Alaska's future energy source? The answer may be blowing in the wind.

• Author: Grenn, Ben

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It's free. There's plenty of it. You can't see it. It's clean. And its supply is endless. It's the wind. Wind is simple air in motion. The uneven heating of the earth's surface causes it.

Alaska has abundant wind resources suitable for power development. Costs associated with fossil fuels and improvements in wind power technology make harnessing this clean, renewable energy source a growing opportunity for many Alaskans.

"People in rural Alaska are paying astronomical prices for diesel," said Martina Dabo, wind program manager with the Alaska Energy Authority. "In extreme cases, villagers will pay between $6 to $8 a gallon. So if we approach this thing right and further develop wind power, we can reduce their fuel bills and at the same time help the environment."

Today, wind energy is also the fastest-growing energy source.

Much of the best winds in the 49th State are located in the western and coastal portions.

"Of course, as you might imagine," says Dabo, "the stronger and more productive winds occur during the winter months. Although, maybe a little surprising, is that the central part of Alaska is not particularly a good geographic location in terms of harnessing wind."

GOOD AND BAD

The winds in these regions tend to be associated with strong high- and low-pressure systems and related storm tracks. In parts of Southwest Alaska, turbines may actually need to be constructed away from some of the best wind conditions to avoid extreme gusts and turbulence. In the Interior, average wind speeds tend to be much lower, although localized wind resources can be found near elevated terrain or channeled passes like those near Delta Junction and Healy.

Wind power density, represented as watts per square meter, is divided into seven power classes: Class 1 being the weakest classification. Much depends on wind energy feasibility, such as size of electrical load, price of displaced fuel, such as diesel or natural gas, foundation cost, and other site-specific variables.

Wind energy, a clean energy source of electricity generated by wind turbines, does not pollute the air or emit pollutants like other energy sources, which translates into less smog, less acid rain and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

The first wind farm in the Last Frontier, located in Kotzebue in a Class 4 to 5 wind resource, has been displacing a significant portion of the utility's diesel fuel with wind power for more than 10 years. "Even though wind is free and...