Here in Fairbanks we are seeing two different dynamics taking place at the same time. Many long time Fairbanksans are leaving for the lower 48 lowering the population. Then I am seeing a huge influx of rural people moving into town. The Army is constantly bring in more troops. So the number of people in Fairbanks is holding stable. The cost of energy is killing us here, we have a lot of people that if they could sell out they would and leave. I know many families that have left and are renting their house to the new GIs because they can not sell it for what they owe.
Fuel oil is a real killer for the community. My last two top offs cost $1,200.00 and $1,600.00. Luckily I had changed out my boiler to a new hybrid boiler that cut my fuel consumption in half. You guys that live on the coast just can not fathom what it is like when the temp drops to 50 or 60 below and stays there for a week or so. Boilers run almost constantly. Or when the temp drops to 30 below during the day and 50 below during the night, and just sits there for a month or so. It's dark all the time so you have to have lights on when ever you are home. Either the car goes in the garage or has to be plugged in, running up the electric bill. Heat tapes on the well to keep the water flowing, again running up the electric bill. Electric bills going pout of sight due to the fuel surcharge. The North Pole power plant uses fuel oil to produce electricity. Back when they built the power plant (late 70 or early 80s) fuel oil was the cheapest thing to use.
The wife is looking for a job in either Maryland or Virgina. If she gets one we will just let our son continue to live here till he finishes college, then we will put the house on the market. If she can not find a new job we will stay where we are.
There is so many things that can be done to solve our problems but the government or environmental groups are blocking the way. We can use more coal, but the environmentalist scream about the pollution. We need a gas line from the north slope, but the government (EPA) stymies that. A gas line from the north slope to Fairbanks then on to Delta, Glenallen, Copper Center, and Valdez, could have branches off to Anactuvic Pass, Arctic Village, Mento, Tok, Northway, and Chitna. While this would not directly affect you guys out in OTZ, Dillingham, or S.E. it would eventually have a bleed over affect in helping to lower the cost of energy for you guys. We could have propane facilities that could process it and move it out to the rural areas lowering the cost of energy for you. Lowering the energy cost to deliver commodities to Fairbanks, lowers the cost of commodities going to rural Alaska from here.
A railroad connected to the lower 48, would bring supplies to Fairbanks cheaper than barge to Anchorage, then truck to Fairbanks. Plus I have been screaming this for years, without any alternate route to get supplies to Alaska except through Anchorage we are putting all our eggs in one basket. One big volcano like Katmai, or another Earth Quake like in 64, and the rest of Alaska is screwed. Just think if an Earth Quake happens just at the critical time to ship out fuel and groceries on the barges in Seattle or Portland, and the barges do not make it that year, what will the folks do in OTZ. Fairbanks is not going to be supplied at that time either. Anything that does make it through will be stopped at Anchorage. Once things start flowing again, it will have to be air freight to rural areas. Causing more rural people to have to move to town. Things are not looking good for any of us. Yet all we can do is just hunker down and endure. Rog
