March 8, 2010
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
**March 8
WASILLA – FRESH, THE MOVIE will be shown will be shown at The Alaska Club from 7 to 9pm.. FRESH will challenge your thinking about what you are eating and empower you to take back the your well-being that is being stolen from you and your family through industrialized agriculture. Fresh celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. The movie runs 72 minutes with Q & A time following the movie. For more information call 907-745-5725. A suggested donation of $2.00 per person or $5.00 per family is encouraged to help pay the viewing license fee.
March 11, 2010
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
*March 11
RECYCLING INDUSTRY MEETING, formerly known as the “Quarterly Recycling Meeting” will be held from Noon to 1:30pm in the MOA, Training Room, 4700 Elmore Road. The Municipality of Anchorage Solid Waste Services is pleased to host its regular recycling industry meeting. This meeting is open to the public. There should be time for discussion, additional topics and questions at the end of the meeting. Please RSVP if possible so we can be sure to have enough space. Feel free to bring a lunch. TENTATIVE AGENDA: Recycling updates (Please RSVP if you have an update), Statewide program opportunities (SBAC, Buy Alaska), Media coverage, Options for Industry collaboration (advocacy, promotion and marketing), Measurement & Metrics, Volunteer opportunities and action items, Other topics, and Q&A. For more information contact the Municipality of Anchorage Recycling Coordinators, Donna Mears at mearsdc@muni.org or 343-6275 or Jeanne Carlson at carlsonj@muni.org or go to www.muni.org/sws.
March 10, 2010
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
*March 10
CELTIC ANCESTRAL WISDOM FOR MODERN SUSTAINABLE LIVING will be presented by NANCY LEE-EVANS from 6:30 to 8:30 at UAA University Center Room 143 (3801 Old Seward Hwy, next to Natural Pantry, free parking). Drawing on extensive research on indigenous traditions, Nancy will share the sustainable lifeways and spiritual traditions of our European ancestors. Recognizing that all life is sacred, and that good relationship is fundamental to harmony and balance, our ancestors crafted a way of life that enables them to live sustainably on their tribal lands for thousands of years. Learn about the justice of Brehon Law, the cooperative use of tribal lands and resources, subsistence farming and more in a lively evening of lecture and discussion. $5 Fee For more information contact Terri Brown 344-0935.
February 25, 2010
Could we reduce our energy use by 50 percent over 2000 levels and, at the same time, generate jobs and boost economic output? This Alaska Conservation Alliance report details how Alaskans can do it by 2025. It’s an ambitious plan, but as many have noted the cheapest energy to buy is the energy not purchased at all, or as some call it, “the negawatt”. The report, entittled “Railbelt Electricity Efficiency Landscape” (REEL) was unveiled in Juneau Tuesday and attracted quite a bit of media coverage, which I’ve linked to below.
Read the full REEL report here
Read a summary of the REEL report here
Media Coverage:
Railbelt communities need to become more energy efficient(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Report shows energy efficiency in Railbelt could boost economy(KTUU-TV)
Anchorage Bicycle Plan Public Hearing
• 6 pm, Tuesday, March 2 •
Anchorage Assembly Chambers, Z.J. Loussac Public Library
For more information call: 891-1971 or visit: www.bicycleanchorage.org
February 24, 2010
By Jill Burke at AK Dispatch: On Tuesday, the village of Unalakleet, seated on Alaska’s northwest coast, celebrated the town’s newest energy force — turbine number six. The awakening of the high-tech wind catcher completes the installation of the town’s new wind farm, which has already saved the village tens of thousands of dollars since the first turbines powered up a few months ago. Since November, Unalakleet has cut utility costs by nearly $55,000 and generated enough electricity to power 86 homes for an entire year, according the wind farm’s new Web site. The site also claims the wind energy has significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise have been pumped into the atmosphere through more traditional, diesel-only power generation — the equivalent of more than 580,000 miles of driving in the family car. According to our calculations, that’s about 111 one-way trips between Anchorage and Key West, Florida. Read more
February 23, 2010
Two of Unalakleet
Two checkpoints on the Iditarod – Nome and Unalakleet – now have windpower systems. Since November 2009, the Unalakleet six Northwind100 turbines have churned out enough energy to save the community from burning more than 72,000 gallons of diesel fuel, a saving of about $180,000 at the rate of $2.50 a gallon. Check out Unalakleet’s website where you can track the turbines’ power production in real time.
Nome Wind Farm
Nome, the endpoint of the trail, has 18 Entegrity EW-50 turbines, that were installed on Banner Peak in 2008. From January 2010-November 2010, the turbines generated 767,000 kilowatt hours, a savings of 59,000 gallons of diesel based on a power plant efficiency of 13kWh per gallon of diesel. Read more about Nome’s turbines here.
STG Incorporated Press Release on Unalakleet turbines
[UNALAKLEET, AK, February 23, 2010] – Today, Unalakleet Valley Electric Cooperative (UVEC) celebrated the completion of its six-turbine wind power installation through the launch of a web portal that provides opportunities for the public to monitor the project’s energy production. UVEC’s 600 kW wind installation was completed in November 2009 and is one of the first implemented through the financial support of the State of Alaska’s Renewable Energy Fund, a $250 million grant program designed to support renewable energy projects that help reduce the cost of energy for Alaskans. The installation was also made possible through financial assistance from Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC), the Commercial Development Quota organization serving Alaska’s Bering Strait Region, and the Unalakleet Native Corporation (UNC).
UVEC’s wind farm, developed and constructed by Anchorage-based STG Incorporated, was built over a four month period last summer. The project is expected to deliver 1,500,000 kWh of wind-generated electricity to UVEC annually, approximately 35% of the electricity needs for the community. The six-turbine array is connected into UVEC’s existing distribution system and the utility’s diesel-powered generation facilities. By producing energy with no fuel costs, the wind installation will provide substantial annual savings in avoided diesel fuel expenditures and will consequently stabilize and reduce the cost of energy across the community.
The project has been on-line since November and to date has produced enough electricity to save approximately 21,000 gallons of diesel fuel for the Unalakleet member-owned cooperative. “Like most all rural Alaska utilities, we have seen a dramatic increase in the delivered price of our primary fuel source, diesel, over the past five years,” said UVEC General Manager Ike Towarak. “The wind installation will help us be better prepared to manage on-going operational costs at the utility. This results in direct benefits for our members by making it possible to pass along cost savings to UVEC’s rate payers.”
Through the financial assistance of the State of Alaska, NSEDC, and UNC, the wind project was completed on an accelerated schedule in order for the community to begin receiving fuel-saving benefits this winter. The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) maintains oversight of Alaska’s Renewable Energy Fund Program which provided a $4 million dollar grant for the wind installation. “We are very pleased to see this happen in Unalakleet,” noted AEA Executive Director Steve Haagenson. “This wind energy project is a great example of a good public/private partnership and a solid illustration of positive results from Alaska’s Renewable Energy Fund.”
The wind project is fully operational, but will be running at a reduced capacity until UVEC’s new power plant is completed later this year. The wind turbines utilized for the project, the Northwind 100, are manufactured by Vermont-based Northern Power Systems and engineered for operation in Arctic conditions. “Overall, the project has performed well and the turbines helped us begin to reduce fuel consumption at the utility almost immediately,” said Towarak. “We were fortunate to have a very capable team of companies and individuals supporting the rapid deployment of our project and we expect to see even stronger system performance as we implement new controls later this year.”
While the web portal is one of the first in Alaska to provide publically accessible real-time energy production data for a wind-diesel installation, it was launched primarily to support educational opportunities by illustrating how the wind-generated electricity from UVEC’s wind system is being utilized in the community. “It has been a privilege for us to work with UVEC and the village of Unalakleet to bring this project to fruition,” said STG President James St. George. “Wind power is addressing energy-related challenges in villages across Alaska. It is exciting that this portal will provide opportunities to publically celebrate not just the success of this individual project, but the technology’s abilities to deliver tangible benefits that can be realized in many of our communities.”
The portal will also support the implementation of hands-on and interactive curriculum designed to teach Unalakleet students about wind energy systems. The curriculum is under development, but is being modeled after the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Wind for Schools program.
UVEC and project partners plan to showcase the recently launched web-based portal at a public dedication ceremony scheduled to be held at the Unalakleet school later this season. A permanent display of the portal has been installed in the school library and is accessible through the following link: http://northernpower.kiosk-view.com/unalakleet.
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About Unalakleet Valley Electric Cooperative
Unalakleet Valley Electric Cooperative (UVEC) is a non-profit member cooperative servicing the village of Unalakleet on Alaska’s Bering Sea coast. The utility is managed by a seven-member Board of Directors and its General Manager, providing electricity services for approximately 750 residents and local businesses across the community.
About STG Incorporated
For over fifteen years, STG has provided construction services and management for a wide variety of commercial clients across rural Alaska. The company specializes in the construction of bulk fuel systems, pile foundations, power generation and distribution facilities, communication towers and renewable energy systems. A market leader in the installation of commercial wind energy systems, STG has installed approximately 75% of the utility-scale wind turbines operating in Alaska. For additional information, please visit www.stgincorporated.com.
Contacts:
Unalakleet Valley Electric Cooperative
Ike Towarak, General Manager
(907) 624-3474 – Telephone
uvec@gci.net
STG Incorporated
Clinton White, Business Development
(907) 644-4664 – Telephone
clinton@stgincorporated.com
February 22, 2010
By Eric Lidji, Petroleum News: The profile of Chakachamna Lake hydropower, a project proposed for the west side of Cook Inlet, has risen a lot in the last two months. In early December, a study of Railbelt energy needs placed Chakachamna ahead of a much larger and more widely discussed hydropower project on the Susitna River. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is deciding whether to extend the permit that lets TDX Power, the sponsor of the Chakachamna project, study the project.Now, TDX hopes those developments will bolster its case before the state Legislature. The company wants $5 million in state funds to help pay for fieldwork this summer. Read more
February 22, 2010
By Rena Delbridge at Alaska Dispatch: In terms of punctuation marks, Railbelt natural gas supplies are a bit of question mark, and fuel prices in the Bush are a big exclamation point. So, it’s safe to assume Alaska’s electricity producers and consumers would appreciate a little stability. At least one company wants to transform Alaska’s geothermal resource into a reliable source of electricity, and is hoping for a way around an oddball state law that taxes hot water pulled from state land.
Ormat Technologies, a Nevada-based geothermal company that develops projects and runs power plants, is interested in water kept hot by volcanic activity at Mount Spurr in Southcentral, and at Mount Makushin near Dutch Harbor. Public Policy Manager Paul Thomsen told a legislative committee on Wednesday that his company strongly supports two bills offered by Sen. Lesil McGuire — one that would scrap the state’s substantial royalty tax on hot water, and one that would offer tax credits for exploration and production. Read more
March 4, 2010
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
*March 4
Cascadia Region Green Building Council presents ENVIRONMENTAL and CULTURAL SURVIVAL in ARCTIC COMMUNITIES – THE SUSTAINABLE NORTHERN SHELTER PROJECT with JACK HEBERT, President/CEO, Cold Climate Housing Research Center, from 7 to 9pm in Room 101, UAA, Rasmuson Hall. Northern communities face serious challenges, including climate change, accelerated resource development, and a dramatic increase in energy prices. The Sustainable Northern Shelter project links environmental and cultural sustainability as an essential aspect of the green building movement. In addition to highlighting the important cultural aspects of the design, through the use of community design charrettes, the presentation also explores technical considerations including materials and transportation, building envelope design, heating and ventilation, energy modeling and monitoring, and community workforce training. By fostering a sense of inclusiveness in the design process these projects are resulting in solutions that are healthy, affordable, sustainable, and a natural fit for the people who call them home. Cost: free for Cascadia members, University faculty/staff/students; Other $5 (advance sale online), $10 (at the door). To RSVP and get a ticket, go to http://heberttlsanchorage.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Mark Masteller at mark@cascadiagbc.org.
