Coal or Wind?

I read with interest Brian Newton's letter advocating support for a $95 million, 30 year investment in buying and re-starting the experimental coal fired power plant in Healy at the same time suggesting it will keep your electric rates low and look toward the future.

Brian failed to mention this large investment which, if instead was invested in the proven wind resource at Eva Creek near Healy, could provide half as much electricity with NO fuel cost and NO carbon output. Thinking long term, it seems like a 0 fuel charge vs. a fuel charge likely to have substantive regulation and carbon based taxes is a better deal, but not to most of the GVEA board and management. The only way GVEA said they’d do Eva Creek is if they get a full grant. Should we wonder why they don't find a grant for the coal plant. Oh, darn, I forgot, both the state and feds already granted $300 million for it and still GVEA needs more.

GVEA has continued to raise rates to pay for loans for numerous capital projects in recent years' past, not just the fuel cost. Don't expect your rates to go down with another coal plant. We still have to pay off loans, including a new one for over $65 million for regular annual construction.

What about an energy efficient appliance replacement program? GVEA could provide a subsidy to ratepayers equal to the reduced consumption over a period of time. But WAIT, they don't WANT electricity usage to go down because they'll need to raise the service charge again instead of making oil the boogyman. Is there something wrong with this picture?

It seems hard for the entrenched to visualize a sustainable future. If GVEA can lobby so hard to get the membership to give up ownership of 3/4 of the utility's assets as they tried and failed a few years ago, I bet they could sell us on a 25 mw wind farm. Or give you a new refrigerator.

GVEA and Chugach Electric among top ten CO2 producers in the state

From Kodiak Konfidential comes this interesting news about our biggest utilities: Chugach Electric is #4 on the list, and GVEA is #6:

4. Chugach Electric Association
1.07 million metric tons CO2
Electricity
...
6. Golden Valley Electric Association
0.69 million metric tons CO2
Electricity

That's a lot of CO2. All the more reason to get off the grid with renewable energy, or support net metering (as in House Bill 288), or the SNAP program.

500+ conributors to the SNAP purchasers program

The website says 350, but Tom DeLong tells me that there are now more than 500 SNAP purchasers (people who contribute extra money to pay alternative energy producers in the SNAP program). The site also says that "GVEA is well on its way" to meeting its goal of producing 10 percent of its peak load from alternative sources. However, it doesn't say what that peak load is (anticipated to be 230 MW) or what percentage is actually produced from alternative energy sources. Or at least, I can't find it. Does anyone know what this is, and how close or far GVEA is from meeting its goal?

It would be helpful, on this page, to have contact e-mails or links to the members of the Green Power Advisory Committee. I know several of these people, so I have that info, but others may not.

News-Miner interviews of District 5 candidates

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner has interviews with the candidates, too, asking them about upcoming priorities. According to the article, the priorities break down like so:

•Bartos - taking greater advantage of alternatives to petrochemical power generation: alternative fuels, using state and federal programs that encourage alternative fuels
•Berg (the incumbent) - hiring a new manager, improving communications
•Pieczynski - maintaining infrastructure (looking at renewables on the way, even if not currently cost-effective), working on easements, adding more members to the grid (through greater transparency)

But read the full article.

Interviews complete

Jeanne Laurencelle interviewed all six candidates for the two open seats on the GVEA board of directors at the annual meeting, and the article will appear in the May Republic. The questions she asked (on the G&T issue and how it was handled; renewable energy; and domestic partner benefits) and the answers they supplied will supplement those found at the GVEA website.