Wrangell officials say the community could power itself for an extended period if the Tyee Lake hydroelectric station goes offline, thanks to a fleet of borough-owned diesel generators — one of which is now slated for major work.
The borough assembly has approved a sole-source contract with Seattle-based Marine Systems for $584,178 to perform a full mechanical overhaul and related work on one of the power plant’s backup units. Municipal Light and Power Superintendent David McHolland said the contract covers parts, travel and labor.
Wrangell operates five generators that together can produce more than 10 megawatts, McHolland said, enough to keep essential services and residents supplied.
“If the power goes out at Tyee and Wrangell loses power, we check to see if (Tyee) can pick it back up,” he said. “If they can’t, then we fire up the generators.”
Each generator is rated at 2.2 megawatts and is rebuilt as needed, he said. While borough staff can perform routine maintenance, warranties would be voided if anyone other than a licensed technician performs in-depth work such as full overhauls.
“It’s one of those things where we have to have it in case we need it,” McHolland said. “All the emergency services rely on the electricity as well as the residents.”
The work plan follows a 2022 overhaul of Unit No. 5 and overhaul this year of Unit 1. During that project, technicians and Wrangell Municipal Light and Power identified mechanical issues in Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Unit 3 that require a center section rebuild, according to McHolland. The newly approved scope is tailored to those conditions.
EMD is a leading manufacturer of diesel-fueled generators and locomotive engines.
Marine Systems is the only West Coast supplier of EMD parts and technical support, and the borough opted to retain the firm based on its expertise and the limited availability of other servicers.
The company advised that the equipment and parts will take several months to procure. With the assembly approval, borough staff is issuing the contract to begin ordering materials, with the work anticipated in spring 2026.
McHolland emphasized that while the borough hopes never to rely on the generators for long, the capacity is critical — especially in winter, when demand rises. “If the borough lost power during a cold snap during the winter, I’m sure everyone would be grateful that we have the generators,” he said.
By contrast, electricity use typically drops in the summer, he said. Still, McHolland described the overhaul program as a prudent investment in reliability.