Let's all pick on our electric co-op

HARRY YOST/Spectrum

May 27, 2007

Recently, there have been a spate of op-eds and letters condemning the management and board of the Matanuska Electric Association because they are proposing to build a 100 megawatt coal-fired generating plant, &#8220somewhere in the Mat-Su Borough.”

The NIMBY's, (Not In My Back Yard) have brought out environmental concerns: (&#8220One ton of coal makes four tons of carbon dioxide;” The land (and us) will be poisoned from all that mercury; all that acid raining down; counter suggestions, (hydroelectric or geo-thermal); and &#8220pie-in-the-sky” ideas (wind generators and/or tide generators in Cook Inlet), to deal with the coming shortfall of electricity in the MEA service area.

First, the coal-fired plant idea isn't new. MEA had plans to build a &#8220mine mouth” generating plant in the Jonesville area in 1967. The next year, natural gas was brought into Anchorage, mainly to fuel the heating plants on Elmendorf AFB and Fort Richardson, which had been the major users of coal produced by the Jonesville mines. Loss of their business essentially closed the mine.

Introduction of natural gas into the Mat-Su area basically killed the entire coal industry here. So why should MEA resurrect plans for a coal-fired generator? Because we are sitting on huge deposits of coal, advanced technology has immensely reduced emissions, and it's the least expensive off-the-shelf technology currently available.

Why not hydroelectric? There are several major and many minor rivers in this area. However, a look into the files of area newspapers should show accounts of proposals to dam one or more local rivers to produce electricity.

Enter NIMBY, fishermen and the environmentalists. Collective result; No dams.

Geothermal? It's known there is a lot of hot water several hundred feet under some of the Valley area. There are also good possibilities from nearby volcanoes. Of course, that would mean building roads and plants in wilderness areas, violating their pristine landscapes.

Currently, there is a debate about building a wind generator farm on Fire Island. One of the Native corporations has expressed interest if they can find the money.

Animal rights activists, (wind farms kill lots of migratory waterfowl), NIMBY and aviation concerns are coming to the fore to question that project. And can such an operation generate enough electricity to meet future needs?

Tidal generators have shown promise in other areas, so why not Cook Inlet? A firm from the East Coast has expressed interest in installing an experimental generator. Hopefully the silt in Cook Inlet won't be a problem.

Then there's concern over the belugas. Would such a generator placed in the inlet cause more damage to a falling whale population?

The proposed experimental installation could answer both questions. Now all that needed is for some entity (government?) to put up the multiplied millions needed to make it a reality.

And then, there's coal-bed methane. NIMBY.

Another idea which hasn't been mentioned is the use of methane from biomass. This has proven successful in parts of the New England states.

Farmers set up the &#8220methane generators” using manure from their herds of cows, become independent of the local power grid, and even sell surplus electricity to the local power company.

We don't have enough dairy farms in Alaska? How about using the sewer lagoons of Palmer and Wasilla? Lots of methane could be generated from them. And it would make those cities independent of MEA.

There's also another &#8220smokestack” system that is being used successfully in several cities in the country - burning garbage to generate electricity.

This time of year, we are being told how much trash is being picked up along the roads, etc. Burn it and make electricity. And think of the land that wouldn't go to a landfill. (A concern which is repeatedly voiced in the borough.)

How about making another contract with Chugach Electric? It might be the abortive attempt by the MEA board and management to take over CEA has soured any further dealings with that entity. Plus, will Chugach have enough generating capacity to handle their own and MEA's coming needs?

There are lots of answers to the dilemma of how to fill the future need for electricity here. Simply insert multiplied millions of dollars, and bingo, the problem is solved. (But still everyone won't be happy.)

Palmer resident Harry Yost is a frequent contributor to these pages.