An entirely preventable natural disaster struck Juneau in the early morning hours of April 16, 2008. Avalanche(s) destroyed the towers and power lines at Snettisham Reservoir, which provides 80-85% of electrical power to the capitol city and borough of Juneau, Alaska. Since April 16th, this community of approx. 31,000 is running on generators that illegally exceed air quality standards. Meanwhile, the state looks the other way, allowing AEL&P to pollute the air, and forces ratepayers to pay a 447% surcharge -- nearly 5 times the normal rate for electricity, plus the cost of repairing the state's towers and power lines. The city immediately declared a disaster, but the State refused. Nearly 300 citizens immediately declared, "WE WON'T PAY!" on the capitol steps.

Who is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the equipment that stripped Juneau of its hydropower? How can it be that an avalanche is not a natural disaster? How do we address new discoveries and convince state government to recognize our plight and treat economic disasters uniformly? How does private ownership change the landscape of a natural disaster? Across Alaska there is a serious energy crisis, while the price of crude oil keeps rising and the oil profits swell.

Juneau Peoples' Power Project is a passionate, nonpartisan citizens' coalition drawn together in the aftermath of this avalanche -- of snow, of incredulous information and discoveries -- and of the realization that the avalanche on April 16th was merely the first explosive symptom of a much more deeply rooted conundrum.

Join us as we work together in the interest of our community and fellow Alaskans. We are organizing. You are welcome to join our resistance through civil disobedience, demonstrations, ballot initiative(s), legislative lobbying where laws and regulations need change or updating, exploration of litigation if necessary, and other avenues of citizen activism.

www.juneaupeoplespowerproject.org