Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE: AMRC) has announced a $240 million partnership with Juneau Hydropower, Inc. to develop the Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric Facility, a 19.8-megawatt renewable energy project aimed at increasing energy resiliency in Southeast Alaska.

The facility, located 33 miles south of downtown Juneau, is designed to generate an estimated 116,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, representing a 20% increase in baseload clean hydropower over the city's current production. It will supply reliable, renewable electricity to local communities and industries, reducing dependency on diesel fuel and enhancing grid stability.

The project includes a battery energy storage system (BESS), over 40 miles of high-voltage transmission infrastructure, and an eight-mile undersea cable crossing Gilbert Bay. It will connect to the existing Snettisham Transmission line, adding security to an area vulnerable to weather-related disruptions.

Duff Mitchell, Managing Director at Juneau Hydropower, emphasized the project's long-term viability, noting, "We've used over 40 years of hydrological data to design hydropower operational parameters so that we can reliably produce energy in even the driest of years."

A key customer will be Coeur Alaska, Inc.'s Kensington Mine, which plans to shift from diesel to renewable energy as part of the initiative.

Nicole Bulgarino, President of Federal Solutions at Ameresco, called the project "a major milestone" for the region, aligning with the state's strategy to unlock Alaska's energy potential.

The hydro project is expected to offset 82,012 metric tons of COâ‚‚ emissions annually and includes a long-term operations and maintenance agreement to ensure sustainability.

Source: businesswire.com