No offense, but I am amazed at the lack of imagination that exists in corporations and government in Alaska. What a surprise to see a front-page article in the ADN on May 8 about the played-out offshore oil platforms in Cook Inlet — a story complaining about the expense of unused platforms sitting idle for decades.
I did two tours on the Tyonek platform in January or February in 1994 as a simple sample catcher. The Inlet tides are apparently the second strongest in the world. Twice every day and every night, the tide flows in and then out with great speed and force, only slowing to a trickle before reversing direction. These platforms are built to withstand the tidal punishment dished out 24/7/365.
Hasn’t any oilfield CEO or state politician considered the possibility of stripping the no-longer-drilling platforms down, cleaning them up and transforming them into hydroelectric generating plants? If oil company owners fret about the cost of tearing these platforms down, why not convert them into money-making enterprises that would make steady income far into the future? Or is the concept too simple?
— Ken Green
Cooper Landing
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