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Cordova, Alaska Energy Plan. As defined and adopted by the Cordova Renewable Energy Workgroup (CREW). Vision.
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Cordova, Alaska Energy Plan As defined and adopted by the Cordova Renewable Energy Workgroup (CREW)
Vision • The Cordova region is blessed with many natural potential sources of energy, including hydroelectric, wind, biomass, fish waste and tidal energy. Our vision is that some day in the near future, Cordova’s energy supplies can be generated with resources that are all local to the region.
Vision - impacts • Achieving this vision will allow our forests and salmon to thrive and, in turn, better provide for economic and cultural prosperity of our world-class fishing industry and the community as a whole.
Vision - impacts • Cordova’s minimal road system makes the community ideally suited for electric vehicles that are limited to 50-60 miles roundtrip on a single charge. If we can reduce our electricity costs, our transportation fuel costs can be greatly reduced.
Goal • In the shadow of the devastating Exxon-Valdez oil spill and lingering effects to the economy and the environment, Cordova desires to be North America’s first petroleum-free community.
Goal • From this:
Goal • To this:
Key focus areas: • Hydrolelectric power – A community with a bounty of precipitation, Cordova presently operates two run-of-river hydroelectric facilities: Power Creek and Humpback Creek. In the early days of Cordova, hydroelectric was the only source of electricity, so we look to our roots to remind us of the best solutions to our energy problems.
Key focus areas: • Hydrolelectric power
Key focus areas: • Hydrolelectric power – Continuous improvement in efficiencies of the existing facilities and extending the seasonal shoulder period where hydroelectric power can be generated are our top goals. Though longer-term projects, the potential for small dams and tapping into high alpine lakes are important projects to address our future energy needs.
Key focus areas: • Diesel electric power – While expensive and potentially harmful to the environment, this is a current major supply of our power generation mix. Projects that improve this system, such as waste heat recovery and fuel efficiency improvements, can have an immediate impact on reducing costs and improving local air and water quality.
Key focus areas: • Conservation – The cheapest kilowatt of electricity is the kilowatt you never have to use. More efficient appliances, low-watt lighting options and more weatherproof buildings help to cut costs without any outlay of capital for power generation equipment. These are often the fastest and least-expensive solutions to implement.
Key focus areas: • Convert waste stream to energy – The community of Cordova currently has a wood waste burn pile north of town and a landfill east of town where paper and cardboard waste is burned. These are wasted BTUs and air pollutants for our citizens and our wildlife.
Key focus areas: • Convert waste stream to energy – Cordova is pursuing a district heat system to burn this material in a centralized boiler that provides building heat and hot water for our schools, library and city offices. Summertime waste can provide steam for local cannery operations.
Key focus areas: • Wind power – While relatively protected in town, Class 4 and 5 winds exist to the south along the Gulf of Alaska coast. This is conveniently in the direction that the Eyak Corporation is developing roads and home sites, providing synergy with the expanding power grid. In Cordova, wind power can integrate well with a district heating system as water heating is a common place to store excess power on very windy days.
Key focus areas: • From this: To this:
Key focus areas: • Biomass – Logging has been a periodic economic endeavor in the Cordova region. Leftover wood from timber sorting piles is presently available as a source of home heating, displacing high-cost heating oil. Native Village of Eyak has received partial funding for a wood processing system to provide affordable heat to all community members.
Key focus areas: • Biomass – An ongoing biomass energy program would help reduce willow invasion on otherwise developable land. The possible resurrection of a timber industry could also provide local building materials that do not need to be barged in.
Key focus areas: • Community involvement and education – People are frustrated with high energy costs and 20 years of Exxon-Valdez aftermath that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court cutting the award to fishermen and women to just 10% of the original amount designated by the jury. Some people want to do something, but don’t know how to help. Others have ideas they’d like to see implemented.
Key focus areas: • Community involvement and education – The CREW is a place where the community can get involved in existing projects and help start new ones. All meetings are open to the public who are encouraged not to just attend and voice opinions, but to help us take action and become full-fledged CREW members.
Key focus areas: • Emerging technologies – Tidal and wave energy is a great long-term potential source for Cordova. Current technology for tidal and wave power is similar to where wind energy was in the ‘70s. Due to extremely fast tides in places like Salmo Point or the Channel Islands, Cordova would make an ideal testing ground for companies and agencies looking to prove new products.
Key focus areas: • Emerging technologies – While no known surface sources currently exist, subsurface geothermal power has a potential to provide stable, low-cost power to our energy mix. The topography and tectonics of the region match those of other areas beginning to harness this power source that can be cheaper than coal.
Key focus areas: • Emerging technologies – Consider this: at one time, the only places people knew to drill for oil were where oil seeped from the ground. Later, two- and three-dimensional mapping techniques were developed. Geothermal exploration is just now emerging from the rudiments of exploration around known surface hot springs.
Key focus areas: • Emerging technologies – Research involving infrared sensing above ground, detailed geologic mapping and profiling existing well temperature gradients might discover a local source for electrical generation or at least ground-source heat pumps.
Current Energy Snapshot Energy generation Local resources Wind Diesel Electric Heat pumps Heating oil Tidal River hydro Small-scale dam hydro Diesel fuel Fish oil Wave Biomass Gasoline Geothermal Waste to watts and heat
Future Energy Snapshot Power generation Local resources Wind More efficient Diesel Electric Heating oil Heat pumps Tidal River hydro Small-scale dam hydro Diesel fuel Fish oil Wave Biomass Gasoline Geothermal Waste to watts and heat
Desired State Energy supply maps local resources 100% Wind Diesel Electric Heating oil Heat pumps Tidal River hydro Small-scale dam hydro Diesel fuel Fish oil Wave Biomass Gasoline Geothermal Waste to watts and heat
Project Pareto • In the summer of 2008, the CREW used the Ishikawa Fishbone Method to develop a pareto of projects and problems that should be addressed in a logically-ranked order.
