Egegik has a superior wind resource (wind power Class 5 of 7) and at first glance excellent potential for wind power, but it is a small community with low electric load demand during autumn, winter and spring when the Coffee Point Seafoods fish processing plant is not operating. The community is experiencing a decline of its permanent population due to recent closure of the community school. But, during a relatively brief summer fish processing season, Egegik experiences a rapid and dramatic growth in population and energy usage.
Wind-diesel system modeling suggests that Egegik’s powerplant, installed new by Alaska Energy Authority in 2013, is equipped with oversized engines to accommodate wind power, but modeling also suggests that replacing one of the diesel generators with a smaller unit may make wind power potentially viable for the community.