An Energy Watch test last week asked Southcentral Alaska residents to take measures to conserve energy. Results were modest — about a 1.5 percent savings across the region during the test, which took place from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 30.
With questions persisting about the region’s supply of natural gas in the next couple years, it is becoming more and more important for residents to learn and put into practice more techniques for conserving energy.
Should short-term gas deliverability issues come up, residents will be notified and asked to take such measures as turning down the thermostat and water heater, and limiting or postponing use of appliances powered by natural gas, including gas ranges. Other measures include postponing things like doing the laundry and dishes, and limiting household activities to as few rooms as possible.
But some long-term conservation measures are in order, too. Little things, like new weatherstripping around doors, or better insulation in the attic, can make a world of difference when it comes to keeping our homes cozy and warm in the winter. More tips can be found on Homer Electric Association’s website, homerelectric.com, and on ENSTAR Natural Gas Company’s site, enstarnaturalgas.com.
Let’s face it, many of our homes were built at a time when natural gas was cheap and plentiful, and blasting the heat when the mercury dropped wasn’t much of a concern.
But the times have changed. While new exploration is under way in Cook Inlet, the region’s utilities are still looking at a lag time before new gas is available or a pipeline from the North Slope becomes reality. That means other options are being considered, including the purchase of liquified or compressed natural gas, to fill the gap.
Conserving energy now might just put off the day when we have to pay for LNG a little longer. And finding ways to use less natural gas will certainly help with the utility bills — now and in the years to come.
Comments (11)
Add commentYou got some splaining to Do
Fri 11/9/12
O K Now I'm confused ?
That Multi-Million Dollar Natural Gas Underground Storage Facility on Bridge Access Road & near the Public Docks.
Wasn't that supposed to solve our Natural Gas Storage problems ? Isn't that What We Paid For ?
You got some splaining to Do ? ?
Awaiting some Answers Please SPW "Airborne"
The explanation
SPW, the gas storage facility was put in place to maintain production in the summer time when the demands for gas were low as very few thermostats demand the boiler to kick on in July. The current producing reservoirs wouldn't be able to keep up with demand in the coldest of the winter months and therefore, the idea of the storage facility came into play.
Now, the current gas supply that is connected to infrastructure is diminishing as expected and unless the newer fields are developed soon (probably not gonna happen), we will be facing shortages.
I hope this helped clarify the storage facility purpose.
Energy Corporations
Fri 11/9/12 S V P
Thanks for the Response & Yes I already understood the purpose of the Underground Natural Gas Storage Facility.
I guess it's a matter of Trust. Back in the Day so so many
promises were made with the Construction of the Bradley Lake Dam. It was supposed to solve all of our electrical energy problems for generations.Hydroelectric Energy was The Answer.
Well guess What. My H E A Bill just Keeps On Increasing in cost . Those promises have already been broken.
Same with Enstar Natural Gas, Tesoro, Oil Corporations
Energy Corporations have Proven many times that they can not be Trusted. The Cost will ALWAYS Increase.
Time for Bed Looong day Thanks for Listening
SPW"Airborne"
Energy
SPW, Bradley Lake was never intended, nor was it ever capable of replacing natural gas as a source of energy for electrical power generation. It did reduce our dependence on gas significantly and without it we would have been feeling a pinch years before now. As for the prediction that it would "solve" our energy needs for generations... that is a prediction that has room for error. There is no way to predict the discovery and production of new gas sources nor is there a way to accurately predict future demand. We use electricity in ways we never did at the damn's inception. Bradley Lake has been producing power for nearly 25 years and has no doubt slowed the ensuing gas crunch.
Energy is increasing in cost as is most everything else. There are some who would like to say that those other increases (food, services, etc) were due to the higher cost of energy and in a small sense, they would be correct. However, many other factors are also tied to these increases. The weakening dollar is chief among them. The increase in demand and an economic climate less conducive to new development. The cost of energy is a commodity and fluctuates with the market.
One thing remains clear, we need to look into the near term and find solutions and look for long term solutions as well.
Dream 11/10/12
S V P
This won't happen til long after I'm Dead & Buried but It will happen for My GrandDaughters.
Alaskans being Totally Independent of Energy Corporations.
Off the Grid
Numerous sources of Alternate Energy.
Tidal Power, Wind Power, Thermo Power, Fuel Cells,
Electrical Powered Everything !
Imagine That ! No more need for fossil fuels & monthly payments to Energy corporations ! Quite, Clean Electric Cars.
No Way that would ever be accepted in Alaska ! We are Too Macho to drive Electric Cars ! It's already Happening.
Generations ago, No one believed that Gasoline Engine would ever replace the Horse !
fyi: The Saudi Royal Family has already invested Billions
into Building a Better Battery & better electical storage systems. They already know what's in the future & are preparing for that now.
Rattling On & On here Thanks for Listening
SPW"Airborne"
And the cost?
Wind generators, tidal generators, battery technology and thermal technology all have to be developed and will also cost. Energy is energy regardless of where it comes from and there will always be cost associated with it. Just because it is an alternative does not mean it won't be impacted by cost or the commodities market. Demand will be on indicator of cost as always. Remember, at one point natural gas was a cheap alternative to diesel fuel and coal for both home heating and power generation. Before that, kerosene was a cheap and plentyful alternative to whale oil for lighting. No form of energy will be cheap forever and all will have their down side.
I am a believer in conserving all energy for future needs, but I am also a realist and I know that regardless, our needs will have a cost and we will never be able to rid ourselves of fossil fuels. We depend on them for much more than just energy.
Nicholaus Otto, Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, John Lambert
HORSEFEATHERS!
“”No one believed that Gasoline Engine would ever replace the Horse !”” BULL, rewriting world history.complete total bull.
So you big government liberals, here’s a question:
Did government invent the gasoline engine, carburetors, fuel injection etc. and perfect it, or did Free Market Capitalists in a world of brilliant creativity and private industry invent it?
Men like Nicholaus Otto, Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, John Lambert, Henry Ford, Rudolf Diesel aint familiar to you at all? They were MEN. They were NOT to-big-to-fail corporations that your socialists government can seize and destroy.
Your big government interference, regulations, & black glove fisted unelected Czars are preventing free markets from growing and prospering in Alaska.
(ps: They tried Steam & Electricity in the early inventions of automobiles. dang are Americans blind to EVERY fact of their own history?)
Clean renewable energy
Clean renewable energy problem is already solved
You simply refuse, yes refuse and decline, to use it.
Nuclear power plants. So knock of the 'wah wah' nonsense.
You’d have to be living in the ‘whale oil’ world to avoid facts.
Argentina 2
Armenia 1
Belgium 7
Brazil 2
Bulgaria 2
Canada 18
ChinaMainland
• Taiwan 16
6
Czech Republic 6
Finland 4
France 58
Germany 9
Hungary 4
India 20
Iran 1
Japan 50
Korea, Republic 23
Mexico 2
Netherlands 1
Pakistan 3
Romania 2
Russian Federation 33
Slovakian Republic 4
Slovenia 1
South Africa 2
Spain 8
Sweden 10
Switzerland 5
Ukraine 15
United Kingdom 16
USA 104
Total 435
small town bar stool warmers are still straining gnats and swallowing camels.
Governments Roll
"Did government invent the gasoline engine, carburetors, fuel injection etc. and perfect it(?)"
No, but Eisenhower and the Federal government created the infrastructure on which the vehicles operate.
Clean Renewable???
Although emissions are not a big issue, nuclear power is far from clean and regardless of the abundance of uranium, it is still a function of a limited resource.
Clean? Tell that to Japan, Chernobyl and 3 mile island.
Government Conservation Too
Why focus on homeowners conserving energy and not government? Good example of NOT conserving energy: the City of Kenai's Christmas overlighting, which went up November 1 for pete's sake.
Blind as a bat...
Just how much energy are you going to afford now that an anti-energy president has another 4 years to destroy our Country? Who cares about saving energy, you won't be able to afford it anyway..
Oh that is right...
You will rely on Energy Assistance, Free Medical and Foodstamps that I will have to pay because I have a job...