Diesel surcharge reduced by half

Petersburg pays some of the lowest electricity rates in Alaska - 12 cents per residential kilowatt hour compared to the average in Alaska of 24.36 cents -­ thanks to the abundant renewable energy produced at the Swan Lake and Tyee Lake hydroelectric projects run by the Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA).

SEAPA hydro continuously powers the communities of Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan, except once each year when SEAPA schedules a ten-day shutdown at each project to work through a flurry of maintenance and inspections.

While the SEAPA power is off, local electric utilities crank up diese...