construction of the plant this coming summer, the company still hasn’t announced that it’s secured any funding.

King crab and snow crab fishery closures, the Makushin Geothermal Project, and developing Dutch Harbor as an Arctic port: Unalaska has big things in the works, both in terms of opportunities and challenges. And the steps local leaders take in the next few years could change the community’s path for decades. Each year, representatives from Unalaska travel to Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of the city’s interests. Unalaska City Councilmember Shari Coleman was on the latest lobbying trip in December. She sat down with KUCB to talk about Unalaska’s priorities.

A geothermal energy project in Unalaska is taking another step forward in development. Ounalashka Corporation/Chena Power, LLC, the company responsible for the Makushin Geothermal Project, says it’s finalizing negotiations with a renewable energy firm to develop the Makushin Geothermal Project. That could be a major milestone for the project, which aims to develop geothermal energy from Makushin Volcano, about 13 miles from Unalaska’s city center.

The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska has received more than $2 million in federal dollars to go towards the Makushin Geothermal Project to harness a local source to power the island’s community and industry. The power project is being led by Ounalashka Corp./Chena Power, LLC, a joint partnership between Unalaska’s Native village corporation and a Fairbanks-based private energy firm. Although the Qawalangin Tribe is not a partner with OCCP, the tribe’s chief executive says they are helping out and providing funding.

The Unalaska Department of Public Utilities is upgrading electrical equipment that’s caused some of the island’s recent power outages.The new, more robust transformers will be able to better handle the harsh Aleutian weather, according to acting public utilities director Steve Tompkins. They’re also equipped for possible upgrades to the island’s energy grid, such as renewable energy from nearby Makushin Volcano.

An Unalaska local will soon be heading up local operations for the island’s Native corporation. The Ounalashka Corp. announced last month that its CEO, Chris Salts, will be leaving the island and Denise Rankin will take on a local leadership role.

Ounalashka Corp./Chena Power, LLC (OCCP) will have an extra year to obtain funding for their geothermal power project at Makushin Volcano. The Unalaska…