MEA seeking

input

May 23, 2006

By DAWN DE BUSK

Frontiersman

MAT-SU - Valley and Eagle River residents have heard repeatedly that the biggest, most long-range issue looming before Matanuska Electric Association will be preparing to hook up to a new source of energy before the all-power-purchase contract with Chugach Electric Association ends on Dec. 31, 2014.

&#8220It's heavy. You don't build an electrical plant overnight,” said MEA board member Peter Burchell. &#8220Chugach Electric is in trouble, too, generating with natural gas that's getting more expensive. How much longer can they afford to run without the price going up for the consumer? We've got a population going up 6 percent a year. People like to have electricity.”

Since mid-month, MEA has held public input meetings so its cooperative members can weigh in on the energy issue at three minutes per member.

Two meetings still remain: Tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Chugiak Senior Center, and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Wasilla Alaska Club theater. Co-op members also can e-mail comments to mac@ matanuska.com until Thursday night.

Despite the urgency of pinpointing alternative forms of electricity, attendance reportedly has been dismal at the four previous meetings.

MEA board member Lois Lester said nobody showed up to testify at a May 15 Eagle River meeting. It was just herself, the co-op's engineer, and someone setting up the microphone. She blamed the low turn-out on the time of the meeting, which was 3 to 5 p.m.

Tuckerman Babcock, MEA director of human resources and strategic affairs, added that Willow and Houston meetings generated only one or two comments each. Palmer so far has had the best showing, he said.

John Alexander, who joined the MEA member advisory committee in November 2005, said four MEA customers shared their comments at the Palmer meeting on May 17.

&#8220I'm hoping there will be more participation, because it has been really low,” he said.

Alexander said comments at the Palmer Senior Center meeting, which ran from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., were constructive and interesting.

&#8220I went away from the meeting feeling like, wow, we had some good ideas to investigate. Let's get rolling on this,” Alexander said. &#8220There was a definite encouragement of wanting us to look at wind power, and geothermal was also a big one. Those were two of the biggest desires. There was a definite shying away from coal, but it was brought up also as a possibility. I had an interesting e-mail today from a member of the co-op, he suggested we look at tidal generation. He's been out on the oil rigs and seen tremendous power of the water. I've heard at this.”

He added he is plunging into research of alternative energy.

Recently, MEA hired the engineering firm, CH2M Hill to do an integrated resource plan for the board, according to Babcock. The member advisory committee will compile the public comments to add to CH2M Hill's presentation, he said.

The administration has been placing phone calls to members, and personally invited people to the public meetings, Babcock said.

&#8220MEA is trying to get input from anyone in the membership to find out what direction they want to explore,” MEA board secretary-treasurer Dallas Massie said. &#8220I hope the people will go out and participate. This is their opportunity to weigh in to this particular problem. It's a reality that every consumer has to deal with, and the co-op has to deal with - looking for ways to generate power.”

Contact Dawn De Busk at 352-2252 or dawn.debusk@frontiersman.com.