Power Plants

The Allison Creek Hydroelectric Facility was commissioned in 2016. The plant is located at the end of Dayville Road, next to the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company's Valdez Marine Terminal. Allison Creek is a run-of-the-river project which backs up a small amount of water in the creek with a diversion structure, located at elevation 1,310 feet above sea level. The water is routed from the diversion structure through a 36-inch diameter, 7,000 foot long penstock to the power house. Power is generated with a Pelton style turbine that was uprated in 2019, from 6.7 megawatts to 7.0 megawatts. Because this facility does not have a reservoir, it is dependent on water flowing in the creek to produce power, typically from mid-May through November.

Allison Creek and Solomon Gulch combined are estimated to produce nearly 70-percent of CVEA's energy requirements.

For detailed information on the Allison Creek Hydroelectric Project, visit the Allison creek website.

The Cogeneration Plant (Cogen) is located at the Petro Star Refinery on Dayville Road. The plant was constructed as a mutual effort between between CVEA and Petro Star, and was commissioned in 2000. The plant has a 5.2 megawatt Solar Taurus 60 turbine which is fueled by Light Straight Run (LSR), a naptha type product that is supplied by the refinery. LSR is a byproduct of the refinery distillation process. The unit is operated during the winter months, typically from December through April. During these months, it is the primary source of power to the CVEA system. The 850 degree Fahrenheit exhaust heat from the turbine is sent to the refinery's crude heater to increase the efficiency of thei refining process. The refinery pays CVEA for this heat. CVEA members receive the benefit of this heat revenue as a heat revenue credit on their electric bill. The credit is applied to each members' bill during the months the unit operates on a per kilowatt-hour basis.

The Glennallen Diesel Plant (GDP) was the first and is therefore the oldest CVEA power plant. The plant was constructed in the mid-1950's, expanded in the 1970's, and upgraded multiple times since. The total plant capacity of eight megawatts is generated with two Enterprise DSR46 diesel generators, one Caterpillar 3516B diesel generator, and one Electro Motive Diesel (EMD) 16-710 diesel generator.

CVEA's service areas are tied together with a 106-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line that is owned and operated by CVEA. The transmission line provides the link to all five generating plants. Power can flow from any of the generating plants to the end consumers. Historically, power flows from Valdez to the Copper Basin in the summer months, as nearly all of the power requirements are met with our two hydroelectric plants. The transmission line traverses severe terrain between the two districts and parts of it, in the Thompson Pass area, which is known for being one of the snowiest places in North America. In 2014 nearly four-miles of the transmission line through Thompson Pass was relocated to minimize the risk of avalanche danger and to mitigate the risk to CVEA's Linemen that would have to work on getting the line back together if it were struck by an avalanche, as it was on many occasions in the past.

On May 11, 1996, the substation connected to the VDP was dedicated to Don Raymond Smith, a 20-year CVEA Lineman who passed away. The substation was renamed to the Don Smith Substation, a sign, plaque, and Don's climbing hooks and hardhat were bronzed and mounted to the plaque in memory of Don.

On September 16, 2013, the hiking trail to the Solomon Gulch Dam was dedicated to John Hunter, a 38-year dedicated employee with CVEA who passed away. The hiking trail was renamed to the John Hunter Memorial Trail, with a plaque at the trailhead. John started with CVEA as an Operator at the Valdez Diesel Plant, then became the first Chief Plant Operator at Solomon Gulch, and retired as the Production Manger in May 2012.