Emerson has completed a digital transformation project to increase the reliability of clean energy generation at Golden Valley Electric Association’s (GVEA) Eva Creek wind farm, Alaska’s largest wind farm.

Rural Alaskan communities are on the front line of climate change, given the region’s extreme weather. As the largest electric utility serving northern Alaska, GVEA and its Eva Creek wind farm supply nearly 25MW of reliable, low-cost electricity, while reducing fossil fuel usage.

Emerson’s sustainable grid technology has delivered fast results, increasing the reliability of GVEA’s wind turbines and contributing to a 65% reduction in operations and maintenance costs.

“Emerson is a key collaborator in our goal to increase access to clean energy for our customers in northern Alaska,” said Frank Perkins, GVEA vice president. “Our investment in a common automation platform helps us efficiently incorporate more renewable energy and minimise our carbon footprint.”

Emerson’s technology simplifies management of the Eva Creek wind farm and provides more accurate equipment diagnostics and analytics for forecasting and dispatch. The end-to-end installation incorporates Emerson’s Ovation automation platform and OSI Monarch software to help utilities achieve a more resilient, responsible and smarter power grid.

“Increased visibility into Eva Creek operations enables GVEA to further safeguard the reliable operation of this critical source of renewable energy for northern Alaska,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s power and water business. “With Emerson’s comprehensive portfolio of sustainable grid solutions, GVEA is well positioned to optimise operations across its entire power system, from generation to meter.”

Emerson has been ranked as the leading distributed control systems provider for the global power generation industry, according to Omdia.

Emerson, headquartered in St Louis, Missouri, is a technology and engineering company providing innovations in industrial, commercial and residential markets. Its automation business helps process, hybrid and discrete manufacturers increase production and protect personnel and the environment while optimising their energy and operating costs. The commercial and residential business helps ensure human comfort and health, protect food quality and safety, advance energy efficiency, and create sustainable infrastructure.