Alaska Electric Light & Power
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| Industry | Energy, Public Utility |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1893 in Juneau, Alaska, United States |
| Founder | Willis Thorpe |
| Headquarters | 5601 Tonsgard Court, Juneau, Alaska , United States |
| Products | Electricity |
Number of employees | 78 |
| Parent | Avista Corporation |
| Website | aelp.com |
Alaska Electric Light & Power, also known as AEL&P, is the power utility for Juneau, the capital city of Alaska. AEL&P gets their electricity primarily through the Snettisham hydroelectric power plant, located in an uninhabited region 30 miles (48 km) southeast of downtown Juneau, accessible only by boat and aircraft.
Founded in 1893 by Willis Thorpe,[1] AEL&P is one of the only privately held utilities in the state.[2] The company is Alaska’s oldest electrical utility and its oldest continuously operating corporation.[3] It originally ran on local hydroelectric dams run by the mining-focused Treadwell Company. These first dams were constructed on Salmon Creek and Sheep Creek. The current plant at Snettisham was completed in 1973.[4]
On July 1, 2014, Avista Corp., based out of Washington, bought out AEL&P's parent Alaska Energy and Resources Company.
AEL&P has a total hydroelectric capacity of 102 megawatts.[5] The Snettisham Plant provides about two-thirds of Juneau’s electricity and has a generating capacity of 78.2 megawatts.[5]
2008 avalanches and emergency power
In April 2008, a series of massive avalanches outside Juneau heavily damaged the electrical lines providing Juneau with power, knocking the hydroelectric system offline and forcing the utility to switch to a much more expensive diesel system. Diesel generators replaced the hydroelectric power to the municipality in the weeks that followed, leading to temporarily higher utility costs for AEL&P customers until the power lines were repaired.
References
- ^ "The years of 1893 - 1900". AEL&P. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
- ^ "AEL&P History | Alaska Electric Light & Power". www.aelp.com. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ Brooks, James (2018-07-21). "Alaska Electric Light and Power reveals its historic roots". Juneau Empire. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
- ^ "Snettisham Hydroelectric Facility" (PDF). Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. December 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
- ^ a b Soliman, Alix (2025-06-16). "Juneau has a new electric utility, with some conditions". KTOO. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
External links