WIND ENERGY

Fire Island Wind LLC (FIW), a wholly owned CIRI subsidiary, is developing Alaska's first commercial-scale wind power generation project on CIRI land on Fire Island, in Cook Inlet just west of Anchorage.

Southcentral Alaska uses natural gas to generate more than 90 percent of its electricity. However, Cook Inlet gas reserves are running out. Clean, renewable wind energy could diversify Railbelt power resources, which would increase reliability and decrease ratepayers' vulnerability to gas shortages and price increases.

The first phase of the project is expected to include 11 1.6-megawatt turbines capable of producing 17.6 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 6,000 homes.

CIRI and Chugach Electric Association (CEA)have agreed to Fire Island wind power purchase terms that have allowed CIRI to proceed with construction of a first, 11-turbine phase of the Fire Island wind project. The 11-turbine phase will have a 17.6 megawatt (MW) nameplate generation capacity and is expected to supply 48,500 MW-hours of power to CEA annually, enough power for approximately 6,000 Southcentral Alaska homes. The project will offset approximately 0.5 BCF of CEA natural gas consumption for power generation, supplying about 4 percent of CEA's load.

Construction of the transmission line from Fire Island to the Railbelt electric grid is underway. FIW aims to complete construction of the turbines and the underwater transmission line by fall 2012. Project commissioning and commercial power production are anticipated in late 2012.

View the Fire Island wind project fact sheet or go online to www.fireislandwind.com for more information.