Joint Statement from Chugach Electric Association and Matanuska Electric Association on Gov. Dunleavy’s approval of the Final Fish and Wildlife Program

We appreciate Governor Mike Dunleavy’s approval of the Proposed Final Fish and Wildlife Program for the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project and his review of the proposed final program over the past several months. We will review his changes to better understand what they mean for the program and our co-op members.

Chugach Electric Association and Matanuska Electric Association, both member-owned cooperatives, have spent the past five years working with key stakeholders to develop a program grounded in scientific research, environmental studies, and community input. The proposed final program represents a significant milestone in balancing our communities’ needs for reliable, affordable, and clean year-round energy with the enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat in the Eklutna River.

While additional evaluation is underway, we remain focused on moving forward with the core elements of the program, which include the construction of the Eklutna River Release Facility, establishing year-round instream flows, and ongoing habitat improvements based on real-time monitoring. The approved provisions for protecting Anchorage’s municipal water supply remain a top priority, alongside our goal of enhancing fish habitat.

We are committed to working collaboratively with our partners over the coming decades to implement the Final Fish and Wildlife Program for the project.

For more information, please visit www.eklutnahydro.com.

To read the Governor’s full Decision report, click here.