Does Alaska already have the infrastructure to support an electric vehicle market?

May 24, 2008 by Cygnus_X10 | Posted in Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Most places already have outlets to plug in block heaters which are necessary in winter there. So it would be very easy to plug in your car just going to the store.

The "plug-ins" that are in many Alaskan parking lots work fine for block heaters and battery heaters. But they are only 15- or 20-amp 120-volt circuits. So they are limited in the wattage they can deliver. But 1.5 kW is better than nothing. And it's free. To recharge more quickly, you'd usually have a 230-volt circuit of higher amperage.

Anywhere in Alaska "on the grid" would be similar to the 48-states for supporting electric vehicles. You'd have to run a high-amperage circuit out to a garage or exterior outlet to charge faster. Or charge slowly on 15/20-amp outlets.

Contrary to another poster, most electrical power in Alaska is NOT generated from diesel generators, although many small bush towns have that. Most all of the population get their power first from natural gas followed by some hydro projects plus some coal around Fairbanks (in Healy).

Many batteries are limited by temperature. Certainly partially charged lead-acid batteries are prone to freezing in Alaskan temperatures. Parking it in a heated garage would be one possibility. Or using lithium batteries or nickel-metal hydrides which are less sensitive to cold temps. But any of them would put out less current when cold, so that works against them in winter.

And gasoline and diesel cars are heated with waste heat. In an electric car, there is no waste heat from an engine but at -20F, you really want a little cabin heat. That too would make electric cars tougher to utilize in Alaska. Not impossible, just tougher.

If Sarah Palin lied about the bridge to nowhere, how can anyone trust her?

Aug 30, 2008 by loutejada | Posted in Elections

Anchorage Daily News on October 22, 2006, during the race for the governor's seat (via Nexis):

"Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?

Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."



Joe, I posted the newspaper and the date, that's the source
ians that is 24 years experience for Obama, 2 for Palin

Please. If you think this is the last lie or anything else that they're going to catch her in - think again. She's just another corrupt Republican't from Alaska saying, "It wasn't me." Mama Mooseburger is going to be toast before this is all over. She'll be like Harriet Myers hollering that she quit. John McSame is going to learn that you can't pick your Vice President like a one night stand - meet her once, she rocks your world, and you think with the wrong head and put her close to you. Viagra is a mother...

Is it wrong to clear up some cruel things people are saying about Alaska and Palin?

Sep 18, 2008 by Go to your local Tea Party:) | Posted in Elections

I wrote this in a comment box because of the horrible mean things being said in our Liberal Newspapers here in Alaska.

.......One bridge was to no where, the other get millions of visitors every year driving north to Fairbanks and beyond. It is very dangerous for us to drive to work. The bridge would bypass the droves of Tourists away from our small area and give them a peaceful, way shorter drive to the vast country up here. Hundreds of tourists die in crashes because of this problem. The lower 48 people do not understand.
The money that the energy rebate came from was generated by money taken in by the State from the sale of resources that were owned by the residents of the State (leased to the oil companies, who's profits were taxed at a specific rate). It only makes sense to return this money to the residents who own the resource that it was generated from. This may be in the form of mutually beneficial projects, such as infrastructure, or in this case, a rebate directly to the residents. It is not taking money from people in other states as it would never have gotten to them anyway. It isn't a perfect system by any means, but is definitely not something that other states should have any say in either.
Consider this....with this payout, think of how much of that money that you would have most likely never seen had the State kept it is going to end up going to your State when people travel there for vacation, buy goods or services that your State provides, pay their federal taxes on it, etc...
before you complain and moan about how much we get.why don't you come to Alaska and risk your life on our roads. They're all two lane bumpy, windy roads with no shoulder so be careful, a lot of tourists who aren't used to driving these dangerous roads are killed every year.
Why don't you come to Alaska and take a crap in a honey bucket. that's what a lot of Alaskans call a toilet because there is no plumbing.
Why don't you come to Alaska and pay eight dollars for heating oil.
Why don't you come to Alaska and buy a vhf radio so you can call for help because there are no phone lines or cell service.
then wait for help to be flown in because there is no road.
You people in the lower 48 gripe about how much Alaska gets but you have all of your infrastructure already in place. You have your phone lines, sewer plants, bridges and roads already built with federal money.
Why don't you put on your petition that whoever signs can stay the heck out of Alaska. We'll build it ourselves and charge yo to come see it.
"Comprendy"?
I "meant" the other bridge and it is not a "Bridge to Nowhere". Not when millions would use it every year. To Mt. McKinley alone we get millions of tourists. Yes, they don't live here, but they and us die because we don't have the bridge.
The Lib newspapers call us the meth capital of the world because we are almost all a red state and they hate us. They caused our "Times" newspaper to close in the late 80's to try and change us to a blue state, but it didn't work.
I love my state and Palin. I was just putting an answer to what I wrote to and outsider on a newspaper here.

Why all the animosity towards Alaskans? Every time I come on here, someone is griping about how we took money out of your pockets and how we don't have this or that (such as the brilliant one who said we don't have cable) We live in igloos and drive dog teams into work each day. It gets old, really quickly.

Of course there are drug problems, that is everywhere, if you live in a utopia, please let us know where that is so we can pack up and move. Everywhere has drugs, teen pregnancy and everywhere has problems.

Simply because you don't like the VP nomination is no reason to degrade and demean an entire state.

Obama closed up his campaign offices here- gave up on the Alaskan vote- wonder what he will do if things aren't going his way as President?


And the PFDs this year were $3269- the PFD is a fund set up for the Alaskan people- the government cannot take that money and do as it wishes, they must do the yearly payouts. It is the law.

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