The Alaska Energy Authority has submitted to federal regulators a study plan for a proposed large-scale dam between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
The plan includes 58 separate studies that an AEA public outreach liaison says are intended to help AEA better understand the ecosystem and potential impacts from the proposed Susitna-Watana dam. Emily Ford says AEA will hold meetings with other agencies and stakeholders to discuss the study plan. She says the authority will have an opportunity to file a revised plan, taking into account comments from the meetings, in November. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will then weigh in on the plan.
Ford says information from the studies will be used in making a license application.
Separately, AEA is soliciting proposals for an independent cost estimate for construction.
