AO 2026-135 Eklutna hydroelectric agreements

At a glance

What: AO 2026-135 reauthorizes Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) and Anchorage Hydro Power to sign three agreements covering the municipal public water supply and the Eklutna hydroelectric project's fish and wildlife program.
Outcome: passed 12-0 on Oct 20 after about 34 minutes of discussion. A motion to postpone to Nov 4 was made, then withdrawn once members heard the risks.
Why it came back: the Assembly approved substantially the same agreements in December 2025 with conditions tied to getting the other co-owners to support the municipality's voting-rights case. That condition is now obsolete; this version drops it.

Voting rights: the state regulatory commission ruled the municipality surrendered its voting rights for a minimum of 35 years when it sold its share; two of five commissioners dissented. The municipality has two consolidated appeals in Superior Court and intends to continue. The agreements do not give that up.
Plan A and plan B: the agreements implement the governor-approved fish and wildlife program (plan A). If pumped storage hydro is chosen instead (a governor decision expected around October 2027), they would not take effect and new agreements would be negotiated.
Benefits to the municipality (AWWU assistant general manager Allison Lang): AWWU would own priority water rights instead of paying the hydro owners for its water, gets say over engineering and safety impacts, and gains flexibility on bridges and crossings. The current short-term water arrangement runs through next fall.
Risk of delay: the municipal attorney said the co-owners have held back a report to the governor, that the other parties are not bound to honor the deal until it is signed, and that delay raises the chance of litigation forcing a connection on worse terms.
Consultation: the Native Village of Eklutna was not re-consulted for this round; it had accepted the earlier version.

Perez-Verdia and Handeland (a new member) wanted more time and a work session; Park seconded the postponement.
Scout and Baldwin Day (who follow the project closely) said the voting-rights fight continues and the changes are narrow; Johnson and Chair Brawley argued against delay.
Handeland rescinded his postponement motion; follow-up briefing is planned at the energy committee, a work session or executive session.

About 34 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - Assembly Regular	34

2026-10-20 - 2026-10-20 - Assembly Regular: postponement to Nov 4 moved and withdrawn; AO 2026-135 passed 12-0. Briefings promised at committee.