Cordova, Alaska Energy Plan As defined and adopted by the Cordova Renewable Energy Workgroup (CREW)

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

River hydro

Diesel Electric

Diesel fuel

Gasoline

Heating oil

Wind

Small-scale dam hydro

Biomass

Waste to watts and heat

Tidal

Wave

Fish oil

Heat pumps

Geothermal

Energy generation Local resources

Future Energy Snapshot

River hydro

More efficient Diesel Electric

Diesel fuel

Gasoline

Heating oil

Wind

Small-scale dam hydro

Biomass

Waste to watts and heat

Tidal

Wave

Fish oil

Heat pumps

Geothermal

Power generation Local resources

Desired State

River hydro

Diesel Electric

Diesel fuel

Gasoline

Heating oil

Wind

Small-scale dam hydro

Biomass

Waste to watts and heat

Tidal

Wave

Fish oil

Heat pumps

Geothermal

Energy supply maps local resources 100%

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.

Project ParetoCordova Energy Fishbone Pareto

Waste14%

Hydro12%

Small vehicles11%

Wood10%Education

9%

Wind8%

Reduce7%

Community7%

Battery/flywheel6%

R&D4%

Rides4%

Planning3%

Gas2%

Hot water utility2%

Fossil fuel1%

Project ParetoRanked list - groupedDescription Group Rich Clark Autumn Clay Bruce Vincent TotalShort-term battery storage for hydroelectric storage. 1MW for Power Creek Battery/flywheel 1 17 5 19 42Storage is top priority Battery/flywheel 11 11Community garden and compost Community 12 8 20Cordova as oil-free city Community 20 20Local foods that can be harvested? Elder knowledge. Community 12 12Offer technical assistance to people who want to install wind/solar. Community 10 10Teach everyone about energy smarts - conservation, alternative fuels, efficiency Education 5 20 18 43Energy audit training for all community members Education 16 16Public education on low-lying fruits. Education 4 4 5 13Establish NVE alternative energy college. Education 2 3 4 9Revamp school curriculum to include alterntive energy enginering Education 1 1Drill in Katalla for oil. Fossil fuel 4 4Develop Bering River coal fields with a mine mouth clean coal power planr intertie Cordova, Valdez, railbelt. Fossil fuel 3 3Develop Katalla gas fields with a "musket ball" line to Cordova. Gas 12 12More gas exploration on the gas dome in the cutoff and other local fields. Gas 11 11Plumb city for common hot water Hot water utility 13 13District heat / co-generation facility to heat pool, school, hospital, city hall, main street and burn our garbage, Hot water utility 2 2Get alpine lake hydro system with storage installed - Crater Lake Hydro 4 10 13 20 47Build a hydroelectric dam storage project. Hydro 20 8 15 43Hydroelectric storage dam at Humpback Creek. Hydro 10 10Hydroelectric storage dam at Government Rock. Hydro 9 9Silver Lake hydro project with intertie to Cordova, Valdez and railbelt. Hydro 2 2Generate a long-range energy plan for Cordova Planning 17 17Implementation - Where do we start? Prioritize funding projects. Planning 13 13Submit Energy Frontier Resource Center grant to conduct local research. R&D 18 16 34R&D of wave technology with Cordova as major research site. R&D 7 7500 KWH challenge each winter month Reduce 14 9 23NVE Vanpool Reduce 19 19Program to offer Compact fluorescent bulbs to entire community Reduce 12 3 15People leave engines idling even in the summer Reduce 9 9Energy efficiency competition - electric bills. Reduce 3 3Start a carpool program for Cordova Rides 13 5 17 35Buy two NVE scooters at 60-70 mpg for running local errands. Small vehicles 16 15 7 38High efficiency new (to us) vehicles. Small vehicles 13 10 11 34ZAP vehicle Small vehicles 15 15All electric demonstration fleet Small vehicles 14 14Star Tech waste burning generator - wood, paper, plastics. Waste 18 18 19 1 14 70Use our waste products for energy: burn pile, trash, fish waste Waste 18 14 32Fish waste into fuel Waste 15 6 21Convert local cooking oil to biodiesel Waste 17 17Put four med-size wind turbines on Mears Res. Ridge. Wind 17 16 33Buy low-cost wind monitors Wind 7 19 26Air Breeze turbines on all local boats Wind 8 8Large-scale offshore wind farm with intertie to Valdez and the railbelt through Whittier. Wind 8 8Biomass generator burning local wood chips for winter electricity. Wood 19 16 20 2 57High efficiency wood stoves in new homes. Air intake vent. Wood 11 9 10 30Community-scale firewood industry with access to the resource and start-up capital for equipment. Wood 6 6Utilize all the previous data and studies to find local hydro, wind and tidal energy 15 9 7 31Use heat pumps to heat homes. 6 12 8 26Invite current alternative energy users to next meeting 6 14 20Use local building materials 7 6 13Hydrogen or syn gas vehicles. 12 12Working group on best practices - usage or supply. 11 11Need to identify resource owners and get them involved. 5 5Don't import seafood in the summer. Eat all local seafood/meat/protein. Get shrimp boat back to Cordova. 3 3Navy sub port of call in winter 2 weeks/month. Tie into grid. 2 2Funding 1 1

Cordova is alive

Our businesses are strong

Our people are committed

From the original bridge to nowhere

Comes a community in action