State agencies in both Anchorage and Juneau met on Wednesday to determine how to reconnect the capital with the off-line hydro-power dams. Due to a massive avalanche city residents are now paying five times more for electricity per kilo-watt hour.

In the wake of destruction left by the avalanche, a transmission tower and at least a mile of hydroelectric transmission line were destroyed, forcing the city to run on power provided by Alaska Electric Light and Power diesel generators. Many grocery stores and restaurants have begun operating on half the power they typically consume. The federal building even cut consumption by nearly 40-percent.

FEMA agents have arrived and spent time Wednesday analyzing the situation.

Members of governor Sarah Palin's Disaster Policy Cabinet met to decide whether to declare this as a state disaster. As of yet no decision has been made.

State agencies are still reviewing exactly how much damage has occurred and what repairs need to be made among other details.

Commissioner Craig Campbell questioned what type of aid the city could receive, "Is there anything the state of Alaska or the Federal government can do to help expedite the repairs? And is there anything the state of Alaska, the city, the industry and the Feds can do to mitigate cost that Juneau's going to have to bear by operating on diesel generators that long?"

At least 85-percent of the regions power was taken off line last Wednesday by the avalanche. Officials have estimated a cost of up to $10-million to fix the line. Reports did not say whether or not a new line would be placed underground to prevent similar disasters in the future.