About
The 40-megawatt (MW) Eklutna Hydroelectric Project (Project) is located in Southcentral Alaska approximately 30 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage near the Native Village of Eklutna. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) constructed the project in 1955, which included rehabilitation of an existing dam at the outlet of Eklutna Lake.
The rehabilitated dam was damaged in the 1964 earthquake, at which point a new and taller embankment dam was constructed just downstream. The new dam is an earth and rockfill structure 815 feet long and 41 feet high with a rectangular concrete spillway that runs through the dam. Eklutna Lake, approximately 7 miles long and 1 mile wide, is located within Chugach State Park and provides almost 90 percent of the domestic water supply for the Municipality of Anchorage. The intake structure for the Project is located 36 feet below the natural lake level. From there, water is diverted north into a 4.6-mile-long tunnel through Goat Mountain and then into a 1,370-foot-long penstock before reaching the powerhouse located on Old Glenn Highway. The tailrace flows under the highway and then discharges into the Knik River. The powerhouse contains two generating units.
In 2018 the project produced 177,438 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy. This is enough energy to power more than 24,600 residential homes for an entire year. Eklutna hydroelectric power is the lowest cost renewable energy in Southcentral Alaska.
PROJECT OWNERSHIP
In 1967, the Alaska Power Administration (APA) was established and all responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project was transferred from USBR to the APA. In 1989, the APA entered into the Eklutna Purchase Agreement with the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) dba Municipal Light & Power, Chugach Electric Association, Inc. (Chugach), and the Matanuska Electric Association (MEA). This agreement outlined the terms and conditions for the sale of the Eklutna Project to the utilities. Transfer of ownership became effective on October 2, 1997 (Transaction Date). MOA’s share of the project is 53.33%, Chugach’s share is 30%, and MEA’s share is 16.67%.
