Wind

The Fire Island Wind project started production in September 2012 and supplies approximately 3% of Chugach’s retail load under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Cook Inlet Region Incorporated and its subsidiary Fire Island Wind LLC, who owns and operates the facility. Chugach Electric purchases all the power generated by Fire Island Wind and delivers it to Chugach retail members.

Fire Island is located west of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Cook Inlet and is home to Anchorage’s first commercial-scale wind farm. Fire Island Wind is comprised of eleven, 1.6 megawatt (MW) General Electric XLE wind turbines, which provide up to 17.6 MW of generation capacity and produces approximately 49,000 megawatt hours (MWh) per year. For reference, the average Chugach residential member uses approximately 6.3 MWh per year, so the project’s annual energy production is equivalent to more than 7,500 households.