An expanded hydro-electric dam in southern Southeast Alaska has meant more money for the agency that owns the plant and less need for costly diesel power generation.
That was one of the messages Monday from Trey Acteson, CEO of the Southeast Alaska Power Agency.
SEAPA owns two hydro plants, along with transmission lines, and sells wholesale electricity to utilities in Ketchikan, Wrangell and Petersburg.
SEAPA expanded the capacity of its facility at Swan Lake near Ketchikan in 2016.
Acteson told the Petersburg Borough Assembly about the benefits of the first year of an expanded Swan Lake.
“What that resulted in is another 250,000 of revenue to SEAPA and it offset about $1.1 million in diesel generation to Ketchikan,” Acteson told the Assembly.
Ketchikan is forced to rely on diesel power during periods of dry or cold weather and the Swan Lake expansion was meant to reduce the need for diesel power.
Acteson noted lake levels are low at both of SEAPA’s hydro plants this spring.
The reservoirs at Swan Lake and Tyee Lake near Wrangell are still above levels set by the organization at the beginning of the year.
Acteson said the increased revenue for SEAPA from the Swan Lake expansion can go toward other improvements on the power system for the three communities and he expected the benefit would increase in future years.
He also outlined some of the projects the wholesale power provider has been pursuing.
In other business, the Assembly voted to support an application for a marijuana grow license for local business Sea Weed Farms.
The application will be considered by the state’s Marijuana Control Board at a April 4-6 meeting in Nome.
Assembly members also voted to award a contract to Reid Brothers Logging and Construction of Petersburg for work on the City Creek reservoir dam at a cost of just under $220,000.
