As average temperatures plunge five degrees each week in Golovin, the western Alaska village is anxiously awaiting the arrival of two new generators.
The generators were made possible by a $218,098 grant from Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation and were expected to be delivered earlier in the fall. After delays, Golovin Power Utility’s bookkeeper, Joann Fagerstrom, said that with winter looming they’re needing to improvise.
“They could have came here with a tender boat if they got here a lot sooner. But they were stuck in Bethel for a while, and they got to Nome last week,” Fagerstrom confirmed.
As sea ice begins to appear throughout the Bering Strait region, they instead plan on flying in the generators. But another problem has arisen, the new John Deere 6090 marine-grade engines are too tall to fit inside the CASA cargo plane.
First, the generators will need to be disassembled. Fagerstrom says that with some help from Nome-based mechanic Noah Burmeister, they’ll be able to break the generators down and fly them to Golovin.
Each generator can output up to 222 kW, enough to power the entire village on its own. This increased capacity will allow Golovin to prolong wear and tear on the new units while providing redundancy.
Fagerstrom said they expect the generators to arrive in the coming weeks and be online in time for winter.
