A project undergrounding about one mile of distribution and sub-transmission lines along the Old Seward Highway is underway this summer. The project, from O’Malley to Huffman, is part of the undergrounding requirements of Anchorage’s Title 21. Mobilization started in April, and the project is expected to be completed in the fall. Crews will come back in the spring of 2022 for landscaping.

This project will underground approximately one mile of primary overhead distribution line on the West side of Muldoon from Island Drive to Northern Lights Blvd.  It is an overhead to underground conversion and will be funded through collection of Title 21 undergrounding fees.

The design has been completed and permits have been received.  NPC was provided a notice to proceed and started construction in July.  Staking has been completed; trenching and conduit installation has started.  The project will be substantially completed by the end of the year and landscaping will be finished in 2021. 
 

Due to a collaboration between Chugach Electric and JL Properties, you can now charge an electric vehicle (EV) while shopping or dining at a development in South Anchorage. The equipment became active recently at the complex that houses South Restaurant, Mountain View Sports and other businesses near Old Seward Highway and O’Malley Road.

The installation was completed with financial assistance from Chugach as part of a research project to gather information about the use of publicly available chargers. JL Properties manages the development with the new charging equipment. Initially there will be no charge to use the charging station, though that may change in the future. 

This is the second such facility funded by the program, following Alyeska Resort’s installation of charging equipment last fall. Two additional businesses in the Anchorage Bowl are planning to complete their charging sites later this year. The installations are for Level 2 charging equipment with universal connectors. An hour of charging can add 25-30 miles of driving range to the batteries of electric vehicles. {210677}

On the app and website for PlugShare, one of the common ways electric vehicle drivers find places to recharge, the new site is listed as “South Anchorage Mall.” 

Chugach’s power plant, the Southcentral Power Project, underwent an important inspection in April. The three LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbines, generators, and boilers were inspected as part of a routine program of upkeep and maintenance.

Borescope inspections are done twice a year to assess the condition of blades, vanes, fuel nozzles and other parts without opening up the turbine completely. Chugach is considered a critical infrastructure business for purposes of the COVID-19 pandemic and was able to carry out the April inspection with special permission granted from the State of Alaska. Enhanced health and safety precautions were utilized to keep Chugach employees and the inspector separate and safe.