(For prior week's news, please visit the ACEP This Week Archive)

Nome, Alaska, could soon be known as the first community in the American Arctic to get its power from geothermal energy, thanks to a partnership among the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the City of Nome, and local native corporations and nonprofits.

After several years of research, a project team today will begin drilling a large-diameter in an effort to verify the size and extent of the geothermal resource at Pilgrim Hot Springs, which is 60 road miles from Nome. Once completed, a successful flow test would confirm the hot springs contain sufficient quantity of hot water to support construction of an on-site power production facility and transmission lines to Nome.

Research in 2011 and 2012 by the UAF Alaska Center for Energy and Power the UAF Geophysical Institute indicated that the hot springs was likely to have adequate water temperatures to generate power. That early work built on the success of Alaska’s first geothermal power plant installed at Chena Hot Springs in 2006.  Projections show that Pilgrim Hot Springs has the potential to generate at least two megawatts of electricity, which is sufficient to satisfy a sizable portion of Nome’s needs.

The exploration project at Pilgrim Hot Springs is a result of a public-private collaboration.  Beginning in 2010, with funding from the Alaska Energy Authority and the federal Department of Energy, ACEP partnered with Unataaq, LLC, a consortium of seven regional Native corporations and nonprofit organizations, to test an exploration technique developed by the UAF Geophysical Institute. The project gained momentum when ACEP’s initial findings attracted the interest of a private developer, Potelco, Inc. Today, ACEP is working with Unaatuq, the City of Nome, Nome Joint Utility Services, and Potelco, Inc., with the goal of delivering geothermal energy to Nome by the end of 2014. In addition to exporting power from the site, the geothermal resource offers substantial opportunities for on-site development, such as bathing and tourism, greenhouses and fish hatcheries. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places and has long held special significance for residents of Nome and the greater Seward Peninsula, both as a recreational destination and because of the historical, subsistence and cultural significance of the site.

“The Pilgrim Hot Springs project represents the benefits that can follow when university researchers partner with communities and developers,” said Gwen Holdmann, ACEP director. “Our goal is to make a real difference in meeting the energy needs of Alaskans.”

Over the past month, local partners and others have not only brought their expertise and enthusiasm to the project, but have also made investments of their own. The City of Nome, Nome Chamber of Commerce, Bering Straits Native Corporation, Mary’s Igloo Native Corporation, White Mountain Native Corporation, Sitnasuak Native Corporation, Potelco, and others have contributed a total of $600,000 in philanthropic and in-kind contributions to support the work.

That support, along with additional funding from the US Department of Energy, is enabling progress toward the project’s milestone this week.

During the busy 2013 field season, ACEP Director, Gwen Holdmann, will be assembling daily status reports from the field.  These compiled reports and a summarized schedule of activities can be found on the Pilgrim Hot Springs Project Pages.

To receive the daily updates contacts Max Frey (mefrey@alaska.edu).

ACEP’s 2013 student interns are headed back to school after a summer spent working on applied research projects.  Hear what they had to say about their experience:

This week’s highlighted vodcast:

Haley McIntyre
M.A. Natural Resource Management

Project at ACEP:

• Graduate Certificate Environmental Regulations and Permitting
• Global Applications Program

The Alaska Center for Energy & Power is an applied research program under the Institute of Northern Engineering located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.   For more information contact Julie Estey, Business Director, Julie.estey@alaska.edu.

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