AEL&P: Snettisham lakes full

The Snettisham lakes that provide Juneau's electricity are filling and spilling with the summer's rain, making it less likely that diesel will be burned to light the city this winter.

Alaska Electric Light & Power Co. spokesman Scott Willis called it "the silver lining to the crummy summer we have been having."

Last year, residents paid higher rates because the utility had to supplement cheap hydro with expensive diesel-generated energy.

At Snettisham, Long Lake started spilling a few weeks ago. Crater Lake was a few feet from spilling this week.

After avalanches in mid-April took out the transmission line that supplied hydroelectric power, causing electricity rates to skyrocket, Juneau residents dropped overall energy consumption by more than one-third.

Consumption has gradually increased since then. Juneau is still using about 10 percent less electricity than last year, Willis said.

Energy conservation will be key to avoiding diesel usage once the lakes stop spilling, and the utility begins to use the stored water. When that will happen - at what point higher elevations freeze up and water no longer flows into the lakes - is unknown.

This winter's load is another unknown that can affect whether we burn diesel, Willis said.

"Will conservation continue?" he said. "Or will more people start to plug in electric heaters to offset very expensive heating oil?"

But right now, while the lakes are spilling, conservation doesn't make any difference, Willis said.

This summer, the utility turned on all its interruptible customers, those who are served when AEL&P has an energy surplus. Dual-fuel customers connected in mid-July. Princess Cruises ships plugged in last month. And on Monday, the Greens Creek Mine was given a continuous supply.

The interruptibles are only turned on when the utility calculates it has a surplus. It's partly guesswork, given the uncertainty of weather later in the year. Last year, the utility miscalculated - even without the avalanche disaster - and needed to burn more diesel as a result. This year, Willis said he was being extra careful.

• Contact reporter Kate Golden at 523-2276 or e-mail kate.golden@juneauempire.com.