DFA - Minutes of Monthly Meeting, Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Written by: Janet Rader on Apr 20, 2006 9:00 PM EDT

Minutes of Monthly Meeting, Wednesday, April 5, 2006

The meeting took place in Room 145, UAA University Mall Campus, at 7:00 p.m. Thirteen people signed in on the sign-up sheet.

This was our first experience with the UAA University Center venue, and there were a few glitches gaining access to the room (it was locked), and the meeting got a later start than intended. Therefore, minimal time was spent on committee reports and other DFA business so as allow maximum time for the featured presentation.

The meeting featured a detailed and very interesting power point presentation by Hannah Willard of REAP, Renewable Energy Alaska Project (www.alaskarenewableenergy.org) describing the development of renewable energy projects in villages and including an update on the proposed installation of windmills on Fire Island.

Ms. Willard's lecture pointed out that Alaska is uniquely endowed with the prerequisites for renewables, such as abundant wind, thermal, tidal, bio-diesel and, of course, hydrogen, adding that the villages dependent upon petroleum-based energy were suffering from the high price of oil to a much greater extent than the urban population. Her presentation included information about some of the strides already made in the villages in this area, and the improvements in wind-energy technology since some of the early projects in the 1980's. The possibility of producing methane from the contents of landfill was also brought out, as well as wood waste. As an example, the waste from the fish industry alone could produce eight million gallons of diesel per year.

The cost of building a wind infrastructure on Fire Island is estimated at $40,000,000. The expected duration of a tower is about thirty years and the turbine twenty-five. Currently this project appears to be stalled due to the withdrawal of active support from Chugach Electric. This is one of the issues in play in the current contested Chugach Board of Directors election.

To accomplish all of this, it is necessary to engage government. A mandate is needed that utilities have to produce renewables and to create a renewable energy fund. Currently there are several pieces of legislation before the legislature (links available on REAP website) including HB 335 "An Act creating the Alaska energy research and development program in the Alaska Energy Authority and providing for a Committee on Alaska Energy Research and Development to assist in the development of that program; and providing for an effective date" (sponsors- REPRESENTATIVE(s) BERKOWITZ, Cissna, Crawford, Ramras, Kerttula, Kapsner, Gara) and HB 445 "An Act relating to the alternative energy grant fund and to alternative energy grants" (sponsors - REPRESENTATIVE(s) THOMAS, Elkins, LeDoux, Kerttula) that represent a positive development in state energy policy. Ms. Willard emphasized that while "alternate" and "renewable" are commonly used interchangeably, there is a distinction in that "alternative" can mean nuclear, coal, or any alternative to the current primary energy source (in Alaska, oil), whereas "renewable" designates energy that uses natural sources and is nonpolluting, and that this distinction becomes significant in policy-making and legislation, with "renewable" being preferable to "alternative," although the discussion of "alternative" energy still represents a step in the right direction.

This presentation, in spite of the interesting topic and being announced in the newspapers, had a smaller attendance than expected. We appreciate feedback from members who did not make this meeting. One point that was made is that there is competition for an environmentally concerned audience on First Wednesdays with film presentations at the museum by the Sierra Club.

Because the UAA venue is not free ($25.00 an hour), a collection was taken to cover this cost. An amount was collected in excess of this fee ($31), so the overage will be applied to the next cost incurred by the group, possibly for use in the next monthly meeting which will take place on May 3rd.

Many thanks to Hannah and REAP for the presentation to our group and their continuing efforts for development of positive energy and resource development in Alaska. There being nothing further to come before the meeting, it was adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

Please check out the REAP website! www.alaskarenewableenergy.org

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Location: Anchorage, AK 99504