Alaska News

Our view: Power plan

The prospect that utilities may not be able to deliver enough natural gas to fully supply Southcentral communities in a prolonged cold snap is scary, but real. The system nearly reached its limit several times last winter. So it's good to hear that the Sullivan administration and utility executives have created a plan to ask consumers to use less power during extreme conditions.

If conditions reach a critical level, residents will be urged to lower thermostats to 65 degrees -- chilly, but livable for a short period -- and lower water heater settings to warm. In case of a more serious shortage, residents would be asked to cut back even more.

Cook Inlet natural gas fuels power plants for both Chugach Electric and ML&P. There's enough gas for this coming winter -- though future supplies are iffy -- but pressure in the gas fields has declined.

Utility operators worry that if equipment used to boost the pressure through gas lines fails, they might not be able to keep up with demand during a cold spell. Mayor Sullivan recognizes the stakes and has pushed hard to get the city ready for potential trouble.

Strong energy-saving measures, taken in response to emergencies, can work. Juneau residents, when faced with steep increases in power costs after an avalanche temporarily cut off the city's hydroelectric power, found all sorts of ways to cut back on electricity use, from unplugging electronic equipment to turning down the heat.

Southcentral utilities will test their conservation plan by asking consumers to cut back from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Let's sacrifice a couple of hours of warmth and show what we can do.

BOTTOM LINE: We're ready, in case natural gas supplies don't meet demand during a cold spell.

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