Science & Environment

After decades of false starts, geothermal power may be coming to Unalaska.

The Ounalashka Corporation and Fairbanks-based Chena Power, LLC have formed a company to develop a geothermal project at Makushin Volcano.

At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, Corporation CEO Chris Salts said the company's goal is to reduce the city's consumption of 200,000 gallons of fuel each month, as well as lower and stabilize utility costs for residents and businesses.

After showing signs of restlessness, Pavlof Volcano is back at a normal alert level.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory issued an "advisory" for Pavlof last month, following small explosions at its summit 36 miles northeast of Cold Bay. Since then, there have been no further signs of unrest, and scientists downgraded the volcano to "normal" last week.

A small group of Unalaskans learned to identify bird carcasses last week in an effort to help scientists track increasing mortalities on Alaska's beaches.

The training was held by the University of Washington's Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST), one of the organizations that monitored the state's fifth straight summer of mass die-offs.

The City of Unalaska finished installing the last of four meteorological (MET) towers over the summer. Their purpose is to help the city determine whether Unalaska can produce electricity from wind energy in the future.

The towers are installed at four locations: one on Bunker Hill, another two in Pyramid Valley by Icy Creek and Veronica Lake, and a final one on Hog Island.

The wind development project is led by Unalaska's Department of Public Works, and it's one of seven initiatives underway with its electric fund.