Alaska Railbelt Develops First-Ever Integrated Resource Plan for Future Power Reliability

The Alaska Railbelt Reliability Council (RRC) has contracted a firm to develop the Railbelt’s first-ever systemwide Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) — a comprehensive, long-term strategy for ensuring that the power system serving most Alaskans stays reliable, affordable and ready for the future.

The Railbelt — a 700‑mile corridor stretching from Fairbanks to Homer and home to roughly 75% of the state’s population — will have one coordinated roadmap for how it generates, moves and stores electricity. Instead of each utility planning on its own, the IRP will bring together the entire region to chart investments designed to deliver power in every season and every community.

The planning process will be a team effort led by Black & Veatch in close partnership with the Railbelt’s five utilities — Golden Valley Electric Association, Matanuska Electric Association, Chugach Electric Association, Homer Electric Association and Seward Electric System — as well as independent producers, businesses, consumer groups and energy experts. The goal is simple: build a plan that reflects the needs and priorities of Alaskans.

The RRC was created by the Alaska Legislature to improve reliability and reduce long‑term costs through shared planning and clear standards across the Railbelt system. By coordinating infrastructure decisions, the Railbelt can avoid unnecessary expenses, strengthen grid resilience and ensure that Alaskans receive the best value for every dollar invested.

Black & Veatch's team will use advanced modeling, real‑world data and community input to help develop a plan that balances reliability, resiliency, fuel supply, renewable integration, affordability and environmental goals.

Over the next two years, the IRP process will include public meetings, technical workshops and opportunities for Alaskans to ask questions and share feedback. To begin the process, the RRC plans to host an open webinar to provide the public with an overview of the IRP process and share information on how to get involved. An announcement on the RRC website with webinar registration details will be posted soon. The final plan is expected to be submitted to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska in early 2027.