QUESTION:
Dear Scientists,
How do you get electricity in Antarctica?
                         
              Sincerely,
              Miss Haggerty's 4th grade class

ANSWER from John Booth, ASA Science Tech
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Wed, 5 Mar 1997 04:34:40 -0500

Dear Fourth Graders,

Electricity is produced on site by fuel powered generators.  At
Palmer Station the fuel is brought in from Chile by the R/V POLAR
DUKE.  At South Pole Station the fuel must be flown in by airplane
from McMurdo Station, and for every gallon that arrives, the plane
uses perhaps three gallons, so it's an expensive proposition.  Some
remote sites use windmills to generate electricity, and South Pole
is now testing a prototype wind generator to see if it can handle
the harsh climate.

John B.