Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project Final Update.

• Position: Report

While other projects move forward, the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric project has officially ground to a halt. The "Susitna-Watana Hydro Report to the Legislature 2017" was issued in mid-January and begins with the succinct "All work on the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project had come to a full stop by the end of calendar year 2017." Janet Reiser, Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) executive director, explained that "AEA closed out the project in a way that preserved the value of the state's investments and maintained the public value of the data collected through careful, thorough archiving."

If in the future the state determines to relaunch the project, a Study Plan Determination (SPD) issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has already been received that provides clarity on what the state would need to proceed. The SPD also "validated the quality and integrity of work completed to date."

The introduction to the report emphasizes that while the project will not move forward, the data gathered during the planning phases has immense value and includes information about the Susitna basin, local indigenous cultures, fisheries, wildlife, and landscape. The information, having been...