April 21, 2021 MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - Six students graduating from Western Illinois University at the end of the Spring 2021 semester have received the highest recognition from their colleges for their overall academic excellence by being named a College Scholar.
Faculty in each of the University s four academic colleges; Global Education and Outreach and the Centennial Honors College each select a graduating senior as the college s outstanding student. Students graduating as College Scholars have satisfied the criteria of excellence established by their individual academic college s faculty members. A Departmental Scholar is an outstanding degree candidate in an academic major as determined by the faculty in the major department. An Honors Scholar is a student in the Centennial Honors College who has completed a set of honors requirements and has achieved a grade point average of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.
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When the Swan Lake Fire tore through the Kenai back in 2019, it heavily damaged a 39-mile stretch of power line in the northern part of the peninsula known as the SSQ Line. The damage cut off the flow of electricity from the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric facility, near Homer. Which in turn impacted ratepayers with all six Railbelt utilities – including Golden Valley’s, whose board of directors OK’d a 20 percent rate increase a little over a year ago.
Smoke billows after firefighters set backfires in an area north of the Sterling Highway and power-transmission lines in September 2019 to burn vegetation and slow the growth of the Swan Lake Fire. The fire burned167,164 acres on the Kenai Peninsula.
Earlier this month, Alaska Energy Authority acquired a transmission line that delivers power generated by the Bradley Lake hydroelectric project to GVEA. It is the least expensive source of power available to GVEA.Â
The transmission line is referred to as the SSQ Line and was formerly owned by Homer Electric Association. It runs between the Sterling Substation and the Quartz Creek Substation on Kenai Lake, but was damaged in the Swan Lake Fire in 2019. It took four months to restore service, during which GVEA customers saw an increase in the cost of power.Â
Now that AEA owns the line, possible upgrades could benefit all Railbelt customers, including GVEA. John Burns, GVEA president and CEO, said the acquisition will allow GVEA to get more Bradley Lake power, âwhich is the cheapest source of power for GVEA.â
The Alaska Energy Authority s Role in Alaska Railbelt infrastructure | Community Perspectives newsminer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newsminer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Alaska Energy Authority is helping prepare the Railbelt for tomorrow Author: Curtis Thayer
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Print article Alaska’s economy has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. While a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels will take time, there is reason for hope. As we look to Alaska’s future and work to make it the best possible, we can look back and reflect on past accomplishments, which are the building blocks for tomorrow’s prosperity. The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) serves Alaskans as the state’s energy agency by reducing the cost of energy, providing energy policy guidance, and engaging with the state’s electric utilities and all those interested in energy issues. As the owner of significant Railbelt generation and transmission assets, AEA ensures that sound public policy and energy initiatives maximize benefits to the broadest group of stakeholders.