Wind turbines save money, reduce noise

Wind power has started becoming popular in Alaska, from the Fire Island Wind Farm to the Eva Creek Wind Farm, to many others from Nome to Kodiak, there are dozens of wind farms in Alaska that are completed, with others are under construction.  Dozens more are in the feasibility study phase.

This means a dramatic reduction in the amount of diesel fuel required for generators, which means less noise, less pollution, and less carbon emissions causing climate change.  In the case of Kodiak, six 1.5-megawatt wind turbines are saving $7 million per year worth of diesel fuel consumption - enough to have paid for themselves several times over already.

Clean energy saves money.

Utility-scale solar power is already available at prices fossil fuel power can't touch:  below $0.02 per kilowatt-hour, plus an additional $0.013 per kilowatt-hour for storage.

Rooftop solar is more expensive, but rather than competing with utility-scale power, its costs need to be compared with retail rates of electricity.  The reason is that utilities reduce your monthly bill by the amount of electricity you generate from your solar panels.  That reduction is based on the retail price per kilowatt-hour you pay, not the wholesale price the utility company pays.

Therefore, rooftop solar in Anchorage pays for itself within 8 years or so.  All the energy they generate after that is pure profit for you.

Transportation

Already electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids pay for themselves over the life of the vehicle because the fuel is less expensive, and they require less maintenance.  Moreover, by the mid 2020s, even the purchase price for electric vehicles is expected to be less expensive than their internal combustion engine counterparts.

It is interesting that studies show car dealerships steer potential customers away from electric vehicles.  Perhaps they are reluctant to lose all the profit they make from the regular maintenance it takes to keep internal combustion engines running.

Clean saves green.

Heating buildings accounts for 39% of Anchorage carbon dioxide emissions.  This can be reduced toward (and to) zero by improving building insulation standards, using heat pumps, and electrifying building heat.

The Cold Climate Housing Research Center says that new building construction can be improved to the point that they require 80% less energy to heat.  Local amendments to building codes can be established to substantially reduce the energy used by buildings.  Over time, this can save the owner a great deal of money.

Heat pumps, shown in the image above, are essentially inside-out refrigerators.  They cool the outside while warming the inside.  The Seward Sea Life Center switched to a heat pump and is saving up to $15,000 per month on heating costs.