NANA
The Alaska Technical Center lets students
learn a trade while earning college credit
Content provided by the
Alaska Technical Center
Many students spend time thinking about
whether they should choose vocational
training or college. This does not have to be
an either/or choice. Students attending the
Alaska Technical Center (ATC) in Kotzebue,
Alaska, can gain industry-recognized job
certifications and earn college credits. The
new Process Technology Career pathway
allows students to earn an associate's
degree by attending a University of Alaska,
Fairbanks (UAF)-approved program at ATC. (GED) certificate in the NANA region the
opportunity to do so through Adult Basic
Education and GED preparation courses.
ATC’s 2016 spring semester ended on May
11. During the school year, 687 trainees
in programs including construction
trades technology, certified nurse’s
assistant, culinary arts, and process
technology, successfully completed
the requirements for graduation with
industry recognized certifications
and some earning college credit. If you have any questions about ATC,
call (907) 442-1500 or contact Recruiter
Scott Martin directly at (907) 442-1502.
Classes for the 2016 Fall semester
begin on Monday, September 7. ■
ATC recently completed a $14 million
renovation and addition to their
facilities with new shops, classrooms,
and the latest teaching and industrial
technology. The curriculum has
grown and they have increased their
faculty. They also have a dorm facility.
(right) ATC student
Maggie Melton, uses
carpentry skills as
part of the construction
trades technology
program.
(below) In 2016, 687
students graduated
from programs at ATC
including certified
nurse's assistant,
culinary arts, and
process technology.
Today’s economy demands a better educated
workforce and employment in this new
economy requires more knowledge and
skills than in the past. Research from the
Center for Education and the Workforce
at Georgetown University predicts that
nearly two-thirds of jobs created in the
United States will require some form of
postsecondary education by 2018 (Carnevale,
Smith, & Strohl, 2010). ATC offers those
who have not yet received a high school
diploma or General Education Development
The northernmost wind farm in the United States
By Brad Reeve of KEA
Kotzebue Electric Association (KEA) is a
non-profit, member-owned cooperative
that supplies power to approximately 3,200
residents in the community of Kotzebue,
located 32 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
KEA first generated power in 1954, when
it acquired its first two diesel engines.
Diesel fuel remains the primary source of
energy for electricity and home heating for
over 200 rural Alaska communities. The
cooperative remains focused on solutions
that accelerate the integration of technology
that increases the use of renewable energy
and reduces diesel consumption, not only
for Kotzebue, but the rest of the region.
Renewable energy innovation is a key
component of the energy picture in
Northwest Alaska. In operation since 1997,
the KEA Wind Farm, the northernmost
wind farm in the United States, and the
first utility scale wind farm above the
Arctic Circle, is an excellent example of
success. This innovation was recognized
by the Alaska Section of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
in 2006 when it named KEA the “Small
Company of the Year.” KEA was then
nominated and received the 2007 IEEE
“Region 6 Outstanding Corporate Service
to the Engineering Community Award”.
Wind generation began for KEA when the
utility commissioned three 66-kW turbines
in 1997. Another seven turbines were
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HUNTER 2016 MAY / JUNE
installed in 1999. By 2011, the Kotzebue
wind farm had grown to 17 wind turbines
and represented the first megawatt of
wind power in Alaska. In 2011, Kotzebue
Electric began installing two 900-kW
wind turbines. These two new generation
wind turbines sit on 250-foot towers and
have dramatically increased the amount of
wind energy available to the community.
KEA wind farm
Today, the total installed capacity of the
wind farm has reached 3-MW, and it
displaces approximately 250,000 gallons of
diesel every year. The wind turbines supply
20 percent of all of the power generated
for the community, with the remainder of
the community’s power being generated
by an 11 MW diesel powerplant.
The wind farm consists of one-65 kW
Vestas V15 turbine, one 100 kW Northwind
100 turbine, fifteen 66 kW AOC 15/50
turbines, and two 900 kW EWT turbines.
KEA developed the first use of “Freeze
Back Pilings” to use as the permafrost
foundation for wind turbines. The
installation for all of the turbines is done
when the ground is frozen to minimize
damage to the tundra. This design and
construction strategy has been used
as the basis for the majority of turbine
installations throughout rural Alaska. ■
OTHER KEA RENEWABLE PROJECTS:
Installing a 1.2 MW utility scale
Lithium-ion battery to capture more
wind energy Testing solar thermal equipment
to heat water and homes for Elders
with a EETG grant
Testing a 25 kW synchronous
wind turbine for small village use
Emerging Energy Technology Grant
(EETG) Using engine jacket water to power
a 20-ton ice maker for the salmon
fishing industry
Installing a GE Clean cycle to
utilize engine exhaust heat to
produce non-fuel electricity Using engine jacket and after cooler
heat to heat city water supply for
winter operation