The organization that runs Alaska's largest electrical grid will hold a closed technical meeting April 15, as Southcentral Alaska grapples with a deepening energy crisis that has lawmakers scrambling for solutions.

The Railbelt Transmission Organization oversees the power grid connecting Anchorage, Fairbanks, and communities between them. The grid that serves roughly 75 percent of Alaska's population across a system that stretches more than 700 miles.

Energy squeeze hits Southcentral

Southcentral Alaska faces mounting pressure on both electricity and heating fuel supplies. Natural gas production from the Cook Inlet basin has declined sharply in recent years, forcing utilities to seek alternative power generation sources and raising concerns about winter heating costs.

The drop in Cook Inlet production has hit hard. The basin once supplied most of the natural gas for power plants and home heating across the region. Now, several major gas fields are nearing depletion, and new development has not kept pace with demand.

The Alaska Legislature is weighing proposals to import liquefied natural gas to fill the gap. Some lawmakers have also revived discussions about a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope, though that project has stalled repeatedly over four decades due to costs that could reach $40 billion or more.

Grid faces growing strain

The Railbelt grid must balance power from multiple sources across vast distances. Anchorage utilities rely heavily on natural gas plants, while Fairbanks uses more coal and some wind power. The entire system must coordinate to keep electricity flowing as fuel sources shift.

The technical subcommittee meeting Wednesday at 8 AM is closed to the public under the organization's bylaws. Only subcommittee members will participate in the teleconference at Alaska Energy Authority offices in Anchorage.

Technical subcommittees can only make recommendations to the Railbelt Transmission Organization's governing board. They cannot set policies or make final decisions about grid operations.

Public meetings still required for major decisions

The organization's main governance committee meetings remain open to the public. Those meetings are where final decisions about grid operations and major policy changes happen.

The Alaska Energy Authority will host Wednesday's teleconference at 813 West Northern Lights Boulevard in Anchorage. No public comment period is scheduled.

Anyone with questions about the Railbelt Transmission Organization's public meetings can contact the Alaska Energy Authority.