A loud bang echoed through downtown Haines on Thursday morning, just before 8 a.m. Smoke was seen rising from the stacks at the Alaska Power & Telephone (AP&T) power plant, signaling that something had gone wrong at the facility.
Later in the day, workers used a lift to inspect one of the three stacks. According to Darren Belisle, the company’s power operations manager, an engine that had recently undergone repairs backfired during testing—similar to the way a car engine might backfire, only on a larger scale.
Residents in Haines have noticed an increase in fuel usage at the plant. This is because the company’s hydropower sources are struggling to meet demand during the winter months.
“Kasidaya is a run-of-the-river type hydro, and in winter, there isn’t enough water to keep it running,” Belisle explained. “Once we winterize Kasidaya, Goat Lake cannot produce enough power to meet the demand.”
To maintain stable energy levels in both Skagway and Haines, the company has been relying more on diesel fuel.
“We’ve been running diesel since mid-January for peak operations, primarily in Skagway,” Belisle said.
Typically, the company can reduce its diesel use between mid-April and mid-May. With the warmer weather this spring, Belisle hopes that diesel reliance will end closer to mid-April this year.
