Nuvista Launches E-news!

Happy Holidays and welcome to the first Nuvista E-Newsletter.  We aim to keep interested people up to date on Nuvista’s efforts to improve the energy economics in rural Alaska.  You may have already received Nuvista’s newsletter in the mail. The e-news does not replace the quarterly newsletters we mail, it simply allows us to communicate more efficiently. We plan to send an e-news update once a month.  Please use the tools in the column on the left to forward this to a friend or update your contact information.  You can also unsubscribe if you are not interested in receiving this e-newsletter. Thank you for your interest in Nuvista.  We are eager to work with you to help rural Alaska attain affordable, low impact, long-term energy sustainability and self-sufficiency. We are currently exploring the potential of the Chikuminuk Lake Hydroelectric Project to see if it can meet that goal. Our contact information is also included  - please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or concerns.

Thank You to Bristol Bay Communities

October 9-11, 2012 Nuvista engaged in our first village outreach trip into the Bristol Bay region. Thank you to the communities of Aleknagik and New Stuyahok and to the many individuals we met with in Dillingham for sharing your concerns and offering feedback on the potential Chikuminuk Lake Hydroelectric Project.  Elaine Brown, Executive Director of Nuvista, presented at the Aleknagik City Council Meeting on October 9th as well as the New Stuyahok Traditional Council Meeting on October 11th.  The project team hopes that the meetings are the first of many. These meetings are intended to create ongoing dialogue with communities and other organizations and individuals interested in the Chikuminuk Lake Hydroelectric Project.  We want to hear your views and work together to determine if this project is a good fit for the region. You can view or download a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation that was shared during the October outreach trip at Nuvista’s website.  If you’d like copies of the meeting summaries from the trip, please contact Tanya@agnewbeck.com.

Nuvista hopes to visit additional communities in both the Bristol Bay and Yukon-Kuskokwim regions in January. Check our website for the latest outreach trip schedule.

October 22nd Meeting with State and Federal Agencies about the Chikuminuk Lake Hydroelectric Project

On October 22nd the Chikuminuk Lake Hydroelectric Project team hosted a meeting with State and Federal agencies to provide an update on project progress with the particular goal of obtaining feedback on proposed 2013 baseline resource studies. After a brief introductory presentation, meeting participants broke into smaller groups to focus discussion around particular resource areas, specifically: Water Use/Quality, Geology & Mapping, Terrestrial Resources, Aquatic Resources, Cultural Resources & Subsistence, Socioeconomic, Recreation & Aesthetic Resources. This format allowed for focused, in depth discussion. If you are interested in learning more about the discussion between the project team and agency staff you can find meeting notes on Nuvista’s website soon.

Energy Star: Kokhanok Wind-Diesel Hybrid System

The Kokhanok High Penetration Wind-Diesel System brings innovative technology to a rural village to solve energy issues.  Kokhanok has unusually strong and consistent winds, and the community is hoping to take advantage of this resource to develop a system that will permit the village to – “turn off the diesel generator” – to be able to rely 100% on wind power for electricity.

Nathan Hill, Kokhanok’s energetic tribal administrator is leading this project, working with Marsh Creek, a native-owned energy and engineering company.  The process of developing a high penetration system (that is a system that provides the majority of the community’s electrical energy) is complex, and the community has been working on this project for the last several years.  The project currently is integrating wind into the existing diesel power plant. Two wind turbines increase the annual power generation and help keep electric rates stable.  Without the wind turbines in place the diesel plant was generating approximately 11kWh/gallon; with the supplement of wind power the plant effectively generates approximately 13kWh/gallon of diesel fuel.  Nathan points out that this process takes time; at this point it is projected that 2-3 additional years will be needed to fine tune the system to work with the unique conditions in the village.  At that point Kokhanok is expecting to be the first village in Alaska to rely primarily on wind for its electrical energy needs!

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

Did you know that Nuvista maintains a frequently asked questions link on their website. Is there a question that you would like to have answered?  Send an e-mail to Chuck Casper, ccasper@nuvistacoop.org, with your question. 

Recently the project team was asked: Will there be permanent roads associated with access to the Chikuminuk Lake Hydroelectric Project? Answer: No permanent access road to the dam site would be constructed. There may be a short gravel road at the project site to allow travel between the dam site and other infrastructure needed to operate the dam.