On Monday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy will hear from all sides about whether the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project and associated dam should be reauthorized. His decision is due no later than Oct. 2.
The Anchorage Assembly last week passed a resolution demanding that Dunleavy delay the decision for two years. On Monday, he’ll hear legal points for why a delay of his decision might be legal or not legal, according to agreements made in the 1990s.
The Assembly wants the delay because it doesn’t want the reauthorization of the dam. The Assembly majority wants to wait until there’s a different governor in office — preferably one that will cave to the demands of the Assembly to take down the dam that holds nearly all of Anchorage’s drinking water and a significant portion of its electric capacity for homes and businesses. The Assembly has gone on record wanting full restoration of the Eklutna River, something that was never envisioned under the terms of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife agreement.
The project was sold in 1997 to the Municipality of Anchorage, Chugach Electric Association, and Matanuska Electric Association. As part of the sale of the project, the three utilities entered into a Fish & Wildlife Agreement in 1991. The agreement requires the project owners to develop and propose to the governor a program to protect, mitigate damages to, and enhance fish and wildlife impacted by the development of the hydroelectric project.