Chena Hot Springs Resort located just 60-miles down a moose-ridden road from Fairbanks, Alaska has decided to use hydrogen to power its facility. The resort, being off the beaten path a bit, currently uses propane for its gas fireplaces, clothes drying and cooking. Next month, this propane will be replaced by hydrogen.
Now, one may think that an environmentally-friendly hot springs resort in the wilderness of Alaska may also be knee deep in geothermal energy. And, one would be correct in this assumption. The Chena Hot Springs Geothermal Power Plant currently provides power to the resort’s 44-buildings including the Aurora ice museum and has just won an award from the Department of Energy as one of the top research projects in the country.
The Chena 400 kw geothermal power plant will supply the electricity needed to electrolyze water and create hydrogen. The Chena Hot Springs Resort is also planning on running hydrogen in the cars that service the resort, though at this point they are not sure whether they will be going with fuel cell vehicles or burning hydrogen inside vehicles with internal combustion engines.
What the resort is sure of is that they are breaking ground on August 18 on Alaska’s first hydrogen fueling station. This station will support whatever vehicles they end up choosing and the groundbreaking ceremony will commence at the 2nd Annual Chena Renewable Energy Fair.
From hot water to hydrogen, the Chena Hot Springs Resort is leading the charge in the great white north to show the rest of us that renewable energy is the way to go, environmentally, economically and enviably for those who don’t have it.