Alaska Electric Light & Power has applied for a regulatory permit to conduct studies to determine the feasibility of a hydroelectric facility at Sheep Creek.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opened public comment on the preliminary permit through March 25.
The Sheep Creek Hydro Project would use a run-of-the-river hydroelectric generator to produce about 3 percent of Juneau’s current hydro resources over three months — running dry in the winter. The stream is located south of Gold Creek.
AEL&P spokesperson Debbie Ferreira said in a press release the project would meet Juneau’s growing need for power. It would be less expensive than building the second phase of the Lake Dorothy hydro facility. And Sheep Creek would match Juneau’s expected growth more closely than Lake Dorothy, which would have more than seven times the capacity — more than the predicted need.
“We need to be prepared to develop additional hydro projects to meet that load growth,” Ferreira said, “Beginning the application process now will ensure that we are able to meet that demand when it is needed.”
Should AEL&P find Sheep Creek to be feasible, the utility would then conduct environmental studies and prepare for a FERC license application. This process can take four to six years. Construction would commence several years later.
Sheep Creek’s hydro-power history goes back more than a century. The Treadwell mine hydro project on Sheep Creek ran from 1910 to 1944 to power the gold mines on Douglas Island.
Comments (12)
Add commentFeasible?
So Sheep Creek provided hydro power for decades...but now it must be determined if it's feasible by a government agency? What, have the laws of physics changed?
Over budget & under powered
What's this thing going to cost to build, and more importantly, how much are they going to stick-it to us each month?
What are the protections to the rate payers to prevent AEL&P from going over-board on the costs (Dorothy Lake) - all in the name of providing 3% more power, in the summer, for the cruise ships.
Will our rates only rise 3% during the summer? Hardly likely. AEL&P can and will increase our rates to cover whatever this project ultimately costs.
Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me.
There is a scam hiding
There is a scam hiding somewhere in this. Its just not financially feasible to build an entire hydro facility for 3%...
Gold!!!!!!
It's for the mine!
Seems like a
Money grab to me...
I'm tired of subsidizing
I'm tired of subsidizing cheap power for the cruise ships and the mines with my ever increasing AEL&P power bills.
Enough is enough !%(*$!
AEL&P
Be prepared for another 25% rate increase!
Karla
Kensington is on generator power 24/7. Greens Creek is on it for a good portion of the year when AELP cuts them off. They're consuming huge amounts of fossil fuels and spewing out huge amounts of CO2 and other stuff. Any new Juneau mines that aren't connected to hydropower will be doing likewise.
I understand that you don't like the mines, but like them or not, they're part of our community now. They're not going to go away anytime in the near future.
So if your stated goal is truly to "help the community use less fossil fuels and become more sustainable", how can you justify excluding the mines from hydropower?
Billb
Give it up.
Sweetheart Lake
Pretty sure Duff is trying to get that power to the mines and the mines alone. I don't think it will have an impact on AEL&P's rates, but it very well could reduce the amount of fuel they (the mines) use.
There is no way in He11 they
There is no way in He11 they will ever get a hydro plant on sweetheart...