Link would give Alaskans access to North American Power Grid - Vancouver Sun, January 13

Link would give Alaskans access to North American Power Grid - Vancouver Sun, January 13
British Columbia's plan for a $400-million high voltage power line into the northwest has Alaskans buzzing about the project's potential to spark green power development in their state.

Southeast Alaska has more than 3,000 megawatts of potential electricity generation at 80-plus sites, including hydro, wind and tidal power.

But with a population of 70,000 people scattered across a 650-kilometre area, the geographically isolated southeast market is too small to absorb even a fraction of that electricity. It's not economical unless it can be exported.

The northwest line would give Alaska access, for purposes of electricity sales, to the entire western North America electricity market.

Alaska-Canada Energy Coalition spokesman Paul Southland was in contact last week with BC Transmission Corp., which is responsible for construction of the 287-kilovolt line, and has a face-to-face meeting with BCTC officials later this month.