CIRI completed construction of the new Dopplarized VOR navigational
aid at Ted Stevens International Airport in spring 2011. Construction of
this new VOR will allow the old VOR on Fire Island to be
de-commissioned to allow for the construction of Fire Island Wind's
turbines. The new VOR should be commissioned in February 2012.

Fire Island wind project history

Chugach Electric Association surveyed Southcentral Alaska during the late 1990s for potential commercial-scale wind sites to diversify its power generation resources. Chugach identified 22 potential sites and selected Fire Island as the best location based upon:

    • Prevailing wind conditions
    • Proximity to the existing Railbelt power grid
    • Setback from residential and commercial customers
    • Minimal environmental impacts
    • Lack of conflicting land-use issues
    • Land ownership

CIRI owns 3,200 acres on Fire Island. In 2000 Chugach approached CIRI about developing a wind farm on the island. CIRI agreed to the concept and during the early 2000s worked with Chugach and other Railbelt utilities including Municipal Light & Power, Golden Valley Electric Association and Homer Electric Association, to install wind-measurement equipment and start project development and permitting activities. Many years of reliable wind data and multiple wind resource and energy assessments confirm that Fire Island has a commercially viable wind resource.

In 2008 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a limited 24-turbine project because the originally proposed 36-turbine project created potential interference problems with the FAA's VOR (short for VHF Omni-directional Radio Range) aircraft navigational aid that is located on the island. Regulators granted the project's key environmental permits in spring 2009. CIRI started clearing tower sites and conducted an extensive geotechnical survey of the project site in fall 2009. Geotech, clearing, road construction and other site preparation continued in 2010. CIRI anticipates that the FAA will decommission its Fire Island VOR after the new VOR at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is tested and commissioned in 2012.

In 2008, the state Legislature appropriated a $25 million grant to the Alaska Energy Authority to pay for the construction of power transmission infrastructure to connect Fire Island to the Railbelt electric grid. The double circuit 34.5 kV transmission line is scheduled to be completed in 2012.