Wow! What a reputation: Alaska number one in sexually transmitted diseases? (Anchorage: mineral rights, school)

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

If gas was used to power a new plant then people wouldn't need it piped to their homes, they'd just need an electric heat source.

Actually that coal fired power plant may be cheaper than anything else in the short run, since the original construction was funded in half by the feds. And since it's located in Healy, it is out of the inversion area (right?).

Electric heat won't work in the interior of Alaska. It would be extremely expensive, because it gets too cold during the winter. But cheaper electrical power would be a good idea. For example, a small house with 1,500 SQ-foot of living space, plus a garage or two, with all LED lighting and HE appliances average around $200.00 per month on electricity. Also, you plugging in a vehicle for 2 hours a night would probably add $40.00 a month or more. Electric heat is only feasible in places where electricity is real cheap. For example, in Plattsburgh, NY back in the '70s and early '80s.

The natural gas pipes have already been installed along the property easements around North Pole and Fairbanks. This was done two years ago, and the idea is for home owners to retrofit boilers and furnaces to burn natural gas instead of heating fuel, which in turn would reduce emissions. But there are only two ways to bring natural gas to the interior:

a. Pipeline. The most efficient and cheap way to deliver right the easements, and from there to the homes or other structures

b. Trains, or trucks. Then storage facilities would have to be built, and then truck fleets to deliverer it to homes, which would make it as or more expensive than heating oil.

Keep in mind that the main problem Fairbanks faces relation to air pollution is wood burning at one side, and coal-burning plus other emissions at the other side. Natural gas would reduce air pollution because it burns a lot cleaner than all the other energy sources. Power plants, business, home owners, etc., can use natural gas as long as the cost would be kept at a minimum.

[GnomadAK]

How much would it cost to build massive gasfired power plants on the slope, at the source of the gas, and export the power to FBX and beyond? Seems the best way to use that gas. Not a new idea, it was proposed back before thre was a actual pipe line.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by GnomadAK

How much would it cost to build massive gasfired power plants on the slope, at the source of the gas, and export the power to FBX and beyond? Seems the best way to use that gas. Not a new idea, it was proposed back before thre was a actual pipe line.

It is not a bad idea, but we already have natural gas deposits nearby, and this would be cheaper. However there would have to be a processing plant and storage tanks close-by, too.

[Metlakatla]

So is there anything to this geothermal thing? Chena Hot Springs heats its buildings that way. The way the guy up there talks, everyone can and should have their own little geothermal power plant.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

So is there anything to this geothermal thing? Chena Hot Springs heats its buildings that way. The way the guy up there talks, everyone can and should have their own little geothermal power plant.

Geothermal heating systems are awesome, but I believe that is an extremely expensive installation, especially in a cold climate

[zonidee]

Originally Posted by Izzie1213

It's cold there. A lot of snuggling under the blankets to keep warm.

Yes its cold so i dunno how many diseases could survive!!!!

Do ya think this report is BS? (Hopefully not accurate)

[Metlakatla]

Well, maybe Alaska needs to get its **** together and pay for something for once, but I won't hold my breath on that.

Bernie Karl is one step up from a snake oil salesman, but maybe something like this could actually work:

https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060044202

[Metlakatla]

I've met Karl several times. He and his wife both sort of gave me the creeps; he was bragging about Connie being convicted on some sort of racketeering charge as if being a low-level criminal was something to be proud of. Something about falsifying temperature and chlorine records at CHS (it's matter of public record for anyone who cares enough to look it up), which is pretty shady since most of their guests actually get into that water. Gross.

My question was about the mini geothermal plants he says he has, though. I'd like to hear from someone with some actual experience with them.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I've met Karl several times. He and his wife both sort of gave me the creeps; he was bragging about Connie being convicted on some sort of racketeering charge as if being a low-level criminal was something to be proud of. Something about falsifying temperature and chlorine records at CHS (it's matter of public record for anyone who cares enough to look it up), which is pretty shady since most of their guests actually get into that water. Gross.

My question was about the mini geothermal plants he says he has, though. I'd like to hear from someone with some actual experience with them.

:-o

[Metlakatla]

There's some cached information on this; it was back in 2001 so the newspaper accounts are archived. She was charged with a couple of felony counts of falsifying business records in order to cover up their failure to maintain minimum standards concerning chlorine and temperature. I guess she pleaded out to a misdemeanor of failing to maintain proper sanitation levels. From I recall of the conversation, the actual wording was what Karl thought was so funny (I guess only "standup people" find humor in endangering the health and safety of their "resort" guests) -- the end charge was something like "skullduggery."

I guess this an appropriate thread for Connie Karl, though. After all, she got her start in Alaska as a pipeline tramp. God knows how many people were exposed to who knows what kind of germs because she couldn't be bothered to maintain the water there and then lied to cover her dirty tracks.

Still think those little mini-power plants might be something to look into. There wasn't much interest when he was down on the panhandle trying to hawk them, but I always thought part of that was his abrasive personality and general pushiness.

*cue serious *