Photo provided by Sturgeon Electric
Photo provided by Sturgeon Electric
tility costs are at the forefront of many discussions in Alaska; the state is attempting to increase efficiencies in the face of rising costs and dwindling natural gas supplies in Cook Inlet, which most Railbelt power producers rely on for electricity.
Utility projects aren’t just power lines and electrical systems. They also include building or repairing water supply mains, sanitary sewers, and stormwater management systems—essential projects that contribute to residents’ health and safety. Several such projects are currently underway across Alaska and will have a positive impact on communities big and small.
The Quartz Creek transmission line has been modernized through a series of individual construction contracts awarded over more than a decade. Each completed segment improves system reliability, while the full benefits of the projects will be realized as the remaining sections are completed. This project is part of Chugach Electric Association’s long-term investment in replacing aging transmission infrastructure and strengthening the reliability and resiliency of Southcentral Alaska’s electrical grid. While individual contract values vary, T-line construction in Alaska typically costs between $1.25 million and $1.5 million per mile, including engineering, materials, and construction.
“Most people never think about the transmission system until the lights go out,” says Sturgeon Electric Line General Foreman Josh Henrick. “Collectively, these transmission improvements represent one of the most significant long-term investments in Southcentral Alaska’s electrical infrastructure.”
The transmission line corridor crosses avalanche terrain, wetlands, anadromous fish streams, major transportation corridors, and lands managed by multiple federal, state, and local agencies. Within this single project, crews work adjacent to the Seward Highway and Alaska Railroad, access remote mountain slopes by helicopter, and build through environmentally sensitive habitats. Henrick says the project demonstrates that reliable infrastructure and environmental stewardship are not competing objectives. Through thoughtful planning and collaboration, critical utility improvements can be delivered while protecting Alaska’s natural resources for future generations.
Sturgeon Electric crews are also installing two miles of new highway lighting, five signalized intersections, fiber-optic interconnect systems, and two automatic traffic counter stations to support traffic monitoring for future transportation planning as part of Phase II of the Seward Meridian Parkway Road Improvements. The electrical improvements are part of a larger roadway extension designed to improve traffic flow, increase safety, and accommodate continued growth in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
Seward Meridian Parkway is a primary north-south connector near Wasilla and serves thousands of motorists every day, including families traveling to and from four schools along its eventual length.
“Transportation infrastructure affects many Alaskans every day, whether they’re commuting to work, taking children to school, or traveling between communities,” says Sturgeon Electric Superintendent Jeremy Lutz.
The $43.5 million project is federally funded through transportation improvement programs administered by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. As of publication, construction is currently underway and scheduled for completion by August 31, 2026.
The Chugiak facility treats water from Eklutna Lake and sends it via pipeline to Anchorage, supplying most of the city’s drinking water. It’s one of the municipality’s most critical pieces of public infrastructure. Modernizing its electrical infrastructure helps ensure the continued reliability of the systems that treat and deliver safe drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and public facilities throughout the municipality.
While the project appears simple on paper, Sturgeon Electric Project Manager Chris Stafford says these systems serve as the electrical backbone of Anchorage’s primary water treatment facility. Each phase of construction must be carefully sequenced to replace critical equipment while maintaining continuous operation of the treatment process. Electrical systems are isolated, replaced, tested, and commissioned individually before the next phase begins, ensuring uninterrupted treatment operations throughout the project.
“Many infrastructure projects are highly visible,” says Stafford. “This one is different. Success is measured by what doesn’t happen: no interruption to water service, no disruption to treatment operations, and no impact to the community while critical infrastructure is upgraded behind the scenes.”
The $5 million project is funded by the Municipality of Anchorage through Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility’s ongoing capital improvement program to modernize and maintain critical public infrastructure.
Photo provided by STG, Inc.
Photo provided by STG, Inc.
Photo provided by STG, Inc.
This project will provide a lasting bulk fuel system for the community’s only power plant. It will also provide diesel and heating oil for community residents to heat their homes and run the equipment that keeps the roads and airport operational, as well as gasoline to power the boats, ATVs, snowmachines, and other equipment that allow residents to subsist and transport themselves. The new infrastructure will also be a significant environmental protection upgrade from the current, aged-out system.
STG Program Manager Collin Pennington says constant interaction with community members is critical to minimizing day-to-day disruption to residents during such a project. STG hired community members to help keep residents informed about the work they’re doing, as well as with construction.
“STG is also working closely with the group from the other [water and wastewater upgrade] project to share both resources and the limited space within the community,” says Pennington. “We have organized joint site visits, shared lay-down space, shared equipment, and continued to coordinate schedules and give project updates. Both projects are important to the village, so ensuring their success is the goal above all else.”
This $15 million project is funded by the Denali Commission. Design began in February 2026. Construction began in early June 2026 and is anticipated to be completed in July 2027.
The Deltanet Phase 3 Upgrades managed by STG crews affect several villages in the Yukon Region. The removal and replacement of radios and antennas to increase bandwidth will ultimately bring higher-speed data to Tununak, Mekoryuk, Toksook Bay, Marshall, Pilot Station, Nunam Iqua, Chevak, Hooper Bay, Nightmute, Akiak, Akiachak, Scammon Bay, St. Mary’s, Mountain Village, Twin Hills, Togiak, Bethel, Kwethluk, Napaskiak, Napakiak, Platinum, and Goodnews Bay.
“This benefits the local population with better internet speeds,” explains STG Program Manager Jay Ubben. “It also gives the clinics and schools more capability for higher-speed virtual calls, allowing for better education and better healthcare for residents.”
Working in multiple locations requires a different approach to logistics. Ubben says STG has been working in these locations for more than thirty years and knows roughly when an area is likely to see better weather. They created camps at a couple of sites to prevent delays and also planned at least a week in advance to ensure resources were available. This allowed them to pivot between sites rather than stop and delay the whole project. STG partnered with helicopter companies to receive priority scheduling.
This project is privately funded and serves as a precursor to another project to upgrade cell service to higher bandwidth, which is required to improve service.
Other STG projects are focused on helping Western Alaska communities recover from the disastrous effects of Typhoon Halong in October 2025. In Kongiganak, Kipnuk, and Kwigillingok, crews continue to rebuild boardwalks and critical infrastructure. STG started reconstruction during the first wave of recovery efforts and wrapped up in July.
STG Program Manager Alex Lutton says boardwalks are the only means of transportation within the communities in spring and summer. In Kongiganak, STG was also tasked with building a boardwalk and path to the village’s raw water location. The community had been relying on shipped water, so establishing a path to locally available water was a priority. Crews worked seven days a week, twelve hours a day or more, living in locations without running water until the paths were built.
“Logistics teams in Bethel worked around the clock to load and coordinate charter flights to move people and supplies in and out of villages,” says Lutton.
“Some of these homes have five children and two generations of parents, and they don’t have running water or sewer,” says Branson. “By connecting water and sewer to these homes, they can have water at home with a turn of a valve. It seems very simple when you live on the highway system. But when you’re somewhere where nobody has that ability, it’s new for remote residents.”
The $1.5 million project is managed by the Alaska Native Trial Health Consortium and is expected to be completed by September.
Branson says Frostline Drilling and Construction has several other utility projects currently in the works, including a $196,660 residential water service line and sewage holding tank installation project in Galena; a $183,390 residential well and septic system installation in Glenallen; and a $431,400 residential water and sewer service line installation project in Kotzebue.