L - Alaska Energy Data Inventory

SUMMARY OF CHANGESThis section updates benefit calculations and the determination ofthe project's economic justification presented in the 1976 InterimFeasibility Report. Economic trends and power usage continue to indicatethat significant amounts of new generation will be required inthe railbelt area of southcentral Alaska. A new load forecastingmethodology and the three additional years of historical data resultin slightly decreased peak load projections. The estimated costs ofboth the hydroelectric project and the coal-fired alternative have risensignificantly since 1975. Under the base case set of assumptions,hydroelectric development in the upper Susitna River basin continuesto appear economically justified. The 1978 updated benefit-cost ratioof the proposed development is 1.4 compared to the earlier estimateof 1.3.C-l