The Aspen Suites Hotel in Homer played host to the Alaska Energy Authority, which gave an overview on the Dixon Diversion Project. The project aims to be the largest hydropower project on the Kenai Peninsula since the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project. The proposed project would be located five miles southwest of Bradley Lake, which is approximately 27 miles northeast of Homer. The Alaska Energy Authority is pursuing a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license amendment associated with the existing 120-megawatt Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project in hopes to gain authorization to divert water from the Dixon Glacier to generate additional power.
AEA’s Executive Director, Curtis Thayer, tells KSRM:
“One of the things that the Alaska Energy Authority is looking at, we own Bradley Lake Hydroproject, being the largest hydroproject. What we’re looking at is how to maximize that existing resource. We were successful in doing a diversion project just two years ago called Battle Creek. We’ve identified a larger diversion project that would basically increase Bradley by up to almost 50% capacity. That’s what we’re doing is this exploratory phase right now doing public comments, doing our studies, talking to FERC who, we believe, will be regulating the project and moving forward to find out. This is something that’s going to take five to ten years to fully flesh out. We’ll hopefully know if we’ve moved forward within the next three to four years and then there’s the construction phase.”
AEA is investigating the feasibility of developing the outflow from Dixon Glacier for additional water supply for increased project generation purposes. They will seek FERC authorization for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the new diversion system at the toe of Dixon Glacier that would divert flows from the East Fork of the Martin River in hopes of increasing the generation of renewable hydropower at the Bradley Lake Project and/or develop a new Martin River powerhouse.
Bryan Carey, Director of Owned Assets at AEA, who gave the presentation, gave a tentative construction timeline if all goes according to plan:
“Just as a guess, I would say that we could proceed forward to put it out to bid and start construction in 2028. At this point, I will just say maybe four years of construction so finish up 2032, maybe 2033, somewhere about that time frame.”
Click here for more information on the project.