Wrangell to undergo week of diesel power starting Tuesday

Before the summer weather heats up and the air conditioners kick on, residents are being asked to conserve energy starting May 26. Wrangell Municipal Light and Power (WMLP) announced it will begin its annual diesel run that day, with the scheduled run anticipated to end June 3.

Southeast Alaska Power Agency technicians need to power down the transmission lines connecting the hydroelectric facility at Tyee Lake for maintenance, including checking the lines' anchors and insulators, replacing components and conducting basic upkeep that cannot be done when the line is energized.

The annual run is often timed for the end of spring because weather conditions are fair and loads are still low before the seafood processing season begins.

"This is just the opportune time to do it," electrical superintendent Clay Hammer explained.

In the meantime, Wrangell's power needs will be met by its diesel generators. Rate payers will find a fuel surcharge on their next bill, a fee covering fuel for the duration of the run on top of base rates. This determined cost is divided between all users, so less wattage used borough-wide means a lower surcharge across the board.

"I hope folks will bear with us," Hammer said. "Use power as you'd normally do it, up until the run."

Different from last year, WMLP will notify the public in advance of which days have been selected for the change-over, so they can make necessary preparations. Hammer said he will present updated usage statistics each day on radio station KSTK as well, to keep people mindful of their power use.

Wrangell's power plant maintains four diesel generators in all, three of which are 16-cylinder Electro-Motive units built by General Motors in the 1960s. Installed between 2000 and 2003, the three were mounted on train engine chassis before being installed at the plant.

Nicknamed Emil, Ethel, and Enid, each machine weighs in at 66,000 pounds and puts out two megawatts of power apiece, at about 12 kilowatt-hours per gallon of fuel. The generators are kept at a 100-degree stand-by temperature at all times so they can be turned on with a 15-minute notice.

A crew of two or three is needed to safely put them online. As the generators build up power, the crew checks them for leaks or mechanical problems.

During the run, Hammer expects Wrangell will need to run two generators, and each machine needs, on average, about 100 gallons of fuel an hour to run. This adds up to about 4,800 gallons of fuel per day during the diesel run. If the third generator is needed for additional capacity, Hammer estimates the total could be 6,000 gallons a day or more.

Diesel fuel WMLP uses is currently purchased from Petro Marine Services through a competitive bid process. The rate the city pays, as of last week, was around $2.547 per gallon, but Hammer explained that could vary depending on what the dock price is in Seattle.

While the total costs for the week can add up rather quickly, Hammer said that if the community works together and minds its meters, a good bit of the bite will be taken from utility bills come the month's end.