Murkowski Applauds Rural Energy Storage Project

June 11, 2019

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, released the following statement celebrating Cordova’s new battery energy storage system, and the hard work that made the system possible.

“Energy storage systems like this are key to our clean energy future. I was pleased to be in Cordova, joined by innovators from both Alaska and the Department of Energy, for this ribbon-cutting ceremony,” Murkowski said. “It’s great to see this project become a reality, and I commend Cordova’s dedication to meeting its energy needs with clean, affordable, and reliable hydropower. The new energy storage system will maximize Cordova’s renewable resources and reduce the community’s reliance on diesel fuel.”

Cordova’s energy storage system integrates a 1-megawatt hour Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery into the community’s microgrid to enhance existing hydropower resources and stabilize power supply. The battery can also act as emergency backup power in the event of a natural disaster or another supply interruption. 

Murkowski is chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. She has championed making this project a reality. In June of 2017 Murkowski convened a field hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in Cordova, Alaska, to examine the innovation of microgrids and hybrid energy systems being used in rural Alaska.