Alaska Electric Light & Power
Electricity supplier for Juneau, Alaska
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alaska Electric Light & Power, also known as AEL&P, is the power utility for Juneau, the capital city of Alaska. AEL&P gets their electricity primarily through the Snettisham hydroelectric power plant, located in an uninhabited region 30 miles (48 km) southeast of downtown Juneau, accessible only by boat and aircraft.
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| Industry | Energy, Public Utility |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1893 in Juneau, Alaska, United States |
| Founder | Willis Thorpe |
| Headquarters | 5601 Tonsgard Court, Juneau, Alaska , United States |
| Products | Electricity |
Number of employees | 78 |
| Parent | Avista Corporation |
| Website | aelp.com |
Founded in 1893 by Willis Thorpe,[1] AEL&P is one of the only privately held utilities in the state.[2] The company is Alaska’s oldest electrical utility and its oldest continuously operating corporation.[3] It originally ran on local hydroelectric dams run by the mining-focused Treadwell Company. These first dams were constructed on Salmon Creek and Sheep Creek. The current plant at Snettisham was completed in 1973.[4]
On July 1, 2014, Avista Corp., based out of Washington, bought out AEL&P's parent Alaska Energy and Resources Company.
AEL&P has a total hydroelectric capacity of 102 megawatts.[5] The Snettisham Plant provides about two-thirds of Juneau’s electricity and has a generating capacity of 78.2 megawatts.[5]
2008 avalanches and emergency power
In April 2008, a series of massive avalanches outside Juneau heavily damaged the electrical lines providing Juneau with power, knocking the hydroelectric system offline and forcing the utility to switch to a much more expensive diesel system. Diesel generators replaced the hydroelectric power to the municipality in the weeks that followed, leading to temporarily higher utility costs for AEL&P customers until the power lines were repaired.
