Electrical Power for Valdez and the Copper River Basin-1981

Nucl ear:Nuclear energy development is not seen as a likely alternative for thestudy area. The relatively large size of a nuclear powerplant, theprooaoility of a major earthquake in the area, the growing nationalsentiment against them, and the existence of other viable alternativeshas precluded this alternative from further investigation.Natural Gas:Natural gas is not considered a viable alternative for the studyarea. Although it has oeen used in the Anchorage area, Valdez andGlennallen lacK the necessary transportation facilities makingfeasibility dOUbtful. Furthermore, national priorities may preclude itsuse for electrical energy production on a nationwide level in the nearfuture.Oil :The study area currently relies entirely on diesel-fired electricalgeneration. The completion of the Solomon Gulch hydroelectric projectwill be the first opportunity to break away from the grip of escalatingfuel costs. In Valdez and Glennallen respectively, the cost of dieselhas increased from 41.3¢ and 44.4¢ per gallon in January 1979 to 79.2¢and 84.3¢ per gallon in April 1980. As of Feoruary 1981 these costsstood at $1.00 for Valdez and $1.02 for Glennallen. Even with thesefactors in mind, diesel generation is still seen as the short rangesolution. However, with adequate planning, it will be possible togreatly limit the use of diesel fuel. This will be of great benefit tothe study area as well as fulfilling the State and Federal policies forutilization of renewable resources.Geothermal:Geothermal resources could eventually provide significant powergeneration in Alaska. The southcentral railbelt area has sUbstantialgeothermal potential primarily in the Wrangell Mountains; however thisarea has been included in the new Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Dueto this change in land status further stUdy of this alternative is notdeemed justified for this report.Solar:The radiant heat of the sun is another renewable source of energy thathas potential for generating power. Use of solar energy to produceelectrical power on a large scale is not presently feasible due to thelack of technology to generate and store large amounts of electricityproduced by the sun's radiation. The most successful methods forcapturing the sun's rays have been through active and passive solar.heating. However, feasioility for heating may be limited in the Valdez23