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

Article Excerpt
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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,...