When Alaska’s natural gas delivery system experiences tight supply or extreme cold conditions, local utilities and officials may issue an Energy Watch Alert. This color-coded system helps everyone know when and how to conserve energy to prevent service interruptions. MEA and our utility partners inclduing ENSTAR, Chugach Electric, Homer Electric, and others—monitor gas supply and electric demand. If a natural gas delivery concern arises, an alert may be issued to help reduce demand and maintain reliable energy for all Alaskans.
How the Energy Watch Program Works
Each alert level includes simple actions you can take at home or work to make a difference.
While extremely rare, if a natural gas deliverability issue or energy emergency were to impact the amount of fuel available to generate electricity across the Railbelt, MEA has a Rolling Service Interruption Plan ready to help keep power reliable for as many members as possible.
How It Works
To conserve limited fuel, MEA members are divided into nine groups across our service area.
If rolling service interruptions were required, each group would experience a temporary outage lasting approximately 30–45 minutes, about once every five hours. This approach helps spread the impact evenly while maintaining overall system stability. You can check your group assignment and outage rotation schedule on our website and through member communications if this plan were ever activated.
How You’ll Be Notified
If the plan is implemented, MEA will share updates through multiple channels:
Website Alerts: A banner or pop-up notice on www.mea.coop
Social Media Updates: Regular posts on MEA’s Facebook page
Member Email Notifications with the latest information and safety tips
Phone Support: Our Member Services team will be available to answer questions and assist members directly
We encourage all members to make sure their contact information is up-to-date to receive important alerts.
Why This Is Unlikely
MEA’s Eklutna Generation Station is designed with dual-fuel capability, meaning we can generate electricity using either natural gas or diesel. In the event of a gas supply disruption:
Because of these backup systems, the likelihood of needing rolling service interruptions is extremely low—but we plan and prepare to ensure our members are informed and protected no matter what.
