Avalanche knocks out Juneau's Hydro Power, rates to increase 500%!

[Erich_870]

As the titles says, Wed morning at 4am a HUGE avalanche took out over 1.5miles of high tension power transmission lines from Snettisham hydroelectric plant. This one plant accounts for 85 to 90% of Juneau's power generation system. The entire city of Juneau, all 31,000 of us, are getting our power from diesel generators and two smaller hydroelectric plants. The generators will take 100,000 gallons of fuel a day to keep up with demand and that extra fuel cost will raise our rates by 500%

We pay 0.11 per kWh now and will pay over 0.50 per kWh next month. The downed lines are in such a remote and steep place that it will be 3 months before they can fully repair it.

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/...69314122.shtml

We've already unplugged everything that's non-essential. You wont see me on line at home nearly as often now

To top that off, we had to remove our studded tires on Tuesday and we got a foot of wet snow Thursday night! What's next, locusts?

Erich

[Erich_870]

Here's some more pics of the mountain side that let go.










Erich

[Bloom]

Oh man, that is devastating news. I hope they get up and running as soon as possible. No one should have to decide between food and electricity.

[Thumper]

Dumb question I guess, but why did they site transmission lines on that slope? With its steepness, it looks like an avalanche waiting to happen.

[Lucky one]

Ever been to southeast alaska? Not alot of places to run lines with out going over steep slopes

[Erich_870]

Originally Posted by Thumper

Dumb question I guess, but why did they site transmission lines on that slope? With its steepness, it looks like an avalanche waiting to happen.

There's no where else to put them. The towers are located as far out of the "normal" avalanche chutes as possible, but this one was a HUGE avalanche. They may consider the extreme cost of putting in a submarine cable, but that seems unlikely right now.

Erich

[TheRogue]

Duck hunting fanatic. 2005 Oregon Tech Grad in Juneau, AK working for Toner-Nordling.com - Civil and Surveying

As an Oregon Tech grad, you should be able to design and survey a much better route for this line to go!!!

[Erich_870]

Originally Posted by TheRogue

As an Oregon Tech grad, you should be able to design and survey a much better route for this line to go!!!

LOL, we're eagerly hoping we can be involved with the rebuilding proecess

That's not to say they picked a bad alignment though. They definitely made lemonade with those slopes.

Erich