The lower Kuskokwim community of Akiak has made an emergency request to tribal and state officials for fuel to keep its municipal power plant running as its local supplies dwindle.
In a letter sent this week to the Association of Village Council Presidents and other tribal and state entities, the City of Akiak requested 30,000 gallons of fuel to avoid a loss of “essential power services.”
According to the letter, the city’s power plant only has around 2,000 gallons of fuel remaining. That’s far short of what the community will need to get by until the first fuel barges of the season arrive on the lower Kuskokwim River in early June.
The request also references recent leadership changes in the city’s administration. It says “the current fuel shortage is a direct result of past administrative failures.”
Mayor Olinka Jones said on March 20 that the city is looking for any help it can find in obtaining the fuel. Fuel can currently be delivered by truck using the Kuskokwim River Ice Road. Jones said that city officials believe Akiak could be less than a week away from running out of fuel.
Without municipal power, residents would need to rely on backup generators. In the fall of 2025, Akiak was without power for roughly six weeks due to mechanical issues at the power plant.
