# Drawn to Scale, Except the Demand > One column tallies 119.7 megawatts becoming 120.0. The other tallies about 4,700 acres. No unit joins them. Published 2026-08-04 by Alaska AI. 10 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-08-04/ ## What we verified - The Alaska Energy Authority's non-capacity amendment application for the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project is docketed at FERC as Project No. 8221-124 and was filed on June 30, 2026. [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, via govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/html/2026-15691.htm), primary document, 2026-08-03. - FERC published the notice soliciting comments, motions to intervene and protests in the Federal Register on August 3, 2026. [Federal Register (FERC)](https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2026-15691.json), primary document, 2026-08-03. - Comments, motions to intervene and protests on the Dixon Diversion amendment are due by August 28, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, via govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/html/2026-15691.htm), primary document, 2026-08-03. - The amendment proposes a new diversion dam to divert meltwater and surface runoff coming from the Dixon Glacier into Bradley Lake. [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, via govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/html/2026-15691.htm), primary document, 2026-08-03. - The amendment would raise Bradley Lake's normal maximum operating pool elevation by approximately 16 feet through spillway modifications and raising the dam embankment. [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, via govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/html/2026-15691.htm), primary document, 2026-08-03. - The amendment would install a 0.3 megawatt micro-hydro turbine in one of the Bradley Lake Dam's fishwater release valves. [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, via govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/html/2026-15691.htm), primary document, 2026-08-03. - The project's installed capacity would rise from 119.7 megawatts to 120.0 megawatts, a gain of 0.3 megawatts. [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, via govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/html/2026-15691.htm), primary document, 2026-08-03. - FERC's notice states the amendment would increase the project's average annual power generation by approximately 38 percent. [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, via govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/html/2026-15691.htm), primary document, 2026-08-03. - The Alaska Energy Authority estimates the Dixon Diversion construction cost at approximately $400 million. [Alaska Energy Authority](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/What-We-Do/Railbelt-Energy/Bradley-Lake-Hydroelectric-Project/Dixon-Diversion-Project), primary document, 2026-08-04. - The Alaska Energy Authority's schedule for the Dixon Diversion is an estimated three years of study and permitting followed by three years of construction. [Alaska Energy Authority](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/What-We-Do/Railbelt-Energy/Bradley-Lake-Hydroelectric-Project/Dixon-Diversion-Project), primary document, 2026-08-04. - The Dixon Diversion would be located five miles southwest of Bradley Lake and approximately 27 miles northeast of Homer on the Kenai Peninsula. [Alaska Energy Authority](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/What-We-Do/Railbelt-Energy/Bradley-Lake-Hydroelectric-Project/Dixon-Diversion-Project), primary document, 2026-08-04. - From 1995 through 2020 the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project averaged 392,000 megawatt hours of generation annually. [Alaska Energy Authority](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/What-We-Do/Railbelt-Energy/Bradley-Lake-Hydroelectric-Project), primary document, 2026-08-04. - Bradley Lake provides approximately 10 percent of the total annual power used by Railbelt utilities. [Alaska Energy Authority](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/What-We-Do/Railbelt-Energy/Bradley-Lake-Hydroelectric-Project), primary document, 2026-08-04. - The Bradley Lake project began operating in 1991 and delivers power at a cost of about four cents per kilowatt hour. [Alaska Energy Authority](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/What-We-Do/Railbelt-Energy/Bradley-Lake-Hydroelectric-Project), primary document, 2026-08-04. - The Alaska Energy Authority board of directors endorsed a financing package for constructing the Bradley Lake Expansion Project on July 23, 2026. [Alaska Energy Authority](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/Who-We-Are/Newsroom/Press-Releases), primary document, 2026-07-23. - The Department of the Air Force is offering approximately 4,700 acres of underutilized land across Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base and Clear Space Force Station for potential AI data center development. [U.S. Department of the Air Force](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), primary document, 2026-04-10. - The Air Force has identified twelve parcels at the three Alaska installations for potential AI data center development. [U.S. Department of the Air Force](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), primary document, 2026-04-10. - Robert Moriarty, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, said the Alaska land offer supports the growing demands of the AI industry while generating value that directly supports Air Force missions. [U.S. Department of the Air Force](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), primary document, 2026-04-10. - Petroleum News reports the Dixon Diversion would move water to Bradley Lake through a 4.6 mile connecting tunnel. [Petroleum News](https://www.petroleumnews.com/story/2026/08/02/news/aea-final-amendment-application-for-bradley-lake-filed-with-ferc/50288.html), report, 2026-08-02. - Petroleum News reports the expansion would produce enough additional renewable energy to power up to 30,000 homes. [Petroleum News](https://www.petroleumnews.com/story/2026/08/02/news/aea-final-amendment-application-for-bradley-lake-filed-with-ferc/50288.html), report, 2026-08-02. - Petroleum News reports the expansion would displace around 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year for power generation. [Petroleum News](https://www.petroleumnews.com/story/2026/08/02/news/aea-final-amendment-application-for-bradley-lake-filed-with-ferc/50288.html), report, 2026-08-02. - Petroleum News reports that five Railbelt electric utilities receive Bradley Lake power across the transmission system. [Petroleum News](https://www.petroleumnews.com/story/2026/08/02/news/aea-final-amendment-application-for-bradley-lake-filed-with-ferc/50288.html), report, 2026-08-02. - Air Force solicitation AFCEC-26-R-0006 for AI data center development at the three Alaska installations was posted April 10, 2026, closed to proposals June 29, 2026, and was archived July 14, 2026 with no award posted. [HigherGov (mirror of SAM.gov)](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/rflp-artificial-intelligence-ai-data-center-deve-afcec-26-r-0006-o-db695/), report, 2026-07-14. - Alaska Public Media reported that Enstar has already had to turn away new large scale customers to focus on supplying existing ratepayers. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/southcentral-alaska-gas-utility-says-bills-likely-to-rise-amid-supply-shortage), report, 2026-07-28. - Enstar president John Sims said that if Southcentral Alaska has a winter like last year, the region is going to have significant challenges and will likely see rolling blackouts. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/southcentral-alaska-gas-utility-says-bills-likely-to-rise-amid-supply-shortage), report, 2026-07-28. - Applying the application's approximately 38 percent projected increase to Bradley Lake's 392,000 megawatt hour historical annual average implies roughly 149,000 additional megawatt hours a year, a figure calculated by Alaska.Ai rather than published by any party. [Alaska Energy Authority, arithmetic by Alaska.Ai](https://www.akenergyauthority.org/What-We-Do/Railbelt-Energy/Bradley-Lake-Hydroelectric-Project), report, 2026-08-04. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.