Renewable Energy Fair at Chena Hot Springs: Geothermal and Hydrogen in the Alaskan Wilderness
If you happened to be in Chena, Alaska last weekend, you may have attended the third annual Chena Renewable Energy Fair, chowed on some hot dogs barbecued on the hydrogen-powered grill, toured the the geothermal power plant, or visited the Aurora Ice Museum that’s kept cool in the summer using the patented absorption chiller.
Bernie Karl is all about renewable energy. Proprietor of Chena Hot Springs Resort, located 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks and 33 miles off the grid, Bernie acquired the ramshackle resort in 1998 from the state of Alaska. From the very beginning Bernie’s vision was to run his operation using only the abundant thermal energy of the surrounding hot springs.
Despite having more geothermal resources than any other state in the country, Alaska hadn’t developed any of those resources until Bernie’s geothermal power plant came online in 2006. Developed in partnership with United Technologies Corporation, the patented power plant is the lowest temperature geothermal resource used for commercial power production in the world. A step many hope will spur development for low cost geothermal development throughout Alaska and the world.
Featured in Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn’s book Earth the Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming, Bernie is an apparent source of renewable energy himself and a force to be reckoned with. His entrepreneurial frontier spirit has attracted attention, making Chena Hot Springs a test site for the U.S. Department of Energy for future development of geothermal energy.
Bernie’s team at Chena Hot Springs continues to develop ideas in renewable energy at a pace more staid institutions can’t match.
“A big corporation moves slowly, does everything by committee,” says mechanical engineer and space physicist Gwen Holdman, “We just do stuff. If we screw it up, we fix it.”
From ice museums to geothermal power plants to hydrogen hot dogs, Bernie and his crew just keep doing stuff. It’ll be interesting to see what’s on store for next year’s renewable energy fair.
Photo Credit: Popular Mechanics
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August 29th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
From: andyjanson@hotmail.com
To: andyjanson@hotmail.com
Subject: FW: andy,s first radio interview
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:45:00 +0000
just a quick explanation of what i am doing it is an all new process confirmed by the n.r.c. to be 2.35 times better then anything now possible for a process to produce and store hydrogen for the new carbon free era the radio interview should explane what im doing and you may if you wish judge the world wide applications or just call me at home at 519-652-0285
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From: andyjanson@hotmail.com
To: andyjanson@hotmail.com
Subject: andy,s first radio interview
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 01:56:30 +0000
Airs Live from the University of Western Ontario every Thursday from 11 am to noon
on CHRW Radio, 94.9 FM (London, Ontario, CANADA)
To join the conversation, call: 519-661-3600 Thursdays, 11 am-Noon, Eastern Time
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Just Right-061-July 3, 2008
GUEST: Andy Janson, Entrepreneur, Inventor, Science & Technology Futurist
Cleaning Up The Environment – With The New Technologies Of The Future
Hydrogen Isn’t Just An Alternative Fuel; It’s The Only Fuel
Green Barriers To Innovation
Net Metering and Generating Your Own Power
An Environmental Vision Of The Future With No Sunshine Tax or Wind Tax
August 31st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
It is refreshing to know there are earth minded entrepreneurs getting some attention in Alaska, particularly in light of GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin’s pro-stance on drilling in ANWR. Let’s hope Bernie and others like him will lead Alaska in a new, earth-friendly direction.