The Huslia Tribal Council Biomass Project, Huslia, Alaska

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The Huslia Tribal Council is the Federally recognized tribal government for the Huslia Athabascan indigenous peoples in the interior region of Alaska. On the north bank of the Koyukuk River and within the Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge, a community-scale biomass project was approved as part of a 2008 reconnaissance study supported by the Alaska Wood Energy Development Task Group and conceptual design and feasibility work in 2013 funded by the State of Alaska’s Renewable Energy Fund. The project is expected to heat 60 percent of the community's buildings, create up to 12 part-time jobs, and save $57,000 annually in heating costs. The project scope consists of the final design, construction, and operation of a wood-fired district heating system that serves the community clinic, washeteria, and the K-12 school. The biomass system includes: Three GARN 2000 Wood Heating System cordwood boilers with a total maximum output of 600,000 British thermal units (BTU)/hour. About 700 feet of direct-bury insulated hydronic distribution pipe. A fenced wood yard and covered fuelwood storage. Modifications to end-user building heating systems for tie-in of the new district heating system to the existing oil-fired hydronic systems. A mechanical system including heat exchangers, pumps, metering, and controls. An electrical system. Co-funded by a $361,731 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy grant awarded in 2017, the biomass system supports the community’s goal to displace 25 percent of diesel used for heating with renewable energy by 2025. It also advances the Tribal Council’s strategic vision to ensure the community’s survival and preserve its traditional way of life. The $723,464 energy infrastructure investment will save the community an estimated $1.5 million in energy costs by 2045. The Huslia Tribal Council will own the facility and manage the long-term operations and maintenance.

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