Dear _____________,
I am writing this to support Alaska Power & Telephone’s Connelly Lake hydroelectric project.
AP&T has presented a plan they feel is feasible, environmentally sound, and will provide Haines with more than three times the power it presently consumes during peak times in winter. According to AP&T’s presentation to the Haines Energy Commission on November 25th, 2008 the Connelly Lake site was chosen for its capacity, proximity to Haines, and because it does not require an undersea cable – a link that, if broken, could put Haines in the dark for several months. The project size is important so that AP&T can sell excess power in other markets (i.e. Skagway, Canada, and cruise ships when docked,) and therefore keep our power rates low.
You have already received some letters in opposition to this project. This vociferous handful of opponents is ignoring a basic rule of economics – that every resource is limited and has alternative uses. We can always wish for more wilderness, but by developing this one low-impact hydroelectric project at Connelly Lake we can cut hydrocarbon use in the Haines area by 30 to 50 percent. That’s less pollution in town, less CO2 into the atmosphere, less oil burned, and therefore reduced chance of an oil spill as less oil is transported in our marine environment. By constructing three miles of road, one 6300-foot penstock and a powerhouse we will realize an environmental net gain for the Haines area.
And when Haines grows, or finds a new industry ( or port facility?) at its doorstep, the existence of this ample source of power means cleaner, more energy-efficient growth.
The Chilkoot River Corridor is a beautiful and productive place, but not as untouched as some folks would like to believe. Local loggers Don Turner and Duck Hess can both testify that they helped log some large tracts of land at the upper end of the lake about 40 years ago, taking the logs out via a logging road along the north side of the lake – the same roadbed that AP&T proposes repairing. That some folks are unaware of this is a testament to the resiliency of the watershed.
During their presentation, AP&T explained how they met several environmental challenges during construction of other projects in the Skagway area and on Prince of Wales Island. It appears they are also ready to take every environmental precaution to complete the Connelly Lake Project with a minimal impact. When completed it is likely that none of the power project will be visible from the present DNR campground at the lower end of Chilkoot Lake.
Therefore, I have no reservations about supporting AP&T as they work toward plentiful, sustainable hydropower for Haines. And I’m convinced that after it is done, the Chilkoot watershed will remain a beautiful and productive place.
Nearly everyone I speak with in Haines feels the same way.
Sincerely,
__________________
Haines, Alaska.
