Alaska Chat II

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by Xa'at

I don't wonder, I know.
AEL&P is applying for permits because all this diesel usage is going to violate CBJ clean air regs. Normally, this is the kind of thing I would be outraged about... but I don't see that we have a choice.

I hope someone keeps an eye on your bee population. Someone wrote that the increases in air pollution down here are destroying the scent trails from the flowers, so the bees can't pollinate them.

[ASpilot2be]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

Here's something interesting... Did anyone ever wonder how much diesel fuel Juneau uses each day?

Alaska Electric Light and Power Company's homepage

My uncle was telling me about the numbers. Delta Western has a truck going 7 days a week to keep up.

[warptman]

Its funny how Juneau is panicking about going to diesel for power and how much its going to cost. We've been paying high costs for power out here for decades. Now they can see how we feel out here and what we've been paying.

[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by warptman

Its funny how Juneau is panicking about going to diesel for power and how much its going to cost. We've been paying high costs for power out here for decades. Now they can see how we feel out here and what we've been paying.

Yeah, except power in the bush is subsidized through PCE. We have no such help.

[ASpilot2be]

Originally Posted by Xa'at

Yeah, except power in the bush is subsidized through PCE. We have no such help.

Also it was a HUGE jump in price for customers. It cant be easy when you budget for one price, and it jumps 5x.

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by ASpilot2be

Also it was a HUGE jump in price for customers. It cant be easy when you budget for one price, and it jumps 5x.

Welcome to the lower 48. Prices for food have been doing jumps like that this year.

[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by ASpilot2be

Also it was a HUGE jump in price for customers. It cant be easy when you budget for one price, and it jumps 5x.

There's that, and the fact that we're being charged RETROACTIVELY. The avalanche happened in the middle of the month, but we pay the +500% rate for the entire month, even for electricity that came from hydro before the avalanche. It's criminal, is what it is.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by Xa'at

Yeah, except power in the bush is subsidized through PCE. We have no such help.

Snettisham was built by the Federal government. It was sold to the State of Alaska, for $100 million, in 1998. It is operated by Alaska Electric Light & Power. At some point in the future AEL&P will become the owner, as they are paying off the bonds used by the State to purchase the project. AEL&P refused an option to purchase in 2003 because it would have caused a significant rate increase.

In addition to government taking the financial risk, and reducing the cost of financing the project, the ongoing ownership by the State of Alaska subsidizes the cost of Juneau's electricity (Snettisham produces about 85% of Juneau's requirements) because the State is not required to have a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license, does not pay the Forest Service for Right-Of-Way, and does not pay property taxes.

Without the government subsidy that makes Snettisham possible, Juneau would have had significantly higher electric rates at all times since 1973 when that plant came on line.

[vpcats]

Guys I read all your posts every day even if I don't contribute too much but I gotta tell you. There's this program about Alaska on the Travel Channel tonight, with this guy that eats all these weird foods all over the world.

Well, they were in Bethel. I thought of Warptman right away. I felt like I knew where this guy was.

He ate in some of the natives' homes. (nice homes!) but the stuff he was eating.... UFFFFF.... LOLLL... rotten fish? some whale "roast" this "ice cream" made of seal fat, fish, berries and something else? Poor little mooseys. Salmon wings?

Even he was making faces sometimes and you could tell that he would hold his food in his mouth before he could swallow and this guy eats roaches, mice, monkey brains and really gory stuff through his travels.

Don't you have just plain cheeseburgers over there?

The walrus, oh poorrrrrr baby!

Bark.... careful what you eat on that cruise!

[Metlakatla]

"ice cream" made of seal fat, fish, berries and something else?

Muktuk, hell I don't know, my head hurts. My son likes that stuff. What's gross to me is eating some old dead cow. Did the guy eat any fish head soup? It's yum.