Kodiak Electric Utility (KEA) operates a state-of-the-art hydroelectric-wind-diesel power system that is an outstanding success and a worldwide model of renewable energy production in an isolated grid. In 2009, KEA installed three 1.5 MW General Electric wind turbines on Pillar Mountain in Phase I of their project. This was followed in 2012 with installation of three 1.6 MW GE wind turbines as Phase II. In 2016, KEA data indicates that hydroelectric power provided 74.3% of Kodiak’s electric energy needs, following by wind power at 25.5% and diesel generation at an incredibly low 0.2% (http://www.kodiakelectric.com/generation.html).
V3 Energy, LLC is honored to have participated in the Kodiak wind power project, beginning in 2005 with installation of two meteorological test on Pillar Mountain, subsequent re-instrumentation of the test towers to measure vertical wind flow, extreme wind probability modeling, and working with General Electric prior to the Phase I construction to approve the sites for installation of their turbines.
Pillar Mountain has a superb Class 7 wind resource (on a scale of 1 to 7) and proved ideal for wind power development in nearly every respect. Wind resource assessment reports of the Pillar Mountain sites are attached below for download.