[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6328616,"mediaKeyId","2318574-d478def29ba72ec96a63a86e0f8bd1a9","parentId",2318574,"title","House Energy Committee reviews Renewable Energy Fund Round 17; 18 projects recommended across Alaska","audioSeconds",941,"startMs",2128000,"endMs",3069000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318574-d478def29ba72ec96a63a86e0f8bd1a9&start=2128&end=3069","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318574-d478def29ba72ec96a63a86e0f8bd1a9/thumbnail_2128000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6328616/Alaska/House-Energy-Committee-reviews-Renewable-Energy-Fund-Round-17-18-projects-recommended-across-Alaska","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328616-985381415f300278f5092e2b93a3de79/orig.mp4?Expires=1775796676&Signature=EAuTYBZMHO1AYs6A1oRLVM4iR9WmPVxKE1sI2L3uMhiCYcr~Se5CpVr4E3Vlh9Edj--hFdWHin36iPJSK93-nEbmIT7FxindKO3JgcGGvgTtWZWhbZ35z--Mn4gtkDRCeDAEP2-wnq96vSKAOVNU9WZKSrvOuD9x0z77G-LAPY1hXey7hOh~2tA1YrhpWIloI4Lvuwut5rMSgM4YaNT15GuoOHp5ZxUzBD-1XJT8GvjKCGVsS7Vv~wmgTnWLPNwVVX6KPERh9dC8Fl0zSAa13uQLAkSjVodyHgLCD12rrMAaGiVBYDmMbNEpeQVSYCOYsyHv~DyjapmxsMPr1Dqfzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","Connor Erickson, director of planning for the Alaska Energy Authority, told the House Energy Committee on Feb. 13 that the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) has helped launch projects across Alaska since its establishment in 2008 and that Round 17 includes 18 recommended projects covering multiple energy regions.

“...we started with just a couple of thousand when it was, when it was initially launched, but now there's over at this at this juncture, there's actually over, like, 14,000 documents that are made available,” Erickson said of AEA’s new electronic library used to centralize project files and historical studies.

Why it matters: the Renewable Energy Fund is a long-standing state program intended to support feasibility, design and early construction of projects that reduce reliance on diesel, enable local renewables and leverage federal/private investment. Erickson and AEA executive director Curtis Thayer told the committee REF projects have displaced diesel at large scale over time and that many recent rounds concentrate funding in rural Alaska.

Program details and Round 17 recommendations

Erickson summarized REF eligibility and evaluation: applicants may be public agencies, utilities or independent power producers (IPPs); matching funds are not required but can earn points; evaluations include technical, financial and public-benefit criteria and third-party reviews where appropriate. He said the REF Advisory Committee — statutorily created — reviews rankings before recommendations go to the legislature.

Round 17 includes a geographically diverse list of recommended projects; AEA presented project summaries and a governor-proposed funding cutoff line showing which recommendations are included in the executive budget. Examples from the list include a hydropower relicensing project in Pelican, a 1 MW solar and 1.5 MW battery proposal in Naknek’s Cape Swornoff, reconnaissance and potential dam-raise work at Goat Lake (Southeast), several wind-plus-battery projects, a district-heating biomass final phase in Nenana, and feasibility studies for additional wind and hydro projects in the Railbelt and interior regions.

Erickson emphasized that the REF process has helped de-risk projects that later attracted federal funds: AEA staff and legislators repeatedly noted that many IPPs and community projects used REF funds for early feasibility and then leveraged federal grants or private capital. Executive director Thayer told the committee, “If there's one project that truly has a success record, it's this program right here.”

Power Project Fund and loan thresholds

Erickson also reviewed the Power Project Fund loan program: AEA reported a current loan portfolio of about $31,000,000 spread across 15 loans and a fund balance of about $9,600,000 as of December. He summarized internal approval thresholds: loan committee authority for requests up to $2,000,000; loan committee plus board approval for $2,000,000–$5,000,000; and legislative approval required for loans above $5,000,000.

Committee questions and follow-up

Members asked for more accessible impact analysis and historical performance data. Erickson said AEA posts project information on its website and that an impact analysis from 2022 is available; staff offered to provide committee offices with multi-page write-ups on each Round 17 application. Representatives asked how REF scoring accounts for community benefit, project readiness and risk; Erickson said those factors are part of the multi-stage evaluation and that REF historically accepted some early-stage risk to seed nascent technologies.

Ending: AEA provided the committee with project summaries and said staff would circulate additional written details. The committee did not take votes on funding at the Feb. 13 meeting; members indicated they would use the materials to inform deliberations in upcoming budget and DCCED subcommittee hearings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House ENERGY 02/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a Feb. 13 hearing, AEA staff described the Renewable Energy Fund's history, eligibility and Round 17 recommendations — 18 projects spanning rural and rail-belt communities — and noted the program's role in reducing diesel use and seeding later federal and private investments.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6328621,"Alaska Energy Authority: several federal grants paused; state bonds and short-term spending keep key projects moving",435,701000,1136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318574-d478def29ba72ec96a63a86e0f8bd1a9&start=701&end=1136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318574-d478def29ba72ec96a63a86e0f8bd1a9/thumbnail_701000.jpg","/articles/6328621/Alaska/Alaska-Energy-Authority-several-federal-grants-paused-state-bonds-and-short-term-spending-keep-key-projects-moving","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328621-d0f0d6cbc6c4d5dfec6e937c3fe73e2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775796676&Signature=C0Rh9Oi-UISpx2Ga3oqiVwsMG7K9pjIt4RAO5SBiBMjGOZOwus3IoPIzO0KJQIddIQQ5ifz9IEWhYABMiwlzHlNDwW9FqxCSGKvPLPan~WfnQN~o8e9QQxx8izRsXEkrguvBHOPtJIRQnWkR-nrIs-vrpn~0puMF47g8XGzZsy~cgFVfnHjhQig3OnFJcuhgIgMp4wpbYIB1ThpMhiHx5lBHyshEry7GyjAQ-JiegMssfiYeEcNVw7qD3ji5JJL-gJYsjyDpfAOS40zaV9PN2esCNQRwoSthYXe4Q5Afw7BXIxT~EmBtfiJxXFT9xQ2dtVesUUWGUht-AVcX4my2zA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Curtis Thayer, executive director of the Alaska Energy Authority, told the House Energy Committee on Feb. 13 that several federal awards Alaska had expected are paused pending guidance from the federal government, but that some work is continuing using state funds and AEA-owned bond proceeds.

The paused awards include conditional federal grants AEA received for home energy and electrification rebates (described as a conditional award received in January 2025) and a $62,000,000 “Solar for All” award received in April 2024. Thayer said, “this project has also been put on hold on on hold by the Trump administration.” He also said Alaska’s Grid Resilience Investment Program (GRIP) formula funding — about $60,000,000 to the state, with roughly $20,000,000 awarded to Golden Valley for three projects — is likewise on pause, though AEA has an executed grant agreement in place.

Thayer told legislators the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program’s $52,000,000 formula allocation to Alaska is currently suspended for further federal review; AEA expects guidance later in the summer. He also described a $15,700,000 Defense Community Infrastructure (Black Rapids) project delivered through the Department of Transportation that is not affected by the federal pause because it is DOT-managed.

Why it matters: the paused grants include awards Alaska planned to use to reduce diesel use, expand community solar and grid resilience, and install EV chargers. Lawmakers pressed AEA officials on what the pauses mean for match requirements, timelines and potential cost escalation if construction seasons are missed.

AEA is using state and bond funds to preserve project momentum. Thayer said the high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission project has a $206,000,000 federal grant and that the state provided a $12,700,000 appropriation last year for the federal match. AEA also made $50,000,000 in bond authority available as part of a bonding program begun in 02/2022. Thayer said, “we are moving forward on it,” adding that AEA’s board authorized about $700,000 of engineering and early procurement work to continue over the next 30–90 days using state funds to avoid losing a construction season.

Thayer said there are nuances to the HVDC grant status: the grant agreement with the Department of Energy is signed and some reimbursements have been paid. “They did pay those bills yesterday,” he told the committee, describing receipt of partial reimbursements even while broader disbursements are paused.

AEA also described proposals in the governor’s budget language that would let AEA retain interest on state appropriations and to allow federal tax credits earned by AEA projects to be applied against those projects rather than reverting to the state general fund. Thayer said retaining interest and tax-credit value would lower project costs and benefit ratepayers.

Committee members asked for clarifications on project geography, bonding structure and how long AEA would keep moving forward without full federal certainty. Representative Holland (co-chair, House Energy Committee) and other members pressed staff for specifics about how far a transmission line would extend and how AEA is structuring bond proceeds; Thayer described past decisions that produced about $166,000,000 in bonding capacity and an internal allocation plan that set aside $90,000,000 for a Sterling to Quartz Creek upgrade and $28,000,000 for battery energy systems.

Discussion versus formal action: the committee heard updates and asked questions; there were no committee votes recorded on Feb. 13. Several committee members urged AEA to provide written updates on reimbursements, the federal guidance schedule, and any increases in projected costs if projects are delayed.

Ending: Thayer said AEA will keep the committee updated and that federal guidance later in the year will be determinative for the paused awards. The committee’s next meeting was set for Feb. 18; no formal decisions on the paused grants were taken at the Feb. 13 hearing.","At a Feb. 13 House Energy Committee hearing, Alaska Energy Authority leaders said multiple federal grant programs remain on hold pending federal guidance, but state appropriations and bond proceeds are being used to preserve momentum on some projects, including initial engineering work for an HVDC transmission line.","actionData","errors"]

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House Energy Committee reviews Renewable Energy Fund Round 17; 18 projects recommended across Alaska

Alaska Energy Authority: several federal grants paused; state bonds and short-term spending keep key projects moving