"Alaska Energy Authority"

The Alaska Energy Authority’s director says the windfall of federal funds could help expand the corridor beyond that group of nine to Delta Junction, Glenallen and Tok.

The Alaska Energy Authority and five Railbelt utilities announced yesterday that they’re embarking on $200 million worth of upgrades to existing transmission lines.

In pure numbers, Sitka a national leader for EV ownership. But there isn’t a single public charging station. 

Tok Transportation co-owner Gerald Blackard says the bus ran its routes every day that classes were in session last year.

Businesses have to pay for their own electricity, and fast chargers consume large amounts of energy. 

Bradley Lake is the largest hydroelectric facility in Alaska and sends power to utilities across the railbelt. The Alaska Energy Authority says diverting water from the Dixon Glacier could bolster the project’s capacity by 50%.

Efforts are underway to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations along the Railbelt that developers hope could connect the Kenai Peninsula to Fairbanks.

Faster chargers consume large amounts of electricity for short bursts of time, which means a business hosting a charging station may have to pay a high demand charge. 

The state plans to install level-three chargers, which can charge some cars in under an hour.

Gov. Dunleavy said improvements in technology and decreasing costs of renewable power “open up some new and tremendous possibilities for Alaska.”