Solar North Cooperative

As recently reported in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, a group of neighbors on Spinach Creek Road have started up a power cooperative that will generate electricity from the sun.

In an update e-mail sent out on Monday, Solar North described the results of their July 18 meeting. The group hopes to get more pledges for shares in the cooperative ($500 a share):

We are close to the final decision of building the largest solar panel (photovoltaic) system in Alaska.... A land lease is prepared, an ideal site is selected, permits are in hand, borough support is strong, an operating agreement has been prepared with the help of a lawyer, a management team is in place, 5 bids are in, the most appropriate materials are selected, etc. Under current assumptions (which are full of variables difficult to predict), the revenue for the share holders will not be very high (partly due to the increased number of producers in the SNAP program) and there may be years with a bit of a minus initially. However, this - we feel - is a very timely project and a great example of alternative energy in the land of oil.

For more information, contact the organizers at solarnorth@yahoo.com or call Franziska Kohl at 452 2916.

One of the problems the organizers are having is that if they build this year, then a 30% solar tax credit is available--until the end of 2008. This means that they have to raise the money AND build in a very short time frame. The tax credit was not renewed for 2009. This has Greens, the Solar Energy Industries Association, and sensible people everywhere hopping mad. The Solar Energy Industries Association breaking news page has information on an extension bill and other legislation that will help keep tax incentives to invest in solar power.

(cross-posted at The Ester Republic blog)

the SNAP program

Garrison Collette, who works as an energy extension agent at the Cooperative Extension Service, sent around a message via e-mail exhorting people to help support the Sustainable Natural Alternative Power program at GVEA. It's a good idea, in my mind, and like him, I just hadn't gotten around to it yet (I've been looking into producing alternative energy, but the Republic is not there yet, alas). Here's what he said about the program:

[It] is the way our local utility gauges interest in renewable energy, and is also how it pays renewable producers.  Right now, SNAP has less than one thousand members.

I can't really complain about this small number, since until today, I wasn't a member of SNAP.  Many of us don't get an electric bill, or have it on autopay, or pay our electric bill to a landlord.  So we don't see a box that says "check here to become a member of SNAP."  Since I am one of those, I had to actually hunt down the link to become a SNAP member, and after I found the web page, it was really easy.  So, I'm including the link to the web page to sign up to be a SNAP member.  It's https://www.gvea.com/secure/snap.php. If every one of you signs up for SNAP as a result of this email, which is really just a reminder, then we will have doubled the number of SNAP members.  Think about that--Fairbanks' main renewable energy program could grow by 100% in the next few hours if you just click on the link below.

I signed up to donate $5 a month.  The minimum is $2.  I know we can all afford that.  It's more of a statement that, yes, the Interior cares about energy.  That's really all we can do right now; make a statement.  But I assure you that its a loud statement, and that there are a lot of people working to make sure that this statement doesn't go unnoticed.

Good on you, Garrison, and I think I'll take your advice.