28 Oct
Happy Friday Alaska! Here are some conservation issues that are making headlines across the state. We at the Alliance wish you a happy and safe weekend!
State rejects petition against mine in Chuitna watershed
Governor Parnell revamps gasline pitch
Shell one more notch closer to getting permits
Wildlife trafficker selling polar bear hides, walrus tusks sentenced
One more Kenai LNG shipment before closing starts
26 Oct
By Kate McKeown
As Energy Awareness Month continues, activities carry on around the state to promote energy efficiency.
Last week, the Alliance’s new Executive Director (ED), Andy Moderow, spoke at Mayor Sullivan’s press conference on the importance of energy efficiency. Moderow stated, “Energy efficiency makes sense. It’s that simple. Trading out old fashioned light bulbs with Compact Florescent Lights, or LED light bulbs, will save electricity and put money into your pocket.” If you missed Moderow’s TV debut as the new ED, don’t worry, you can find the video here. The press conference was held on the same day as the “Energy Watch” test, in which Southcentral Alaska residents were asked to save power from 6:00-8:00pm. The goal of the test was to see what kind of effect voluntary actions might have on overall energy consumption. In next week’s energy blog will share the results of the test.
Although changing out your old lights for more efficient lights is important, don’t stop there. ‘Sealing tight and ventilating right’ are actions homeowners can take to improve the comfort and efficiency of their home heating. Air sealing is crucial for maximizing the performance of insulation. One thing to know about insulation is that the R-Value, the measure of thermal resistance, is determined under the assumption that there is adequate air sealing around the installed insulation. Therefore, even though the insulation packaging has R-40 written on it, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will perform at R-40. The Cold Climate Housing Research Center had a great article last week on how to identify the accurate R-values in your home. The article also suggests that the best way to identify areas in your home to seal tight is to get a home energy audit.
One area of efficiency that is not discussed often enough in Alaska is transportation efficiency. So, last week when I came across an article on the Eielson Air Force Base website that listed ways to improve fuel efficiency, I was
ecstatic! Author Robin Liggett lists simple ways to conserve fuel and save money. Her list includes the elimination of idling time, partaking in carpooling programs, and considering telecommuting, if it gets the job done. I can only hope that the theme of conservation will continue during this year’s 2011 Community Transportation Transit Conference, being held on October 25-27th at the Hotel Captain Cook. Transit providers, state leaders and peers will join together in this year’s theme of “Building Blocks for a Smooth Ride.”
Finally, even though last week’s energy blog was primarily about Fire Island, I can’t end this week without highlighting the most recent wind energy news. Golden Valley Electric Association ordered a dozen wind turbines for their 25-megawatt Eva Creek wind-power farm. The wind farm, near Healy, is expected to be harnessing wind within a year. Reducing the use of oil-fired generators means that ratepayers will be able to save money in the long run for their relatively pollution-free power.
24 Oct
Here in Alaska there is
a wealth of programs available to help home, business, and public building owners become more energy efficient. Not only is this an environmentally friendly course of action, but becoming more energy efficient also saves money.
That being said, all these programs can be confusing. Here at the Alaska Conservation Blog we try to make being green as easy as possible. In keeping with that spirit we’ve provided you with some brief information on energy efficiency programs across the state below (click the links in the titles of each program for more information). If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@akvoice.org.
- Weatherization Program: This home weatherization program offers energy efficiency upgrades to low income households. Available for homeowners and renters statewide.
- Home Energy Rebate Program: This program has no income requirements and offers a rebate of up to $10,000 for qualifying home energy efficiency improvements.
- 5 Star Plus New Home Rebate: The New Home Rebate Program provides a $7,500 rebate for new 5 Star Plus Homes for the original owner.
- Energy Efficiency Interest Rate Reduction Program: In order to promote energy efficiency in new or remodeled homes, AHFC offers interest rate reductions up to 0.25%.
- Appliance Rebate for Alaskans with Disabilities: Through this program disabled Alaskans may be eligible to receive between $150-$500 for the purchase of specific Energy Star appliances. The rebate requests will only be accepted through November 30th of this year so hurry to take advantage of this program!
- Alaska Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund: This loan fund offers opportunities for public facilities to make energy efficiency improvements.
- Small Building Material Loan: Residential properties in designated ‘small communities’ can use this program to obtain financing to renovate or complete their property.
- Second Mortgage Program for Energy Conservation: Owners can obtain financing for energy improvements on primary residences.
- Village Energy Efficiency Program: The Village Energy Efficiency Program invests money to perform energy efficiency improvements to public buildings in Alaska villages and communities.
- Alaska Small Cities Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants: The funds for this program have already been distributed with completion of projects to be finished in 2012. This program utilized federal money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund energy efficiency and conservation improvements to public buildings and facilities in select Alaska communities.
- Alaska Commercial Energy Audit Program: This new program will reimburse most of the costs of whole-building energy audits for commercial building owners. This year the program was able to fund 132 applicants.
- Industrial Energy Audits of Alaska Seafood Processing Plants: Administered by Alaska Energy Authority, this program seeks to help seafood processing plants better understand the usage of energy in their plants.
Additional Resources:
21 Oct
Happy Friday Alaska! We hope you have a safe and happy weekend and for your reading pleasure, here are some conservation related articles that are making headlines across the state.
Fairbanks hearing on ANWR draws a big crowd
Alaska Energy Authority hires hydroelectric dam project leader
Usibelli withdraws air quality permit application again for Wishbone Hill site
Great op-ed piece on the Pebble Mine and genetically engineered salmon
19 Oct
By Kate McKeown
Last week there was one Alaska energy story that topped all the rest. The story was hopeful, exciting and long overdue. As you read about it below, hold onto your seats, because you may get blown away!
History was made last week in Anchorage, when the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) approved the Fire Island Wind Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Many Alaskans have been waiting for this decision for more than two decades. And now, as early as next year, Chugach Electric Association (CEA) will be receiving approximately four percent of their power from the 11 turbines that will be erected on Fire Island, three miles west from Anchorage. The project has a 25-year fixed cost of 9.7 cents a kilowatt hour.
This will be the first commercial-size wind project to appear in Southcentral and will have a generating capacity of 17.6W. That is enough to power 6,000 homes with clean and local energy, while moving toward reducing our reliability on volatile natural gas prices. With additional utility buyers the project has the potential to expand to 33 turbines.
The RCA’s decision to approve requires Chugach to repay costs, if any, for integrating wind power into other utilities’ systems. This was a main concern of Anchorage’s city-owned Municipal Power and Light (ML&P) who opposed the contract and argued on numerous fronts to stop the approval of the PPA. Both ML&P and the Regulatory Affairs and Public Advocacy (RAPA) division submitted a proposed order to the RCA that said CEA would lose $12.9 million over 25 years. RAPA was established in July 2003 within the Department of Law to advocate on behalf of the public interest in utility matters. The Attorney General determines and advocates for the general public interest.
Commissioner Robert Pickett, stated that the docket was one of the most challenging that he has been involved with during his tenure as an RCA Commissioner. The $25 million given to the project, from the legislature, -
helped to pay for transmission lines. This influenced Pickett’s decision:, “At the end of the day, I have allowed my interpretation of legislative intent expressed in the two bills and one capital appropriation to strongly influence my decision,” stated Commissioner Pickett.
I could write about Fire Island all day; the benefits of the project, the RCA process, and what this will mean for future renewable projects, but given that this is just an ‘update’ blog I think the links provided above will give you the full dose of Fire Island. We encourage you to thank CEA Board Members for their dedication to this project, click here for more information.
With that, I can’t sign off until I remind you once again that it’s Alaska Energy Awareness Month! Check out this great Op-Ed in the Fairbanks Newsminer about energy efficiency. Keli Hite McGee, Executive Coaching and Strategic Planning Consultant for Hites Consulting Inc., writes about the benefits of hiring a professional energy rater to audit your home and about the successful Home Rebate Program, offered by Alaska Housing Finance Corporation.
If you live in the Kenai area and you’re still searching for something to do for Alaska Energy Awareness Month, go get your calendar and write in the third annual Energy and Conservation Fair happening from 10am -4pm on Nov. 5th at Kenai Middle School and Nov. 12th at West Homer Elementary School. Check out Homer Electric Association’s flier for more information.
14 Oct
Happy Friday Alaska! Here are some news articles that made headlines across Alaska this week.
Perhaps some of the best news of the week: Fire Island Wind Project is a go!
Pacific Walruses suffer from the same disease afflicting Alaska ringed seals
Most Americans think that the Obama Administration should have defended EPA’s Ozone Standards
Electronics recycling program opens in Fairbanks
Editorial: Starting over- No time to waste in dealing with air
12 Oct
By Kate McKeown
Energy is a fun subject, particularly in Alaska. These last few weeks I have heard about unique renewable energy generation projects happening around the state.
Some of these projects were highlighted at the seventh annual Alaska Rural Energy Conference that was held in Juneau September 27-29. The Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) and the Alaska Energy Authority collaborated to bring more than 430 people, representing more than 75 different Alaska villages and urban centers together, to discuss Alaska’s rural energy generation, transmission and end use. Within the first few hours of the conference Sara Fisher-Goad, Executive Director of Alaska Energy Authority, read Governor Sean Parnell’s Alaska Energy Awareness Month proclamation. Following the announcement, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski addressed the crowd, announcing that lowering energy costs in rural Alaska is the best way to spur state and local economies. She also stated that replacing diesel generation with renewable energy is the wisest course for rural communities.
The theme of producing stable, local and clean renewable energy carried throughout the conference. Clean energy technical sessions included: Performance of Wind Systems, Messaging Energy Efficiency, Progress toward Alaska’s Renewable and Energy Efficiency Goals, Geothermal Project Updates, Heating beyond Biomass, Hydrokinetics Updates, and many more! The conference closed on Thursday with remarks from Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell. Besides saying that the State is committed to having 50 percent of its energy come from renewable sources by 2025, he
also stated that Alaska needs to find ways to stabilize the cost of energy in rural areas.
Some Southeast Alaskans believe that one way to stabilize energy costs is to use boilers that burn wood pellets. The Coast Guard and Forest Service have already turned to woody biomass (by-products from logging) to heat some of their buildings in Southeast Alaska. David Dungate of ACT Bioenergy, explains that when one looks at the best return per dollar invested in energy, biomass makes sense. However, biomass does not come without challenges. Funding, air pollution and sustainable timber harvesting are just a few key components that must be addressed when considering woody biomass.
Others are looking to geothermal energy for both heating and electrical generation. However, it’s not as simple as finding hot boiling water in the ground. Both temperature and flow rate are important when determining the potential power source. Location is another important factor. How far away is the nearest city? How far away is the nearest transmission line? These questions are being asked by the city of Akutan, where they are considering investing $60 million to build a geothermal plant, transmission lines and access roads. They hope to produce between 15 and 100 MW, with a minimum of 8MW, according toRay Mann, a consultant for the city. Studies show that the geothermal plant can bring Akutan’s energy costs down from 66 cents per kilowatt-hour, before power-cost equalization, to around 13 cents. Wind and hydropower were also reviewed, but geothermal seemed to be the best option for the area.
Although hydropower wasn’t chosen in the city of Akutan, it’s the top choice for Hydaburg, located on Prince of Wales Island. Reynolds Creek, about 10 miles from Hydaburg, is the future site for a small dam and powerhouse to feed electricity into the Prince of Wales Island’s grid. The hydropower is anticipated to eliminate the use of diesel generators and is expected to cost only 11 or 12 cents per kilowatt-hour. Haida Energy, a joint venture of the Haida Corporation and the Alaska Power and Telephone Company, hopes to have the project up and running by 2014, but is still waiting on additional funding.
11 Oct
By Betty Jo Pritchett
October is Alaska Energy Awareness Month. We kicked it off in style with our ‘Caulking and Cocktails’ event last Friday. To see pictures of the fantastic caulk art works, click here.
In keeping with the energy theme, the Alaska Conservation Blog today brings you ‘5 Weird and Strange Alternative Energy Sources’. Scientists around the world innovate constantly to try to end our dependence on foreign oil. Here are 5 that we found weird and strange- but also interesting:
7 Oct
Happy Friday! Just a reminder that today is our ‘Caulking and Cocktails’ event at Bernie’s Bungalow from 3pm-7pm. Participation in our Caulk Art Contest is FREE and you can win cash prizes! There will also be a great caulking demonstration, information on energy efficiency and of course, cocktails! For more info, click here.
Here are some conservation news articles that has been making headlines this week in Alaska. As always, we wish you a safe and happy weekend!
Alaska: Graveyard of Old Sea Ice
Whales’ foray up river worries biologists
Alaska Dispatch Op-Ed piece: Kenai aerial wolf control is misguided, biologically unsound
Alaska University Experiments With Golden Potato
Climate Change is a Major Concern for European Citizens, Poll finds
5 Oct
By Kate McKeown
Two things that Alaskans wait for all year have finally arrived. In Anchorage, they woke up to the first termination dust on the Chugach Mountains and all Alaskans received word on the amount of the 2011 Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) amount! Both of these noteworthy events signify only one thing- winter is right around the corner. Which also means that utility bills are about to rise, that is unless you are putting energy efficiency measures to work for you!
As winter quickly approaches, Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, Mat-Su Mayor Larry De Vilbiss and Kenai Peninsula Mayor Dave Carey joined together in Anchorage to promote energy efficiency and awareness. Specifically, they spoke to the “Energy Watch” campaign, which uses a stoplight concept to communicate with ratepayers when gas delivery pressures falls low enough to cause a crisis due to increased energy demand. Green means use energy as normal, whereas red means reduce the thermostat and cut back energy usage wherever possible. Mayor Sullivan stated that “when you can save three to five percent of the load, you could make a difference.”
Also thinking about energy efficiency last week was the Midnight Sun Brewery. The brewery has started to take steps to become a greener establishment, while spotlighting energy efficiency. Green Star, one of the Alaska Conservation Alliance member groups, has teamed up with the brewery and Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership to lead the brewery toward a greener future. Midnight
On Saturday, Fairbanks kicked off Alaska Energy Awareness Month in style with a ‘Parade of Homes’ featuring energy efficiency and smart design. These homes, all built within the last year, showcase the latest in energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart design. Most of the homes have a 5 star energy rating and one home is completely fossil-fuel free. Look for a full-color magazine about these homes to come out soon from the Interior Alaska Building Association.
Last week was the Alaska Rural Energy Conference in Juneau so stay tuned for many more details about that next week!
