The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), in partnership with the Railbelt utilities, is pursuing a license amendment through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the Bradley Lake Expansion Project. This project consists of a diversion dam at the toe of the Dixon Glacier, a 4.7-mile tunnel to convey diverted water into Bradley Lake, and modifications to the existing Bradley Lake dam and spillway to raise the pool elevation by ~14’ and store more water. The Bradley Lake Expansion Project would be the largest hydropower development project in Alaska in over 30 years, is expected to produce 180,000MWh/year, and will offset 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually. The proposed project is located five miles southwest of Bradley Lake, and approximately 27 miles northeast of Homer on the Kenai Peninsula.
Estimated three years of study and permitting followed by three years of construction.
The estimated construction cost of the project is approximately $350 million. The construction funding source is yet to be determined.