HomeMy WebLinkAboutHanssen_AEA_Grant_Support_LetterOctober 6, 2008
The Honorable Morgan Johnson
Mayor, City Of Ambler
PO Box 9
Ambler, Alaska 99786
Dear Mayor Johnson:
Re: Ambler Wind and Solar Alternative Energy Project
I want to offer my full support of your effort to develop wind and solar energy production in the
community of Ambler under the Alaska Energy Authority Renewable Energy Fund program. In
particular, I would like emphasize the importance of your endeavor to focus new renewable
energy on the delivery of basic water and sewer services.
Ambler's water and sewer system is critical to disease prevention and to maintaining an
acceptable quality of life for community residents. The cost of providing clean community
drinking water and adequate sanitary sewer service has been increasing exponentially across
rural Alaska during the past several years as a result of increasing fuel prices. Without the
development of renewable energy these basic sanitation services may become economically
unaffordable to Ambler residents in the near future.
Development of renewable energy sources will act to directly offset rising fuel prices and will go
a long way to ensuring that Ambler's operating costs are sustainable into the future. In addition,
directing newly harnessed energy toward the delivery of basic sanitary services is an effective
way of ensuring that critical health benefits are not foregone as fuel prices escalate. If this pilot
program proves to be as successful as anticipated, the use of wind and solar energy should be
developed further to support energy demands of other public sanitation infrastructure, including
sewage lift stations, water treatment and storage facilities and piping freeze -prevention systems.
Please let me know how I can be of further assistance as you work to develop renewable energy
in the name of providing affordable water and sewer services to your community. Feel free to
contact me at (907) 729-3620.
Sincerely,
C� C
Eric C. Hanssen, P.E.
Engineering Project Manager
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium