The Associated Press

www.newsminer.com

Published Tuesday, January 27, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Cold wintertime winds in Alaska's villages typically mean higher energy costs to stay warm. In time, those winds could help push down prices, but that's if a planned wind farm development comes to fruition. The state proposed spending $14 million on wind farms to power six villages on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. This is part of a $100 million statewide effort to produce renewable energy around the state.

This also means weaning these far flung villages off the more expensive diesel fuel while taking down electric bills. "The wind turbine is a blessing for us," Harvey Paul, general manager of the local power company, Puvurnaq, said Monday. "We have some of the highest fuel prices in the state and some of the best winds." These wind projects are among a list of 72 renewable energy priorities recommended last week by the Alaska Energy Authority. The recommendations also include wind projects around Nome and Kotzebue, wood-burning boilers in the Interior, and hydro feasibility studies. The priority recommendations must be approved in the next few weeks by the Legislature, which must also decide if the program warrants the recommended $50 million a year funding.

Rural Alaska's problems - underscored by high energy costs and a poor fishing season - hit the news this month with stunning reports from Emmonak and nearby villages on the Yukon delta. Some critics accused the state of being slow to respond to a humanitarian crisis. But last year, oil prices hit record highs, the Legislature addressed some long-term issues with the Renewable Energy Fund. Lawmakers put $50 million into the fund during the regular legislative session and added another $50 million during the summertime special session. A decline in revenue has created a different school of thought in Juneau. Lawmakers differ on how the $100 million was laid out, said Steve Haagenson, the AEA's executive director.

For folks on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the AEA recommends wind turbines for the village of Mekoryuk on Nunivak Island, the regional hub of Bethel, and three coastal villages near the mouth of the Kuskokwim: Kongiganak, Kwigillingok and Quinhagak. The state also wants to spend $1 million to add another turbine to the three already providing electricity for Toksook Bay as well as the nearby villages of Tununak and Nightmute. The three turbines already in place have saved Toksook Bay about 46,000 gallons of fuel a year, the AEA said.