March 11, 2010
By Steve Law of Pamplin Media Group: Green buildings are so 2000s. The next big thing for the 2010s? Green neighborhoods. After five years in the hopper, the group that ushered in popular “LEED” standards to certify and foster environmentally friendly buildings is expanding, along with two partner organizations, to promote green subdivisions and mixed-use projects. They call it LEED-ND, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development. Read more
March 10, 2010
By Joe Viechnicki with KFSK in Petersburg: Officials say the state’s renewable energy fund created just two years ago is already starting to reduce the use of oil and gas to generate electricity in Alaska. (Hear the full story here)
March 4, 2010
By Jad Mouawad of the the New York Times: INDIANTOWN, Fla. — In former swamplands teeming with otters and wild hogs, one of the nation’s biggest utilities is running an experiment in the future of renewable power. Across 500 acres north of West Palm Beach, the FPL Group utility is assembling a life-size Erector Set of 190,000 shimmering mirrors and thousands of steel pylons that stretch as far as the eye can see. When it is completed by the end of the year, this vast project will be the world’s second-largest solar plant. But that is not its real novelty. The solar array is being grafted onto the back of the nation’s largest fossil-fuel power plant, fired by natural gas. It is an experiment in whether conventional power generation can be married with renewable power in a way that lowers costs and spares the environment. Read more
March 2, 2010
From the U.S. Department of Energy: WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the inaugural ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit today, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $100 million in Recovery Act funding will be made available to accelerate innovation in green technology, increase America’s competitiveness and create new jobs. Today’s announcement comes as some of the nation’s top energy leaders and members of the scientific research community have gathered to ensure U.S. leadership in clean energy technologies.
“This is about unleashing the American innovation machine to solve the energy and climate challenge, while creating new jobs, new industries and new exports for America’s workers,” said Secretary Chu. Read more
March 1, 2010
Pillar Mountain Wind Farm Fast Facts •Total kWhs Generated: 7,393,728•Gallons of Diesel Saved: 520,685•(Data as of Feburary 28, 2010)
Congratulations to Kodiak Electric for being named the 2009 Wind Cooperative of the Year by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Kodiak Electric is the second cooperative in Alaska to receive the award. The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, which operates in 53 villages in Interior and Western Alaska, was honored as Wind Cooperative of the Year in 2007.
Kodiak was chosen for the award in recognition of its Pillar Mountain project in which they installed three turbines on Pillar Mountain last summer. Each turbine is capable of producing 1.5 megawatts, which makes them the most powerful in the state. So far, the turbines have kept the cooperative from having to burn more than 520,000 gallons of diesel fuel, which at $2 a gallon add up to more than a $1 million in savings. (See the latest stats here) At times, the utility is 100% renewably powered using wind and power produced by its hydro facility. The total cost of the Pillar Mountain project was about $21.4 million, with $4 million of that cost paid for with a grant from Alaska’s Renewable Energy Grant Fund.
In a statement about the award, the DOE praised Kodiak’s Pillar Mountain project for paving “the way for large wind turbine manufacturers to do business in Alaska while gathering experience on integrating megawatt-sized wind energy systems into other isolated grid systems throughout the state.”
Kodiak Electric Association CEO Darron Scott told REAP that community support was a key factor for the project. “Kodiak was so supportive of the project,” he said. “This award really goes to three groups, the Community of Kodiak for their support, KEA Board of Directors for their vision and KEA’s employees and our contractors for their excellent work in making it happen.”
Before installing the turbines, the utility relied on a mix of about 80 percent hydropower and 20 percent diesel fuel. By adding wind power, the utility has insulated itself against price spikes in diesel fuel costs and helped businesses by stabilizing the cost of power. Kodiak Electric serves just about 4,000 commercial and residential customers on Kodiak Island.
A panel of wind industry, government, national laboratory, and electric cooperative experts selected Kodiak Electric Association for the award over eight other nominated electric cooperatives from across the United States.
Pillar Mountain Media Coverage
Kodiak Daily Mirror:
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)
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
Great news out of Unalakleet. STG Incorporated sent out this press release today about the six turbines they installed last year in the coastal village that is home to about 700 people and also serves as a stop on the Iditarod Trail. In just four months, the turbines have already produced over 274,000 kilowatt-hours, enough to save the utility 21,000 gallons of diesel fuel or about $52,500 at a price of $2.50 a gallon. To watch the turbines in real time, go to http://northernpower.kiosk-view.com/unalakleet. Unalakleet is one of two Iditarod checkpoints that can now lay claim to being wind-powered. Nome, the endpoint of the trail, also has turbines up and running. Read more about Nome’s set up here
[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
