I, Sean Parnell, Governor of the State of Alaska, make the following findings:
Findings
- The City of Diomede suffered a complete power system failure on December 18, 2013, when the last of its three generators failed. Due to extreme cold winter temperatures, lack of a power plant operator, and the isolated nature of the community, the City contacted Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) for assistance. AEA was able to instruct the mayor on restarting one generator, which continued to have distribution and cooling problems.
- AEA responded to the City with technical assistance to support efforts to attempt to repair the system. However, the City was unable to repair and stabilize any of the generators and restore full power to the community. AEA contacted the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) for emergency authorization to deploy an electrical technician and supplies to the City to make repairs and avoid further damage to the power system and other infrastructure in the community.
- I have determined this power failure poses a direct and imminent threat of a disaster of sufficient magnitude and severity to justify sState action. I, therefore, find it appropriate that money from the disaster relief fund, be expended in accordance with the AS 26.23.020(h) to cover the emergency response costs incurred by AEA for emergency repairs to the system authorized through the SEOC.
Order
Under the authority of AS 26.23.020(h), I, Sean Parnell, Governor of the State of Alaska, hereby order:
Consistent with AS 26.23.020, expenditures be made from the disaster relief fund to cover eligible emergency response costs for the emergency repairs to the Diomede Power Plant completed by AEA and authorized through the SEOC. The amounts of these expenditures are not to exceed $30,000.
This Order takes effect immediately.
Dated this 27th day of December 2013, at Juneau, Alaska
/s/Sean Parnell
Governor
