AEA awards hydro project engineering services contract.

• Author: Pounds, Nancy
• Position: Inside Alaska Business

The Alaska Energy Authority awarded a two- to five-year contract to MWH for hydropower engineering services for possible projects along the Alaska Railbelt electrical grid. The proposed hydropower projects would be a key component to help achieve the State's goal of producing 50 percent of electrical power from renewable sources by 2025. Projects include an updated project concept for the Susitna River in the Interior. Last year, AEA focused on two large hydropower projects for the Railbelt, including the Watana site on the Susitna River and Chakachamna, across Cook Inlet from Anchorage. Last November, AEA announced its decision that the Watana site should be the primary hydroelectric project for the Railbelt, and Chakachamna should be considered as an alternative. The Susitna project could...