Rhetoric VS. Reality
Policy-makers are talking a lot about energy and energy policy. What fallows are some of the most frequently heard claims and proposals, along with realities that need to be considered when evaluating these claims.
Click Here to read Energy Issues and rhetoric addressed on our site.
Energy plan calls for unifying electric utilities
November 10, 2009
Alaska Dispatch
Rena Delbridge
Cooperation for efficiency's sake
The generation and transmission infrastructure throughout the Railbelt is fragile and unlikely to meet even basic load demands in the near future, Strandberg said. He gave his own age as 61 -- the infrastructure's, he said, is closer to 70.
Meanwhile, changing fuel supplies and prices are forcing a second look at where electricity comes from, and how it gets to users. Some utilities generate electricity from natural gas, but others are heavily reliant on diesel fuel, which translated into hefty surcharges on consumer bills when oil hit its $140 per barrel high in 2008. Even those utilities with natural gas feedstock aren't safe -- Cook Inlet natural gas supplies aren't enough to meet Southcentral demand at peak usage. Some power distributors, such as the City of Seward, have been warned they may need to kick-start backup diesel units if Southcentral runs short on gas this winter.
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