Weekly highlights for 12/12/16 

The City of Galena in partnership with the Loudon Tribal Council, Galena Interior Learning Academy, and Sustainable Energy Galena Alaska have fired their new biomass heating plant for the first time on Thursday, December 8. The new biomass boiler was funded by AEA through three different Renewable Energy Fund grants, collectively totaling $3.2 million, for different phases of project development. The Messersmith Chip Boiler replaces the steam heating system on the old base, and will displace over 200,000 gallons of fuel oil with a local renewable resource. This project is also creating local jobs for the harvest of the local biomass and the operation and maintenance of this wood heating system.