The outcome of this project will include engineering design for an updated combined heat and power system at the TOK school

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service awarded $836,723 to the Alaska Energy Authority on September 16, 2025, under the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program (CFDA 10.708) to fund engineering design for an updated combined heat and power (CHP) system at the Tok School in Alaska. The project will deliver comprehensive design services for a modernized woodchip-fired CHP system integrated with a 125-kilowatt steam turbine, existing woodchip heating infrastructure, solar photovoltaic array, battery energy storage system, and multi-port converter. NLine Energy has been identified as the design-build partner responsible for executing the engineering and construction work in compliance with Buy America Build America requirements.

Under a sub-award issued December 16, 2025, the Alaska Gateway School District will serve as the sub-grantee and ultimate owner and operator of the redesigned CHP system. Following construction completion by December 31, 2028, the district will assume operational responsibility, with NLine Energy providing ongoing maintenance through a service agreement. The project involves coordination among multiple stakeholders including the Alaska Energy Authority, General Electric Vernova, the Denali Commission, and the U.S. Forest Service, representing a comprehensive approach to modernizing rural Alaska's energy infrastructure through wood biomass utilization and renewable energy integration.