www.AlaskaAlliance.com 37 A great Safety Award or Retirement Gift! AVAILABLE IN BOTH HARDBOUND AND SOFT COVER EDITIONS (907) 223-4704 | judypatrickphotography.com Also available in bulk quantities! A COFFEE TABLE PHOTO BOOK OF ALASKA’S NORTH SLOPE OIL PATCH ON SALE NOW! This is planned by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the state division of Geologic and Geophysical Surveys. The university hopes the freeze will be lifted in time to mobilize summer field work. Most of these projects were “paused” in a 90-day hold to ensure projects conform with the president’s political agenda. While much of this money will likely be released, the timing is uncertain. That is causing problems in planning mobilization for summer crews. An important project so far where federal funds are frozen is the subsea HVDC power line from the Kenai Peninsula to Cook Inlet’s west side that would create a backup transmission loop for moving low-cost Bradley Lake power to the Mat-Su and Anchorage areas and around the existing Kenai Peninsula transmission line, which has constrained capacity. The federal grant is $206.5 million. The Alaska Energy Authority says it can keep the project moving in planning and engineering using state funds appropriated for the federal match, but long lead-time equipment will soon have to be ordered, which involves more costs. However, the new president also has targeted federal funds for renewable energy, and in Alaska this affects federally-funded projects including $52.5 million for electric vehicle charging stations planned along the Parks Highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The program has been suspended by the president. Another program on hold is “Solar for All,” a $62.5 million program that would build Alaska community solar projects and rooftop solar in low-income communities and neighborhoods. There also is concern that federal permits for wind projects, even on state lands, may be on hold. Some federal money frozen by the president has started to flow in certain programs. Smaller infrastructure projects, or many of them, are seeming to find favor with the new administration, and funds in certain U.S. Environmental Protection Administration projects have even been restored. Julie Kitka, Federal Co-Chair of the Denali Commission, a federal-state body that coordinates mainly federal money to rural projects, said funds for several Denali Commission projects put on hold have now seen funds released. The Denali Commission funds mostly small projects such as water, sanitation and solid waste, health facilities and village infrastructure protection. There was $50.6 million in active and pending Denali Commission projects active and pending as of late February, according to information provided to the House Judiciary Committee in Juneau. — Tim Bradner
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