Year in Review - Alaska Village Electric Cooperative

Year in Review
AVEC May be Small, But Look What We Accomplished In 2006!!
The start of a new year is a good time to reflect on
some of the many accomplishments Alaska Village
Electric Cooperative (AVEC) achieved last
year. AVEC is small in terms of the number of employees
we have, but we proudly meet the challenges involved in
providing electric service to an extremely large, remote
geographical area.
Meeting these challenges is not easy, especially with
limited resources, including a small staff to serve more than
7,000 customers and 52 communities spread throughout
western Alaska. AVEC’s successes are a direct result of
the cooperative efforts of our talented and dedicated staff
and board of directors, as well as the cooperation of our
members and residents. This cooperative spirit helped
bring countless improvements to AVEC and its members’
lifestyles over the past 38 years.
Many communities have seen major facility and system
upgrades built in recent years, including new power plants,
wind turbines, heat recovery systems, bulk fuel tank farms,
or overhead distribution lines. But other, smaller projects
have been completed as well, including installing new,
high-efficiency, diesel engine-generator sets and automated
control gear, as well as performing engine tune-ups and
overhauls. All of these improvements increase system
reliability and operating efficiency, which helps reduce
the overall cost of providing power.
While AVEC members see these finished projects in
their communities, they don’t see all of the hard work that
goes on behind the scenes. Each project requires advance
planning, financing, sitework, permitting, design and preparation
before most equipment or parts even get ordered,
and before the construction or other work begins.
Every project AVEC completes is the result of the efforts
and teamwork of many different individuals performing
their various duties.
As you read through this list of major and minor
projects AVEC completed last year, remember that this is
YOUR cooperative, and take pride in what we have done.
AVEC may be small in size, but we sure are “big” in our
cooperative spirit and acccomplishments!
Distribution Projects
AVEC installed services to 40 new housing authority
homes in Alakanuk, Elim, Kaltag, Noatak, Nightmute,
Nulato, Mekoryuk, Scammon Bay and Shaktoolik. Services
were also installed to new fishery facilities in Hooper
Bay, Nightmute, Kaltag, Goodnews Bay, Toksook Bay and
Savoonga. Installed 38 streetlights in Huslia, Scammon
Bay, Pilot Station, Marshall and Brevig Mission. Replaced
31 old transformers with new stainless-steel units in Gambell
and Shishmaref.
Hooper Bay Fire
The community of Hooper Bay suffered extensive
damages from a major fire in August. Numerous organizations
sent in workers to help cleanup the damage, hasten
the completion of the new school and build new housing
units. AVEC crews completed a lot of linework since then,
including: service to two teacher eight-plexes; service to
two teacher four-plexes; temporary service for Neeser
Construction tent camp; temporary service for Kelly Ryan
trailer; temporary service for Good Samaritan home construction;
service to 13 modular replacement homes; service
to teacher housing and fiveplex;
and service to house and
lift station for teacher five-plex.
Other ongoing work unrelated to
the fire is: service to fishery support
center; upgrade services to
water and sewer pump station #1;
and three-phase service to water
and sewer project.
Hooper Bay fi re scenes.
4 JANUARY 2007 ALASKA VILLAGE

Left: Local residents
working on the canopy
for Gambell’s new power
plant. Below: Placing
the power plant modules
on elevated deck
foundations. The new,
automated power plant
is now complete.
Wind Monitoring Stations
Completed: Nightmute and New Stuyahok.
Ongoing: Chevak, Gambell, New Stuyahok, Savoonga,
Togiak, and Toksook Bay.
New: Quinhagak and Mekoryuk.
New Engine Startups
Wales Detroit Diesel Series 60
Shishmaref Cummins QSX15
St. Mary’s Cummins QSX15
Mekoryuk Detroit Diesel Series 60
Shageluk Cummins LTA10.
New Automated
Switchgear
St. Mary’s.
Denali Commission/Tielines
AVEC crews modified distribution for the new power
plant in Gambell, including new 3-phase circuit to re-sectionalize
the village.
In Toksook Bay, crews completed the tieline between
Toksook Bay and Tununak and modified the distribution to
feed from the standby module in Tununak. Work continues
on the tieline between Toksook Bay and Nightmute.
The tieline between Kasigluk and Nunapitchuk was
completed and work continues to replace the distribution
in Old Kasigluk.
Wind turbines were
installed in Kasigluk.
Standby power
generation
plant in
Nunapitchuk.
Generation Projects
New Diesel/Wind Power Plants Completed
Nunapitchuk, standby plant; Kasigluk/Akula Heights, new
diesel plant and wind turbines; Gambell, new diesel power
plant; Toksook Bay, wind turbines recommissioned.
Aerial view of wind turbines, power plant and new bulk fuel
tank farms in Kasigluk/Akula Heights.
New Power Plants Under Construction
Savoonga, diesel power plant.
New Bulk Fuel Tank Farms Built or Under
Construction
Huslia, Gambell, Savoonga and Kasigluk/Akula
Heights.
ALASKA VILLAGE JANUARY 2007 5