ANCHORAGE - The Fire Island Wind project is commercially operational. Cook Inlet Regional Corporation turned in the final paperwork to Chugach Electric Association Monday. (9/24)

The wind turbines have been turning and generating power since August 30. Since then, each turbine was tested and approved and as of September 21, all 11 were determined to be commercially operational.

The project is the first to provide renewable power for Anchorage and the surrounding area.

Chugach Electric signed a 25-year contract and it's estimated the project will generate enough electricity to power 4,000 southcentral Alaska households; that's about 4 percent of Chugach Electric's power for its retail customers.

Despite recent weather conditions, the project was right on schedule.

"The contract said that we basically needed to be generating power by the first of the year," said Jim Jager, CIRI's Director of Corporate Communication."But it had some space in it so that now that we've brought the project back on it is being sold to Chugach."

The project is permitted for up to 33 turbines.

State and federal grants helped with the $65 million price tag.