Native Village of Kwigillingok – 2017 Project

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

Summary

The Native Village of Kwigillingok will establish baseline energy use in tribal community buildings to set energy efficiency improvement goals as well as provide a benchmark for evaluating future efforts to reduce and stabilize energy costs. The end product will be an Energy Action Plan that prioritizes the actions to be taken and establishes a timeline for implementation.

The Native Village of Kwigillingok is a federally recognized tribe located near the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, about a quarter mile from the Bering Sea and 388 miles west of Anchorage. The population is 377 and 95% Alaska Native. Kwigillingok is isolated and the community depends on traditional subsistence foods such as walrus, seal, salmon, and sea bird eggs. Diesel electric generators power the Village, so the cost of electricity is very high.

Kwigillingok is one of four villages of the Chaninik Wind Group, which has an innovative wind system that combines wind turbines, diesel generators, and storage systems with smart-grid controls. At this time, 16% of the Tribe’s power comes from wind.

The Native Village of Kwigillingok has compelling reasons to take these first steps toward developing energy efficiency in the Village. Although wind power is making an impact, there is also a need to bring their tribal buildings up to code. This project will establish baseline energy use of tribal buildings for setting energy efficiency improvement goals as well as providing a comparison point for evaluating future efforts. The end product will be an Energy Action Plan, which prioritizes the actions to be taken and establishes a timeline for implementation.

The goal is for Native Village of Kwigillingok to reduce and stabilize energy costs in tribal buildings by setting energy efficiency improvement goals. The Tribe has identified essential services buildings for this project to include the laundromat, water-plant facility, tribal police office, community building, and the Village clinic.  

The Tribe wants energy efficiency improvements that will be a good fit with their Village—systems that they can maintain and that the people will use. This project will produce an Energy Action Plan that will provide a path the Tribe can follow to develop and implement solutions to minimize energy use and maximize energy savings.

The objectives and activities of this project are:

1. Initiate building monitoring and onsite assessment
2. Develop a data plan
3. Establish an initial meeting between Native Village of Kwigillingok Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) Council and the project manager and energy auditor
4. Select a baseline year
5. Collect baseline energy data
6. Survey energy use and identify significant energy users
7. Develop an Energy Action Plan, Maintenance Plan, and training opportunities
8. Attend final meeting between Native Village of Kwigillingok IRA Council and the project manager and energy auditor to discuss audit results and next steps.

The project will establish baseline energy use in tribal community buildings for setting energy efficiency improvement goals as well as providing a comparison point for evaluating future efforts. The project will measure energy use and energy intensity at a determined level of detail and will establish a benchmark for future comparison.

The Native Village of Kwigillingok is located near the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, about a quarter mile from the Bering Sea and 388 miles west of Anchorage. Tundra and small lakes surround the Village on three sides. The weather is extreme and unpredictable and it is always windy. Storms form over the Bering Sea with hurricane force wind, blizzards, heavy snow, and storm surges that cause flooding, often during periods of extreme cold when temperatures reach -30°F.

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

The project was competitively selected under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Fiscal Year 2016 funding opportunity announcement “First Steps Toward Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands – 2016” (DE-FOA-0001621), and started in September 2017.

The November 2017 and December 2018 project status report provides more information.