Juneau Economic Development Council


Juneau Businesses Electricity Survey (PDF)

Lessons Learned

Tips and Resources

The AEL&P website has a section dedicated to information on making your home more energy efficient.

The US Department of Energy website helps us explore our options for saving energy and using renewable energy at home, at work, in your community, and while driving.

Download this Saving electricity in a hurry (PDF) book from the INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY

City and Bureau of Juneau Energy Tips

Current Urban Avalanche Advisory

Power Conservation Clips

Let Him Sleep

Benzin Splashing

Julius Rose

If you find a good power conservation clip on YouTube, let us know!


Juneau Unplugged

Juneau Electricity Crises

January 2009 Snettisham Avalanche

Update: 8/25/09 - Lake Dorothy Hydroelectric Project almost complete

The Lake Dorothy Hydroelectric Project could be producing electricity in the next few weeks.

Scott Willis of Alaska Electric, Light and Power says all of the major features are complete. That includes the installation of equipment in the power plant, which is now being checked out.

Willis says it will give the utility another way to provide back-up in the event of future disruptions along the Snettisham line, as occurred January 12 and April 16 of last year, when avalanches knocked the line to the hydro plant to Snettisham out of commission.

He says Lake Dorothy will share the last 13 miles of the line to Snettisham, but not the avalanche-prone area. If Lake Dorothy would have been online for the latest disruption, Willis says it would have made a big difference by reducing the need for diesel by 40 percent.

The graph below depicts Juneau's daily electrical energy use for 2008 and 2009.


Click image to enlarge

SOURCE: Alaska Electric LIGHT & POWER. Download Data (xls)

Juneau power switches to diesel following avalanche - Rosemarie Alexander, KTOO - Juneau
Once again, an avalanche has destroyed a tower along the Snettisham Hydroelectric Project south of Juneau, knocking out low-cost power to the capital city. Diesel generators are now providing electricity to Juneau. A borough-wide power outage lasted less than an hour and a half this afternoon. While Alaska Electric Light and Power crews were flying over the Snettisham line to search for the cause, the company started diesel generators.

Avalanche topples tower - city on diesel generation - AEL&P Updates and FAQ's

CBJ Responds to Snettisham Avalanche - CBJ Energy Information Page

Avalanche downs Snettisham line, again: Juneau is back on diesel; utility urges customers to conserve power - Juneau Empire (January 13, 2009)

Avalanche causes Juneau power outage: City forced to use diesel power for second time in a year. - ADN (January 13, 2009)

City faces likely increase in power cost after second snow slide in year - Juneau Empire (January 13, 2009)

Too soon to tell how Snettisham avalanche will impact rates - KINY (January 13, 2009)

April 2008 Snettisham Avalanche

The graph below depicts Juneau's daily electrical energy use for 2007 and 2008.


Click image to enlarge

SOURCE: Alaska Electric LIGHT & POWER. Download Data (xls)

Powering Down in Juneau - LBL News Center (June 18, 2008)

Juneau, Alaska, Cuts Electricity Use Drastically During Crisis - US Dept Energy (June 4, 2008)

Empire editorial: Crisis lesson: Communities should unite - Juneau Empire (June 1, 2008)

A City Cooler and Dimmer, and, Oh, Proving a Point - New York Times (May 2008)

Electric usage drops 20 percent: Juneau Empire April 23, 2008

On April 16, 2008 at 3:54am an avalanche that was 1.5 miles across started 3 miles from the Snettisham Power House. AEL&P did an air assessment of the damage that morning and found one of the transmission towers completely down and four badly damaged. A second avalanche fell shortly after the AEL&P helicopter left and took out additional towers. The Snettisham Power House provides the majority of Juneau's power. Without this hydroelectric power AEL&P will have to supplement with diesel, raising prices to the consumer to approximately 0.50 cents a kilowatt hour.

Tips and Resources

Juneau Economic Development Council has set up this resource to give individuals and businesses a place to learn what everyone can do to help. There are tips on cutting electric consumption in your home, what are some of the higher consuming appliances in a home and who you can contact to get your questions answered or receive assistance.

The AEL&P website has a section dedicated to information on making your home more energy efficient.

The US Department of Energy website helps us explore our options for saving energy and using renewable energy at home, at work, in your community, and while driving.

Download this Saving electricity in a hurry (PDF) book from the INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY

City and Bureau of Juneau Energy Tips

Education Links

http://www.need.org
Tons of great information for educators & students (be careful - it's easy to get sucked in for hours!) I highly recommend that parents and kids download the "Saving Energy Student & Family Guide" (PDF). It's a clear and very comprehensive guide. Includes great at-home activities for reducing your electricity bill.

http://www.ase.org/section/_audience/educators/lessons Despite the somewhat boring appearance of this website - the lesson plans are great! It's worth spending some time exploring. There is also a link for consumer resources on the on there to share with others. JEDC has a couple of watt meters (required for some of the lessons) that we can loan to teachers interested in using them for lessons - just let us know! Contact Becca at rparks@jedc.org or 523-2334.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Includes links to educational and training resources on energy. Downloadable lesson plans organized by grade level and subject area -- look at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Section for each grade level to find the most practical lessons for lowering your school's KWH.

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/default.aspx?pid=29640
Downloadable information and a "How-to Guide" on performing energy audits. Juneau's FIRST Lego League participants should recognize this!