KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
In 2009 the Kodiak Electric Association installed three wind turbines on Pillar Mountain and the project has been so successful KEA President and CEO Darron Scott says that they are planning to install three more on the south facing ridgeline of the mountain. He says KEA is also planning to install an additional turbine at the 25-year-old Terror Lake dam which will increase its capacity by 50 percent.
— (Renewable 1 :12 "It was designed for it … work very well together.")
The new wind turbines should be wired in by next fall and the new dam turbine by fall 2013. To make the most of these improvements, an energy storage system is also in the works.
— (Renewable 2 :35 "Imagine you’ve got now … battery system peels back off.")
The new battery system is expected sometime in 2013 and should also help when the wind turbines are shut down during extremely high winds, like the ones we experienced last week.
— (Renewable 3 :16 "They typically shut down … calm down a little bit more."
All together, Scott says the projects will increase their renewable energy supply from just over 80 percent to about 97 percent. That translates into less diesel use and lower energy costs for Kodiak.
