Northwest Alaska utility receives top honor.

• Position: Inside Alaska Business - Kotzebue Electric Association - Brief Article

Kotzebue Electric Association has received top national honors from the

Community Service Network of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association at the association's annual meeting in Dallas recently. Winner of the "Community Service Network Award" for the best overall effort, the 840-member electric cooperative in remote Northwest Alaska has become a nationally recognized technical and research center for the conversion of wind energy to electric power.

The CSN awards of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association recognize community service and electric cooperative grassroots advocacy, with an emphasis on creative solutions for a diverse array of community needs. By harnessing the cold, bitter winds that sweep across the tundra, the utility has effectively reduced its dependence on costly fossil fuels and increased reliability for the homes, schools and businesses in the city 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Kotzebue Electric Association Board President Frank Stein and General Manager Brad Reeve accepted the award presented by NRECA Chief Executive Officer Glenn English and President Fred Lackey during a celebration luncheon...