WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today congratulated the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) and the Kodiak Electric Association (KEA) on being recognized with a State Leadership in Clean Energy (SLICE) Award by the Clean Energy State’s Alliance (CESA). The SLICE Awards, announced this week, single out state programs and projects nationwide that accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies and strengthen clean energy markets.

“I’m proud that the Clean Energy State’s Alliance determined that these Alaska projects were worthy of one of only eight clean energy awards given out this year,” Murkowski said. “Even better, both the Alaska Energy Authority and the Kodiak Electric Association are putting into practice five principles that I believe are in our national interest, and those are to make energy abundant, affordable, clean, diverse, and secure. Alaskan communities are benefiting from their important efforts and I’m glad the Alliance saw fit to recognize their innovative work.”

AEA, through Alaska’s Renewable Energy Fund, which it manages, has funded 277 renewable energy grants worth $250 million over the last seven years. Included among those receiving funding is KEA, which was provided $16 million in total for its renewable energy projects.

Prior to receiving funding from the Renewable Energy Fund in 2008, KEA, which serves about 6,300 Kodiak Island residents, generated around 60 percent of its electricity from hydro power and 40 percent from diesel. Since then, KEA has been able to implement and enhance both wind power and hydro power generation projects, resulting in the community getting 99.7 percent of its power from renewable energy through the first nine months of this year. The community’s diesel fuel purchases are now nearly zero, and the over $4 million per year in savings directly benefits local residents and businesses. 

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