Kotzebue Electric Association.

• Author: Gallion, Mari
• Position: INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS

GE and the Kotzebue Electric Association, an electric cooperative that focuses on supplying electricity to the remote city of Kotzebue and other rural areas of Alaska, have launched a joint project to increase the energy efficiency and extend the fuel supply of several diesel engines powering Kotzebue. For the initiative, GE will provide a Clean Cycle heat-to-power generator that will use the diesel engines' exhaust heat to produce electricity for the local grid.

Kotzebue's isolated location north of the Arctic Circle means that it faces high fuel costs and major logistical challenges associated with providing reliable electricity and heat. The city, which is home to an estimated 3,200 residents, is dependent upon a single, annual shipment of diesel fuel that occurs in the summer when the ocean is ice-free and vessels can...