December 1, 2009
This isn’t a news item per se, but a new Canadian Science Advisory Report details what needs to be studied about wave and tidal energy impacts. This is interesting because Alaska has such potential in this area with an estimated 50 percent of the country’s potential wave power and 90 percent of its potential river current and tidal power. There are also ongoing efforts to look at tapping in stream turbine power in Alaska, and installing a turbine in Cook Inlet.
The report gives a good summary of the areas that need to be studied as this technology advances from possible impacts of noise and vibrations on marine life to any impacts on water quality.
Here’s a short summary of the need for the report: Canada’s vast and highly energetic Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coastal waters make ocean renewable energy, particularly tidal in-stream energy conversion (TISEC) and wave energy conversion (WEC), technologies an attractive option to help meet the country’s future energy needs. However, due to the novelty and diversity of these technologies, there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the feasibility and potential environmental impacts associated with their deployment and operation. In support of commercial development of the industry, a review of scientific knowledge is required for the development of policy and regulations consistent with Canada’s conservation and sustainability priorities.
To read the full report, click here
December 9, 2009
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
6-8 pm at the Anchorage Museum auditorium
The supply of cheap, available natural gas is dwindling in Cook Inlet, and the Railbelt has tough choices to make to secure power for our homes and businesses for the coming decades. So where should that power come from and how do we ensure we make the right choices now to secure the best energy future?
Natural gas production in Cook Inlet is declining. Blue line shows current output. Red line is a projection of where demand could start to exceed supply. Natural gas currently supplies more than 90 percent of the power needs for Southcentral Alaska. To see a 2009 Powerpoint summarizing the Cook Inlet natural gas situation, click on the link on the bottom left.
Come hear what the state is doing to find solutions for powering Southcentral Alaska (and Fairbanks), and give your input at REAP’s free monthly energy forum.
Jim Strandberg, of the Alaska Energy Authority, will discuss the options being considered and talk about the Regional Integrated Resource Plan, a state-funded study that is a key element to answering those questions. The study, now out for public comment, analyzes a variety of options over the next 50 years from building an in-state gas pipeline to tapping geothermal and hydroelectric power. Securing a good, long-term supply of energy is one of the biggest issues facing the state. Come be a part of the discussion. For more information, call 929-7770 or email s.nowers@REalaska.org.
To download a copy of the draft Regional Integrated Resource Plan(RIRP), click here
2009 Energy Forum Powerpoint
