For weeks, Akiak has managed to get by without the use of its municipal power plant; the school and water treatment plant are running on backup generators. But for those relying on personal generators to keep the lights on and power freezers full of subsistence foods, the costs are high.
"We're paying like, maybe $65 or more per day for gas so we don't lose our food, you know, food that we just stored for the winter," said Akiak Mayor Olinka Jones.
Jones shared details about the situation on the ground as part of an emergency phone-in meeting held on Oct. 6.
Representatives from the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) also joined the call. The state-run corporation has been providing assistance to Akiak during the power crisis. AEA said that a new generator engine is set to be shipped from Wasilla and could be powered up as early as next weekend.
But getting Akiak’s main generator back up and running is only one part of the solution.
AEA rural programs manager Chris McConnell explained that two additional generator engines housed at the power plant are also in need of repairs. At least one of them will be needed during the colder months.
"In order to carry the load of the community's demand through the winter, you're going to need another engine to be operational," McConnell said.
McConnell said that parts and labor for replacing a single diesel generator engine like those in Akiak can run around $120,000. He said that coming up with a strategy to avoid a similar situation in the future is critical.
"Our concern as Alaska Energy Authority and concern for all of the community’s wellbeing and health is that: you have a new engine that you're going to be getting this weekend, is there a plan to ensure that it's being properly maintained? And what is the plan to get a second engine back online and properly maintained?" McConnell said.
Power issues are not new for Akiak. In 2024, the community lost power twice due to mechanical issues: a five-day outage in the spring followed by a summer outage that lasted nearly two months.
For now, the community is finding ways to get by. Donlin Gold and the Association of Village Council Presidents are both providing financial relief for fuel costs. The regional and local Alaska Native corporations and State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) are also providing support. But as pointed out in the call, overall fuel levels in the community need to be monitored closely as dozens of smaller, less efficient generators burn through it.
Additional obstacles remain. One community member reported that propane, which can be used to power cooking stoves, was out of stock at the local village corporation store as of Oct. 6. The caller also said as many as 20 households in the community of roughly 450 people were still without generators.
With winter just around the corner, time is ticking for both a short-term solution and a longer term strategy for addressing Akiak’s power woes.
On Oct. 8, the community plans to meet again to begin hammering out the details of a plan.
