Lake level down;
utility turns on
diesel power

By Jessica Edwards

Diesel generators will provide as much as 40 percent of local electricity beginning this week due to high energy use during frigid temperatures in December and January, and resulting low water levels at Goat Lake, utility officials said.

Base energy rates could climb as much as two cents per kilowatt-hour as a result of using diesel to generate an estimated 1.7 million kilowatt-hours, said Alaska Power and Telephone manager Stan Selmer.

“I think the situation could get better as the weather does moderate, but we don’t want to overestimate the available hydro,” said Selmer.

Selmer said spring’s thaw would ease the need for diesel by bringing run-of-the river hydro projects at Kasidaya Creek, Dewey Lake and Lutak to full output and melt snow to replenish Goat Lake.

He said diesel engines would be primarily run in Skagway, unless “we underestimated our shortage.” In that case, generators would run in Haines as well.

AP&T workers measuring water at Goat Lake Monday found levels down about 32 feet, eight feet above the maximum draw allowed.

The diesels will likely run at least until spring thaw, Selmer said. AP&T ran diesel continuously between February and March last year to make up for low lake levels due to low fall rainfall in 2007.

The energy charge on consumers’ bills, 7.7 cents in January 2008, jumped to a high of 10.61 cents in April as a result of diesel use. Selmer said last year the company paid about $3.40 per gallon. “We’re currently paying $1.60.”

The company reported satisfactory rainfall early in fall 2008, but Selmer said freezing temperatures in early November cut the rain season short. “What really caught us this year was really cold temperatures in January, which drew the lake down three feet in 10 days.”

Extended stretches of frigid emperatures increased electric use considerably, he said.

He said while consumers could help by conserving electricity, he didn’t expect use could be cut comfortably by 40 percent.

The company expects water shortages like those of the past two years could be offset by smaller hydro projects like the new one coming on line this year at Kasidaya Creek.

In contrast, the proposed project at Connelly Lake would resolve electric shortages attributed to “peaking demand,” a daily spiking of demand that exceeds Goat Lake’s output in winter when summer-run hydro projects aren’t producing at full capacity.