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Home My WebLink About6.4 Sen Giessel Letter in support of HEA Grant Lake Hydro REF Grant 2014 ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE North to the Future Senator Cathy Giessel Senate District N Chair Senate Resources Committee I Vice Chair State Affairs I Vice Chair Community & Regional Affairs Senator.Cathy.Giessel@akleg.gov State Capitol Juneau AK 99801-1182 907-465-4843 Fax: 907-465-3871 800-892-4843 716 W 4th Avenue Anchorage AK 99501-2133 907-269-0181 Fax: 907-269-0184 September 22, 2014 Shawn Calfa Grants Administrator, Alaska Energy Authority 813 West Northern Lights Blvd. Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Dear Mr. Calfa: I would like to support Homer Electric Association’s request for funding for the Grant Lake Hydroelectric Project through the State’s Renewable Energy Grant Program. I represent the constituents of Moose Pass, in Senate District N, where the project would be located. I also am Chair of the Senate Resources Committee and have had the privilege of learning about all of Alaska’s valuable resources, including many small renewable energy projects such as the Grant Lake Hydroelectric Project. While I am focused on maintaining a healthy conventional oil-producing climate in Alaska to support our many state services, I know that the development of small renewable energy sources like the Grant Lake Hydro Project is critical for small communities and helps the state meet its goal of producing 50% of its electrical energy by 2025. This small scale dam would supply 19,500 MWh per year of low impact, low-cost hydroelectric energy and conserve Cook Inlet gas supplies and assist in securing long-term price stability. Homer Electric Association, through its subsidiary Kenai Hydro, has completed a comprehensive series of field studies that are part of the requirements to obtain a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for this project. These studies have been presented to stakeholders and state and federal agencies. The results of these studies are currently being incorporated into a FERC license application. I appreciate the efforts of Homer Electric Association to bring another small renewable energy project to the Kenai Peninsula. I have always found HEA to be thorough and deliberative when developing any new project and for that reason I support the Grant Lake Hydroelectric Project and urge its favorable consideration in the Round VIII segment of the Alaska Energy Authority’s Renewable Energy Grant Program. Sincerely, Senator Cathy Giessel Senate District N