Fire Island Wind Project—Summary

and Lessons for Rural Alaska

April 30, 2013

Fire Island Wind Project Video http://youtu.be/SLqZq3FVMLY

Fire Island Wind Project

As of April 28, 2013:

•FIWP produced 37,776

megawatt-hours of electricity

•Caused no electrical system

operational issues*

•Saved CEA approximately 196

million cubic feet of now scarce

Cook Inlet natural gas in 2012*

*(data provided by CEA in Jan. 16, 2013 RCA filing)

Fire Island Wind Project An important piece of the Southcentral energy puzzle

Project statistics for January

2013:

•Produced 6,812 megawatt-

hours of electricity

•Average wind speed of 8.5 m/s

(19.0 mph)

•Predominant north wind

Fire Island Wind Project Private investment supporting Railbelt energy production

• Chugach Electric

Association Power

Purchase Agreement

• 25-year PPA

• Flat net price of

$97/MW-hour

throughout contract

• $65 million of private

investment in local

energy

Project Facts • 11 GE XLE 1.6 MW wind turbines with total project

nameplate capacity of 17.6 MW

• Expected to generate 51,000 MW hours annually

• Save 500 million cubic feet of Cook Inlet natural gas

annually (4 percent of CEA’s annual gas consumption)

• Power for 4,000 Alaska homes

Why Fire Island? Chugach Electric Association led a

group of utilities to survey Southcentral

Alaska for potential commercial wind

project sites in the 1990s.

Fire Island identified as best site

based upon:

• Wind resource

• Proximity to grid and load

• Minimal environmental impacts

• Lack of conflicting land uses

• Available land for construction

History • 1980’s – CIRI obtains Fire Island property

• 2000 – utility study identifies wind resource

at Fire Island, installs first met-towers and

conceives a 36-turbine project idea

• 2005 – CIRI becomes project developer

• 2008 – Radar software upgraded

• 2009 – Key permits issued, FAA VOR

mitigation plan negotiated

• 2010 – site clearing and preliminary

construction

• 2011— CIRI receives FAA permits, RCA

contract approval, closes project financing

Fire Island Wind Project layout

• 11 commercially operating turbines

• 22 turbine sites available for development

Project Timeline • Fall 2011

• Financing closed.

• Shoreside transmission work begins

• April 2012

• Mobilize to the island

• Start on-island construction

• July 2012

• Wind turbine installation

• September 2012

• First power generated

• Project commissioning

2011 • FAA determination of no hazard issued

• Commercial contracts and Power Purchase Agreement

• RCA approval of PPA

• Project financing closed

• On-shore transmission line construction

2012 • On-island civil and electrical construction

• Finished transmission interconnection

• Erected wind turbines on Fire Island

• Project commissioning completed and commercial operation began Sept. 2012

Transmission • Two 34.5 KV submarine transmission cables from north

point of Fire Island, 3.1 miles across Turnagain Arm to transition cabinet near Point Campbell

• 8.6 miles terrestrial transmission line

• Buried line along existing utility corridor, overhead transmission line north of Connor’s Bog

• Termination at International Substation

• System to be owned and operated by Chugach Electric

Wind Turbine Information

GE 1.6 MW XLE wind turbine:

Blade Length = 131 feet (40 meters)

Hub height = 262 feet (80 meters)

Turbine rotational speed = between 9.8

and 18.7 RPM

Turbine foundation =

steel reinforced concrete

GE Energy

1.6MW wind turbines

Relative heights

Conoco-Phillips Building 296 ft.

Atwood Building 265 ft.

Fire Island Wind Turbine hub 262 ft.

A Fire Island Wind turbine superimposed on the downtown Anchorage skyline

Lessons applicable to rural Alaska

• Logistics are key risk and cost driver

• Private investment in community energy infrastructure

• Value of expert energy project developer

• Tenacity & Vision

Contact: 907.274.8638 info@ciri.com facebook.com/fireislandwind www.fireislandwind.com