By Roger Maynard, on January 30th, 2009  Yesterday Skagway’s Goat Lake hydroelectric power plant was supplying power for Skagway, and for Haines via undersea cable, when heavy wet snow brought several trees into contact with the transmission line along the Klondike Highway. At 6:50 p.m. the lights went out in both cities.
Haines was without power for several hours while the Skagway crew worked to get their other power source up and running. But when I went for a walk at 6:00 a.m. today, the Haines diesel-fired generation plant was running.
Before the power outage Haines residents were enjoying power at the reasonable rate of just over $0.07 per kilowatt hour (kWh). If it becomes necessary to use the diesel power plant for a protracted period of time, the rate could go up to over $0.23 per kilowatt hour — over three times the cost of hydroelectric power, due to the high cost of fuel.
The diesel fired plant in Haines consumes 138 gallons per hour. Using the EPA emissions calculation for diesel, we are pouring 3063.6 pounds of CO2 into the air over Haines for every hour of power generation.
Additionally, a modern high conversion fuel refinery will end up producing about…10 gallons of low sulfur diesel from one barrel of crude. So it takes roughly 13.8 barrels of crude oil to produce the amount of diesel we are burning per hour.
Now tell me again what is environmentally unsound about AP&T’s proposed Connelly Lake hydroelectric project?
Sources:
United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Emission Facts: Calculating CO2 Emissions. 30 January, 2009. <http://www.epa.gov/oms/climate/420f05001.htm#calculating>.
Yahoo answers. “How many gallons of diesel per barrel of oil?” Online posting, source not verified. 30 January, 2009. <http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080202063522AAMikd7>
By Roger Maynard, on January 21st, 2009 Economist Thomas Sowell writes,
“Many desirable things are advocated without regard to the most fundamental fact of economics, that resources are inherently limited and have alternative uses.”
No matter how much wilderness or open space we have, there still could be more. Yet an open-ended demand for more wilderness ignores the fact that some development could result in a net gain for people AND for the environment.
An example is the proposed hydroelectric project at Connelly Lake: By building a low-impact hydro project capable of providing plenty of electric power to Haines in the foreseeable future we can significantly reduce fuel use, air pollution, transportation of fuel (and therefore less oil spill potential,) and cruise ship emissions (while docked.) The net gain in consumer savings, increased home values, clean air and water, and reduced carbon emissions undoubtedly exceeds the environmental costs of two miles of road and one small power plant.
Sources used:
Sowell, Thomas. Economic Facts and Fallacies. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2008.
By Roger Maynard, on December 9th, 2008 The Haines Borough Assembly meets at 6:30 p.m. in borough building (firehall.) Read a copy of the agenda, or go to the Haines Borough Website to pickup a full packet of information for the meeting. Of special interest tonight will be the Haines Energy & Sustainability Commission report, and the borough’s legislative priorities for the upcoming legislature.
Interested in Hydropower? Be there.
By Roger Maynard, on December 7th, 2008 Note: This letter was emailed to each person listed. But it’s only one letter. If YOU want to see ample hydropower in this valley, please write to the mayor and the assembly and let them know.
To: The Honorable Jan Hill, Mayor, Haines Borough jhill@haines.ak.us
Sent via email
RE: PLEASE SUPPORT AP&T’s CONNELLY LAKE HYDROPOWER PROJECT
Dear Mayor Hill,
Today we have an opportunity to make a difference in the future of Haines by supporting creation of a low-impact hydroelectric project proposed by Alaska Power & Telephone (AP&T.) Based on our own research, plus attendance at many meetings of the Haines Borough Assembly and the Haines Energy & Sustainability Commission (HESC), we have learned that no other power source can provide the quantity of clean, safe, renewable energy for Haines that hydropower can.
Read more->
By Roger Maynard, on December 5th, 2008 In the interest of full disclosure, I need to let everyone know that I will benefit personally if AP&T completes the Connelly Lake Hydropower project as proposed:
Read more->
By Roger Maynard, on November 30th, 2008  Chilkoot Lake Alaska Power & Telephone is ready to move forward on the Connelly Lake Hydroelectric Project. During a November 25th presentation to the Haines Energy and Sustainability Commission, Regional Manager Stan Selmer and Glenn Martin of AP&T’s Port Townsend office explained that they are just beginning the public hearing and approval process.
History
During the 1990′s Alaska Electric Light and Power was pursuing the Connelly Lake project and completed much of the feasibility study and other preliminary work before they were purchased by AP&T.
Read more->
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| Nate Beeler
The Columbus Dispatch
May 16, 2012
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Lynn Canal Map & Marine Traffic (refresh for current ship positions)
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Editor:
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P.O. Box 784
Haines, Alaska 99827
editor@hainesnews.net
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