Results: Calendar of Events
September 6, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Five Anchorage Democrats in the Legislature are pushing Gov. Sean Parnell to do more to head off an energy crisis in Southcentral Alaska.Sen. Hollis French and Reps. Les Gara, Pete Petersen and Chris Tuck sent Parnell a letter Friday calling for an emergency plan.Their main concern: That people are not prepared for a possible shortage of natural gas this winter that could leave people without heat and power.
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September 6, 2009
Rob Stapleton posted this story in Alaska Journal of Commerce about a new wind farm near Delta Junction that will feed electricity into the Golden Valley Electric Association grid.
Two years and a lot of hard work later, a wind farm that now generates electricity into the Golden Valley Electric Association grid is taking shape on a knoll near Delta Junction. Alaska Environmental Power, LLC has one wind generator up and running, and has set the foundation for another. The generator site is northwest of Delta.
September 12, 2009
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Annual Alaska Rubber Duck Race sponsored by the Anchorage Waterways Council
Saturday, Sept. 12, 1-5 pm
Peanut Farm
Race starts at 2 p.m.
Info at www.anchoragecreeks.org
September 4, 2009
The Environmental Protection Agency has revised the qualifications for televisions to achieve the ENERGY STAR label, requiring TVs to be 40% more energy efficient than conventional models. These requirements will help consumers save even more energy and money and fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while allowing them to continue to enjoy the features, performance and quality they expect. Televisions meeting EPA’s new, more stringent ENERGY STAR specifications will be available in stores nationwide starting May 1, 2010.
See more details here
September 3, 2009
The Kodiak Daily Mirror recently chronicled the christening of the new wind turbine project on Pillar Mountain on Kodiak Island. The utility estimates the new turbines – the first in the state that can each produce more than a megawatt – could produce enough power to eliminate the need for 800,000 gallons of diesel each year.The utility already gets most of its power from renewable sources with about 80 percent coming from its hydroelectric facility at Terror Lake.
The Kodiak Electric Association had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the three wind turbines Friday afternoon on a cold and foggy Pillar mountaintop. Included in the ceremony was a chance for attendees to go inside one of the turbines and peek upwards in its hollow stem.
KEA’s three 1.5 megawatt-class wind turbines, manufactured by General Electric, are the first of their size in the state. All three are part of the association’s effort to make Kodiak’s power come from 95 percent renewable energy sources by the year 2020.
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September 2, 2009
APRN reports on new federal stimulus funding for people upgrading to more energy efficiency appliances. Alaska has about $650,000 for the program, but the details of how it would be doled out and who would be eligible are still being worked out. AHFC also has a short update on the program.
September 2, 2009
Bloomberg News reports on Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and IHI Corp. joining a 2 trillion yen ($21 billion) Japanese project intended to build a giant solar-power generator in space within three decades and beam electricity to earth.
September 2, 2009
The issue of a natural gas shortfall in Cook Inlet and the potential for rolling brownouts this winter in Anchorage and other Railbelt communities was the focus of a House Energy Special Committee meeting on Sept. 1. It was covered by KTUU, and KTVA. The Petroleum News also published a story about the issue. The meeting focused on plans for ensuring an adequate supply of gas, both for the short- and long-term, and preventing any loss of power or heat to the more than 300,000 people that live in the Railbelt communities. The contingency plan includes agreements between the utilities to reduce their use of natural gas on peak demand days, and getting people to cut back on energy use. REAP Executive Director Chris Rose spoke about REAP’s upcoming Alaska Efficiency Challenge, a fun and practical program for reducing energy consumption. The Challenge will provide residents tips for saving money on their energy bills, and allow schools, businesses, and even municipaltites to compete against each other to see who can save the most energy.
September 2, 2009
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of national laboratory-led projects for up to $11 million this year, as well as future years, subject to annual appropriations, under DOE’s competitive laboratory solicitation for the development of Advanced Water Power Technologies. These projects will advance the science needed to accelerate the commercial viability, market acceptance, and environmental performance for both new marine and hydrokinetic technologies as well as technologies and methods to improve on the performance of conventional hydropower facilities.
The following national laboratories and projects have been selected for award negotiations.
Topic Area One: Supporting Research and Testing for Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy (up to $2.5 Million for up to three years)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, Colorado), and fourteen partners, including universities, private industry, and three other DOE national laboratories, will develop essential tools and methods for the engineering, design, and testing of marine and hydrokinetic devices. Research will be performed in the areas of mechanical engineering and machine performance; testing hydrodynamics and sediments; development and testing of advanced materials; and system simulation and visualization.
- Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, New Mexico), along with partners from universities and other national laboratories, will evaluate hydrokinetic device designs and performance, develop hydrodynamic theoretical and numerical models to create design codes for use by industry; and conduct basic research in materials, coatings, adhesives, and manufacturing to increase the reliability and cost-effectiveness of marine and hydrokinetic devices.
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September 1, 2009
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Net Zero energy homes. Passive Haus, a home that does not need a heating system. Photovoltaic systems that produce enough rooftop electricity to power 15 homes. Karl T. Schmid, architect, passive haus builder and designer of several net zero energy homes will be in Alaska September 1, 2009. He will make a presentation in the AHFC Board Room, from 1-3 pm. If you are interested in exploring these issues for Alaska, plan on attending.
The AHFC Board Room is in the AHFC headquarters, 4300 Boniface Parkway, Anchorage. Please reply to swaterman@ahfc.state.ak.us if you are interested in attending, to ensure we have enough space for all.
