HomeMy WebLinkAbout03262024 City Council Laydown - McDonaldMadame Mayor and Seward City Council,
I am writing this letter in response to the Bear Mountain Tunnel project to
provide Seward with a second tunnel over Lowell Point road. Despite the fact
of prepratory work already beginning and a United States Army Corp of
Engineers permit for the project, a mistake has been made in not including
hydro power in the project. Seward's original power plant was hydro powered
from the exact same location up the canyon to Mt. Marathon. Two tunnels
leaves one tunnel (the original one) the opportunity to be retrofitted with
hydroelectric generators. The technology is already tried and proven; all we
have too do is install them. The potential to have the generators in line every
75 ft or so all through the mountain is a gold mine for the Seward Utility
consumer, and can generate all or a very large part of our needs. Potential
excess power to sell is also not an opportunity to be missed. I implore the
Council to stop stonewalling, and face the facts and do your best to align them
for a positive future for utility customers from Seward to mile 24. Thank you
for your consideration.
Tim McDonald March 26th 2024