A blown seal in a needle shaft at the Goat Lake powerhouse caused a daylong shutdown of Alaska Power and Telephone’s hydroelectric operation Monday. Diesel generators were used to generate power in Haines.
Darren Belisle, power operation supervisor for AP&T, said the O-ring in the three-inch shaft leading into turbines wears out about once a year. The powerhouse is located at 9 Mile Klondike Highway. “It usually just starts leaking a little but it was spraying out water on (Monday) morning.”
Hydroelectric power was re-established by the end of the day. Belisle said Kasadaya Creek is helping power the utility. The hydro plant on Taiya Inlet operated last year until December. By providing supplemental power, the plant reduced demand from Goat Lake.
“We’re only down a foot (in Goat Lake’s water level). Before Kasadaya, we’d be down two or three feet,” Belisle said.