A California technology company conducted a drone-based cloud-seeding test near Homer on the Kenai Peninsula in late August, according to a report published September 8 by Alaska Beacon that was originally reported by the Anchorage Press.

Rainmaker Technology Corp. said it dispersed roughly 375 grams of silver iodide from drones over a three-hour period on August 23. The company estimated the operation generated a mean of about 57 acre-feet, or roughly 19 million gallons, of additional precipitation beyond natural levels. The flights occurred near the head of Kachemak Bay, about 20 miles northeast of Homer.

Local officials said they learned of the test after it occurred. Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche said the lack of prior notification to residents was a concern and that he planned to introduce a resolution and ordinance for greater local oversight. State Rep. Sarah Vance, who represents the Homer area, sent a letter to the company asking it to cease operations in the district and to hold a public open house.

Rainmaker chief executive Augustus Doricko said the company notified the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, reached out to the region’s Alaska Native corporation and a local tribal government, and received Federal Aviation Administration approvals. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources later stated that drone use for research is a generally allowed activity on state land and does not require a specific permit for cloud seeding. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said it was reviewing available information.

Doricko said the company is not planning another test in Alaska next summer and is working to schedule a town hall. The company operates primarily in the Lower 48 and has stated its technology is intended for precipitation enhancement in drought-affected regions.

SOURCES
Alaska Beacon / Anchorage Press: https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/09/08/a-california-cloud-seeding-company-created-rain-near-homer-and-an-uproar/