The unalaska aging infrastructure replacement first, this project will expand and increase the resiliency of the city's current electrical distribution system to better serve existing customers by…

The City of Unalaska received a $5.7 million Project Grant from the Department of Energy's Grid Infrastructure Deployment and Resilience program (CFDA 81.254) on October 1, 2025, to modernize and expand its electrical distribution system. The project will increase system resiliency by connecting islanded self-generators to the main grid, enabling access to more efficient diesel generation and eventual renewable power integration. Additionally, the project will extend electrical service capacity along the Captains Bay Road corridor to accommodate a large seafood processing plant currently under construction, thereby supporting economic expansion in the region.

The City of Unalaska will further establish a unified microgrid incorporating a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and connecting geothermal and/or wind energy resources to the improved grid infrastructure. These enhancements are designed to transition the city toward nearly carbon-free power generation while significantly reducing service disruptions. The project is scheduled for completion by September 30, 2028, with implementation taking place in Unalaska, Alaska.

The unalaska aging infrastructure replacement first, this project will expand and increase the resiliency of the city's current electrical distribution system to better serve existing customers by connecting to islanded self-generators, allowing them access to more efficient diesel generation, and eventually cheaper renewable power. Secondly, IT will allow economic expansion down the captains BAY road corridor, by extending electrical service to a large seafood processing plant currently under construction which cannot be added to the distribution system without adding capacity. Finally, by forming a unified microgrid, incorporating a battery energy storage system (BESS), and connecting geothermal and/or wind energy to the improved grid, the city will have the robust tools needed to transition to nearly carbon-free power generation, and should be able to drastically reduce service disruptions.