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Climate Challenge Participation Letter

DOE's Energy Partnerships for a Strong Economy


GOLDEN VALLEY ELECTIC ASSOCIATION INC. Box 71249, Fairbanks, Alaska 99707-1249

April 17, 1995

The Honorable Hazel O'Leary
Secretary
U S Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave SW
Washington DC 20585

Re: Climate Challenge Program Participation

Dear Madam Secretary:

Golden Valley Electric Association, a generation, transmission and distribution system serving under 50,000 consumers, agrees to participate in the Climate Challenge Program. The following list identifies the actions that our cooperative has taken since 1991 or will take by the 2000 to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions. The enclosed Worksheet and Worksheet Attachment provide more specific information on these actions.

    Marketing Demand-Side Management

    - Energy$ense Programs (Home$ense, Builder$ense, Business$ense)

    Load Control Demand-Side Management

    - ThermoCord Program

    Other

    - Healy Clean Coal Project
    - Railbelt Intertie Upgrades

Golden Valley Electric Association expects that the combination of these actions will reduce or prevent annual emissions of 1,094 tons of carbon dioxide in the year 2000. Furthermore, Golden Valley Electric Association will report annually, on a form provided by the Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration, on activities under the Climate Challenge Program.

Sincerely,

(Original signed by)
Michael P. Kelly
General Manager

cc: Kaye Buchanan, NRECA

Excerpt from letter dated April 12, 1994 to Honorable Haze1 O'Leary, Secretary of Energy from Mike Kelly, General Manager of Golden Valley Electric Association:

    The Healy Clean Coal Project

    As you are aware, the Healy Clean Coal Project was chosen by the Department of Energy for funding under the Clean Coal Technology Program. HCCP will demonstrate an environmentally sound, innovative technology for burning coal which can have worldwide application while providing needed base-load power for Interior Alaskans. HCCP will be constructed adjacent to our existing coal-fired plant, Healy I, which will enable us to incorporate more efficient control mechanisms at the present plant. In addition, Healy I will be retrofitted with emission controls resulting in an increase from our current 25 megawatt base load capacity to over 75 megawatts from the combined facilities with almost no increase in emissions. GVEA has been pleased to join DOE in working toward long term solutions to improve our air quality.

    Railbelt Intertie Upgrades

    Golden Valley has entered into an agreement with other electric utilities serving the Alaska Railbelt area to share debt, overhead and maintenance costs to upgrade transmission interties between the utilities. The Alaska legislature has appropriated $90 million to fund half the cost of this project. The improved intertie system will enable the Railbelt utilities to fully utilize available hydroelectric and gas-fired generation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


Please send comments to:
Lawrence.Mansueti@hq.doe.gov