After 12 years, Wasilla voters will put a man in charge
COMPASS: Points of view
Published: May 11, 2007
Last Modified: May 16, 2007 at 05:12 AM
As we take a deep breath of clean fresh air, a lot of people in Mat-Su and Eagle River are wondering how long it will last if MEA builds a coal-fired power plant.
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PETE HOUSTON
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As a concerned parent, citizen and MEA owner-member, I have joined with others in starting the MEA Ratepayers Alliance to try to find answers to some of our questions.
Our objective is to represent the best interests of the people who pay the bills at MEA as well as our neighbors and children who will share the impact of the future generation plans but have no voice at MEA.
What we want:
1. A fair and open process. Unlock the still secret Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for public review. Stop the process until the owner-members are adequately informed and can responsibly participate. Allow the public to weigh in on whether or how to meet future energy needs.
2. Seek other options. Negotiate with other utilities; employ demand-side incentives to reduce the load as well as integrating renewables to carry part of the load.
3. Cooperate with the other utilities to jointly explore possibilities for gas and renewable energy options.
How did we come to this?
MEA has failed to cooperate with other Railbelt utilities. They did not participate in the recent Railbelt study designed to identify the most efficient and cost-effective plan for future power generation.
MEA quit the Alaska Power Association, which exists to facilitate communication and cooperation among the Alaska utilities for the benefit of the ratepayers. Now MEA has apparently told its bulk electric supplier, Chugach Electric, it would not buy any more power after 2014.
Why would any prudent co-op cut itself off from important options and leave us with only one option that could easily be subject to delays, costly overruns and new taxes on carbon emissions?
Should we believe there are no other options? Could MEA negotiate a better bulk contract or cooperate with other Railbelt utilities to find options such as co-generation or renewable fuels?
A combination of gas generation in cooperation with other utilities, along with increasing integration of renewable sources, might be the cleanest and most economical short- and long-term solution.
At least one MEA board member has said renewable clean energy sources cannot replace MEA's entire load. They can, however, provide energy for at least part of the load.
Other Railbelt utilities are interested in geothermal possibilities, wind, and tidal power.
Ocean Renewable Power Co. expects to install a test tidal turbine as early as spring 2008. MEA is alone, lacking interest in renewable power and lacking cooperation with other utilities.
MEA's IRP executive summary that supports a coal-fired power plant has several significant holes.
It appears MEA has seriously underestimated both building costs and operating costs. The current bulk power cost to MEA of 5 1/2 cents per kilowatt could easily double.
My current bill of $250 a month could skyrocket to $450 or more. These numbers make me nervous, and beg the question: "How independent was the 'independent IRP'?"
Larger costs to everyone in Upper Cook Inlet have not been addressed. They include health costs from blowing coal dust, contamination of our crops and proven links to cancer and birth defects from mercury. The unloading of coal in Seward caused plumes of coal dust to blow more than 15 miles in gentle breezes.
Please join the others in Mat-Su in the new MEA Ratepayers Alliance to work for an open process that invites meaningful public input.
The public and MEA owner-members need the opportunity to decide whether a coal plant is needed. We need to explore other options with other utilities and renewable fuels.
MEA needs to make public their "Integrated Resource Plan" so all concerned can examine it.
We need cost analysis for the adverse health, pollutionand adverse economic effects on everyone in Upper Cook Inlet.
People can call 746-1038 for more information. As we develop a Web site, look for links on www.utilitywatch.org and www.solsticelight.com/coal.
E-mail MEA, borough Assembly members and state legislators.
Make it clear that the owner-members of MEA want meaningful input into an important decision that will affect our children and grandchildren.
Pete Houston of Palmer is a member of the MEA Ratepayers Alliance.
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