Who We Are

Kotzebue Electric Association (KEA) is a non-profit, electric cooperative located in Kotzebue, Alaska
Approximately 875 members
KEA is governed by a 9-member board of directors
Board members are elected by the cooperative membership
The KEA Board of Directors establishes the goals and priorities of the cooperative
The Board of Directors has been instrumental in KEA’s adoption of renewable energy sources

Our Home

Kotzebue is the largest of 12 communities in Northwest Alaska
Situated along the Chukchi Sea above the Bering Strait, it is home to many of the lnupiaq people
Northwest Alaska is about the size of Indiana
There are no roads or transmission lines connecting Kotzebue to other communities or the rest of Alaska
The Kotzebue Sound is frozen for about 9 months of the year and wind chill can fall to minus 120º Fahrenheit
Fuel is delivered annually by barge during the summer months

Like most remote communities, Kotzebue originally relied exclusively on diesel generation to produce electricity
Producing electricity using diesel generation is expensive
Electricity in Alaska’s villages often costs more than 4 times the national average
In Kotzebue it now costs only twice the national average

To provide reliable and affordable electricity to our members
KEA is committed to lowering the cost of electricity by developing renewable energy from:
- Our wind farm
- Integrating the use of solar energy
- Initiating energy efficiency programs
The use of wind and solar energy helps stabilize and reduce energy costs in our community

Kotzebue is a Class 3 wind resource
The average annual wind speed at the wind farm is 14.1 miles per hour
The flat tundra allows the wind to blow close to its full force, without obstruction by trees or mountains
All of these factors make Kotzebue an ideal location for the use of wind energy