Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. - 2010 Energy Efficiency Project

NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.

Summary

Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC) seeks to improve the energy efficiency of their Ernie Turner Center, which operates a therapeutic community "Village of Care" for its native members seeking residential substance abuse treatment. The "Assessing the Feasibility of Renewable Energy Development and Energy Efficiency Deployment of Tribal Lands" grant would allow CITC to investigate and improve energy efficiency in this 13-year-old building. Specifically, CITC will strive to decrease the tribe's use of energy, improve the environment, improve the building to utilize less natural gas, and promote CITC's recycle and reuse program. The benefits of employing these methods will allow the CITC to meet its mission to work in partnership with its people to develop opportunities that fulfill their endless potential. CITC will decrease the community's dependence on wasteful energy usage to become more self-sufficient and environmentally friendly.

CITC is committed to exploring energy efficient improvements to the Ernie Turner Center. An inventory and condition survey/energy audit documenting current energy consumption, including heating and cooling loads of the Ernie Turner Center, was conducted in 2009. CITC will engage the services of an engineering firm to conduct preliminary engineering for the development of specification/drawings for energy efficiency improvements.

Project Description

Background

Cook Inlet Regions, Inc. (CIRI) was organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 and is responsible for enhancing the lives of Alaska Native people, both socially and economically. CIRI authorized the creation of the CITC in 1983 and designated CITC to contract with local, state, and federal agencies to administer programs and activities of the tribal governing body in order to enhance the socioeconomic well-being, education, health, and cultural heritage of CIRI Native shareholders and other Alaska Native and Native American people living in the Cook Inlet region.

CITC administers 35 culturally appropriate programs designed to assist individuals and families in achieving their endless potential. All programs are rooted in the understanding that true self-determination is based in self-sufficiency and the ability to take responsibility for one's own life, family, and community. These programs serve an average of 12,000 Alaska Natives annually from several federally recognized tribes and villages in the Cook Inlet region, including Chicakloon, Tyonek, Seldovia, Ninilchik, Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Eklutna, Knik and Salamatof, and from all regions of the state.

CITC has developed a long-term energy vision that includes being a leader in the community by finding new and innovative ways to reduce the tribe's energy dependence and educating tribal members so they may share in this vision. Besides finding ways to reduce energy consumption, CITC is also continually searching for ways to minimize the impacts to the environment by reducing global warming through energy efficiencies in existing and new buildings and an improved transportation system for tribal members. CITC is on track to meet its goal to use 85% recyclable materials in its operations by 2012.

The Ernie Turner Center is a two-story, wood-framed structure built in 1996. Approximately 14,200 square feet in size, the building includes 22 coed adult short-term beds and 12 detoxification beds for its patients. CITC would use the feasibility grant to study and determine the best methods to improve the heating efficiency of the building. Like all other buildings in the region, the Ernie Turner Center is subject to the harsh and long Alaska winters.

Project Objectives

CITC strives to further improve the energy efficiency of additional buildings to achieve its energy vision. Based upon the organization's mission to "work in partnership with Our People to develop opportunities that fulfill Our endless potential," CITC seeks to increase its potential by exploring strategies to enhance the energy efficiency of the Ernie Turner Center.

Scope

CITC will research opportunities to replace existing hot water generators and to improve ventilation and exhaust, heating, and lighting at Ernie Turner Center located in Anchorage, Alaska, and explore other energy sources.

Prior to this project, a number of activities were conducted simultaneously during the feasibility assessment. The feasibility assessment began with the compilation of the current energy consumption and the initial work on the energy audit. The results of the energy audit completed for the center resulted in conducting the preliminary engineering and compilation of a materials list for energy efficiency improvements for the Ernie Turner Center. This project will address development of specifications and drawings for the kitchen ventilation system and boiler/pump replacement.

Project Location

The Ernie Turner Center is owned by CITC and located at 4330 Elmore Road, Anchorage, Alaska.

Project Status

The project is complete. For details, see the final report.

The project was competitively selected under the Tribal Energy Program's fiscal year 2009 funding opportunity announcement, "Assessing the Feasibility of Renewable Energy Development and Energy Efficiency Deployment on Tribal Lands," and started in June 2010.

The October 2010 project status report provides more information.