Roadbelt Intertie Project Report Released

Purpose  

In November 2019, the Denali Commission launched a project to assess the technical feasibility and estimated cost for new electric transmission lines following the road system on the east side of Alaska.

The proposed intertie would complete an electric loop from Anchorage to Glennallen to Tok to Fairbanks and seek to achieve the following goals and stakeholder interests:

  • reduce power costs for rural communities.
  • support regional economic development opportunities.
  • increase Department of Defense facility resilience.
  • increase reliability throughout the road system.

NOTE: This project is not a routing study and does not propose a specific transmission line route.

The Roadbelt Intertie Project also supports the Commission’s mission of promoting rural development, with a focus on infrastructure needs.

Outreach & Engagement

The project team coordinated with technical stakeholders, such as utilities and potential customers, to determine appropriate future load scenarios and other key design assumptions.

Informational meetings were planned in five communities along the proposed transmission line study corridor, including Sutton, Chickaloon, Glacier View, Glennallen and Tok. Scheduling discussions were initiated by phone and email. Ultimately, in-person public awareness meetings were cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic-related safety measures and travel restrictions. In lieu of in-person meetings, a project flyer was developed and shared with community and Tribal contacts for circulation. If the project moves forward, route selection and a range of opportunities for public input, including public meetings or other forums, would occur during future design phase(s).

Final Report

The Final Roadbelt Intertie Report, completed in November 2020, is a high-level technical feasibility study conducted to develop a project cost estimate. Comprehensive environmental evaluations, public and technical stakeholder engagement, and detailed design analyses would occur during future studies as part of specific transmission line route selection and other final design feature optimizations.

Access the full report and specific sections:

Project Study Area

Project Timeline

*Funding opportunities, NEPA evaluation, related public meetings, and route selection will be determined by other parties in future phases and are not steps in this Roadbelt Intertie Project.

Contact

If you have questions about the project or seek more information, please contact the Denali Commission Project Staff: