Tag Archives: U.S. Energy Information Administration
Is Juneau running out of diesel?
Juneau, Alaska is one of two capitals that is only accessible by water or air (the other is Honolulu, Hawaii. Like New England, almost every home in Juneau is heated by diesel oil. This small city of 30,000 souls has two rather large tank farms that store millions of gallons of fuel barged up from Seattle. Diesel is the lifeblood of Juneau. It has three harbors packed with fishing vessels that run on diesel. Two mines outside the city use diesel. The city’s backup power generators run on diesel. If this town ran out of diesel, it would be an economic catastrophe if not a humanitarian crisis. Some buildings only use diesel heat. If heat was shut down, the water supply would also have to be shut down (frozen lines). It would mean the closure of schools and, possibly, health facilities. So, the first step is to see if there is data on Alaska’s inventory. Video, >click to read< 10:56
