SCHWEITZER: West can help lead way on green energy

By Gov. Brian Schweitzer

Published August 20, 2008 at 5:24 p.m.

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Westerners feel the energy crisis pinch more intensely than anyone else. Out here, we travel vast distances. Fuel costs caused us distress long before hitting the staggering $4-per-gallon price. But we're independent-minded people who recognize that clean and green energy development provides opportunities for economic growth and helps America address increasing demand and energy independence.

Westerners have called for strong leadership in energy, and that call has been answered by Western governors.

In Montana we are leading the way with four new wind farms in the last three years, and more are on the way. Montana has increased oil production at a higher rate than any other state. Nearly $1 billion is being invested in refining capacity in the Big Sky State. And, with 30 percent of America's coal reserves, Montana is boosting current and emerging technologies to develop clean and green energy from coal.

Western leadership must now be matched by a national commitment for a progressive energy policy for the entire nation. We need national policies that unleash the creative powers of American ingenuity, entrepreneurship and engineering. No other issue is more important as voters choose new leadership for our country.

Imagine American energy, made on American soil by American workers. I have a personal passion for energy produced right here in America - particularly clean, affordable energy like wind, biofuels and coal gasification. I'm also excited about American engineers and workers building the next generation of hybrid and electric vehicles.

The wind blows a lot out here in the West, yet we haven't even come close to reaping the potential benefits of this clean and renewable power. Even renowned Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens is now one of the strongest wind power advocates and recognizes that although petroleum is an important part of today's energy mix, we cannot drill our way out of current crisis. Unfortunately, partisan political games have stopped the renewal of the production tax credit which has curtailed investment.

For wind and other clean forms of power to reach consumers - often thousands of miles distance from raw energy sources - a massive investment in transmission infrastructure is required. California alone needs large amounts of new power in the next two decades, and their state law requires the bulk of that power be "green." New transmission lines are needed so that clean and green power is delivered to market.

New ways to store electricity will have huge benefits for America's energy future, not only in our homes but also in our cars. Consider the plug-in hybrid cars that will come to market in the next few years. You will be able to charge your vehicle from a wall socket and drive short distances without ever having to use the gas tank. These vehicles have an expected range of 40 miles on a full electrical charge, costing you about a dollar - about five times cheaper than driving the same distance on gasoline. When battery technology is perfected, a battery may take a car 300 miles or more, and gasoline will take second place.

There are major carbon dioxide benefits as well. On average, charging a battery from the electrical grid creates about half the carbon emissions that would otherwise be emitted by burning gasoline to drive the same distance. This huge carbon differential will become even more pronounced as utility companies add cleaner and greener technology to their power portfolios.

Imagine a world where your car also powers your home. Battery advancements will allow us to live the modern version of my grandparents' farm - storing enough power to run a home while overcoming the fluctuations in wind and solar power output. "Net metering," a concept that is growing fast (but not fast enough), even allows consumers to sell excess power back to the utility company.

Production of wind energy, synfuels and battery power would give America energy independence in the purest sense: American fuel, made on American soil by American workers.

With additional domestic fuel supplementing foreign imports, we would not be at the mercy of price-fixing dictators or international speculators that cause wild market fluctuations in the price of fuel.

We Westerners are looking forward to securing America's energy future.

Brian Schweitzer is the Democratic governor of Montana.

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Comments

August 20, 2008

11:10 p.m.

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mmannino writes:

We need economically viable energy technologies that meet reasonable environmental constraints. Wind and solar are not economically viable except to provide backup capacity in most cases. The full costs of wind and solar (including transmission capacity, maintenance of both the renewable plant and the backup plant, control systems, and backup capacity) are not competitive as a primary power source. Mandates for wind and solar will drive energy costs much higher and lead to energy shortages. We will be at a competitive disadvantage relative to the rest of the world if mandates for non economically viable power sources are enacted.

Clean coal and nuclear power should be the primary power sources. Investors without government interference will select economically viable energy sources. With reprocessing of waste, nuclear power will be a formidable power source.

The time is growing short. We need to build power plants yesterday. The left is fighting every economically viable power plant proposal.

I think that large scale energy storage is a long way off. Todays and tomorrows renewable plants rely on backup power. There are tremendous strains on the backup power because of the unreliability of wind and solar.
August 21, 2008

7:26 a.m.

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VVVV writes:

I think what we need is much less political grandstanding by democratic governors and texas oil men alike, and more people knowledgeable about electricity production to set the record straight. People like Al Gore wanting to force technology beyond its logical capability, and extremely far beyond its economic viability are more dangerous than any nuclear, coal, or gasoline problem. Guys like T. Boone Pickens are just as bad wanting a bait and switch where you pay him for expensive wind, then pay him even more for expensive natural gas to run your car. High density batteries still catch fire in electric cars, thus preventing their introduction to the general market. That would be a bit of a problem in this new world order. Nuclear, coal, and natural gas, the staples of electricity production necessary to maintain the lights on any time it is demanded, is fought in every corner of the country, while nobody poses a realistic solution that won't result in electrical curtailments, like what happened in Texas when the wind stopped blowing, while charging people four times their normal bills for the priviledge to choose their providers.

Legislators and lawsuit happy nutjobs are feeding you a line of BS while picking your pocket. The best thing they could do for this country would be to sit down and shut up, and listen for once to the problems that face the industry. It is not an option for people to have to choose between feeding their family or keeping the lights on, just to feed the solar and wind juggernaut that can't even hold a candle to a single nuclear power plant.
August 21, 2008

7:48 a.m.

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Mike_In_Hartsel writes:

To Gov. Brian Schweitzer - stay in Montana. You'll do less harm there. Quit running for president in Denver.
August 21, 2008

8:38 a.m.

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greenleaf writes:

Regardless of where people stand on the subject of wind and solar sources for our energy problems, I never cease being amazed at how little talk there is of conservation. Conservation represents Kilowatt hours, gallons of gas, tons of coal that aren't wasted . Conservation offers financial advantages to everybody including: fiscal conservatives, the poor and environmentalists. It delays the need for more power plants, mining and drilling. It also buys more time to develop alternatives such as cellulosic ethanol, algae based biodiesel , solar, wind, nuclear, Co2 sequestration etc..

Insulating homes, changing over to CFL bulbs or LEDS before the mandate, buying more efficient cars and modifying driving habits are all gifts that we can give to ourselves, free from any controversy. Best of all, properly executed, these are gifts you purchase once or rarely, that keep returning on your investment for years to come.
August 21, 2008

9:25 a.m.

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JCRiggle writes:

Greenleaf,

I agree that conservation is part of the solution to rising energy costs. And its already happening. With such high gas prices Americans are driving less and less. That alone won't drive down costs of oil on the world market (especially with increasing demand from the rest of the world), but it will sure help those individuals pocket book.

However, conservation has to be a personal choice. It cannot be mandated from the government. I know you are probably not advocating government mandates on conservation, but I'm sure a lot of other people here believe in those kinds of govt regulation. Its up to the individual to conserve. And making people more aware of conservation will never hurt.
August 21, 2008

1:31 p.m.

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greenleaf writes:

JCRiggle,

I agree wholeheartedly. Regulation by government should be a rare critter so far as I am concerned. Conservation should be able to sell itself. Even the CFL bulbs which lingered on the shelf for years were finally hitting stride and really didn't require a mandate.
August 22, 2008

12:08 p.m.

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RainbowWarrior writes:

Different day, but the same nuckle head ignorance and stubborn denial of reality from the build me a nuke and send me the bill every month for the rest of my life fringe... Only an ignorant fool would be caught saying "drill, drill here and drill now">

Modern renewable energy generation systems work best on a small scale individual basis that are combined with modern construction techniques that strive for conservation and efficiency. The current grid can be used as the "energy bank"/storage system to generate a credit during the day when most normal people are at work and use almost zero energy at home with solar for example, and then borrow back at night for net zero energy consumption from a for profit electrical supplier (they hate this), when most of the time regular people sleep for the majority of the the dark hours...DAH!

When the synergism of modern design, materials and construction techniques are combined with renewable systems; wind, solar (active & passive), geothermal, and or micro-hydro in a decentralized configuration, true enrgy independence and self sufficeincy can be realized.

If we had a media system that was not obligated to protect the profits of large centralized corporate systems, more information would be available to the average person, and some of the idiots that post total garbage here every day would have to find some other topic to BS on.

All you so called conservative followers that advocate deregulation, no taxes and an anarchist economic system (enforced with a concealed weapon) detray your convictions when you demand to continue to support systems that consolidate wealth and power to a tiny minority at the expense of everyone else.

If the Home Builders Associations across the country started to display and demonstrate the synergism of effecient homes and renewables working together, rather than $350.00 per square foot Mac Mansions that are green washed pigs with lip stick, the average family would have something valuable they could strive for rather than some materialistic pipe dream.

A better future is possible, but it requires letting go of the past and keeping an open mind with a positive attitude. Too many of you demonstrate on a daily basis that you are not capable of taking a first step in the right direction... fine, cling to the failures of the past and let them hold you back from being part of the solution. There are more and more people like me that will love to identify you as part of the problem as we move forward and leave you in the dark, cold and lonely.

A home or commercial building can be built, today, that would cost nothing more than the intial investment (no other monthly bills), with net zero energy consumption and such a tiny carbon/environmental foot print that it would not register compared to the vast majority of garbage structures out there now.
August 22, 2008

12:56 p.m.

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mmannino writes:

RainbowWarrior,

I will be impressed by your Utopian dreams when you and others like you invest your own dollars in your dreams without any government mandates to force others to pay for your dreams.

Your comment about "an anarchist economic system" is ignorance perhaps willful. Markets are not anarchist economic systems. Markets are economic freedom. You want economic totalitarism by forcing your Utopian visions on society.

Your Utopian vision will lead to an energy meltdown. Energy executives are predicting difficult times unless new, economically viable power plants are constructed soon. I trust energy industry executives, not environmental obstructionists.
August 22, 2008

3:50 p.m.

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RainbowWarrior writes:

In your face mmannino...

Jim Rogers, chief executive of Duke Energy Corp., went to the World Affairs Council of Charlotte with a message about China — the Asian giant is ready to pass the United States as a leader in energy technology.

China often plays the heavy in discussions on the global issues of climate change and energy consumption. And Rogers notes the country plans to build the equivalent of 1,000 Cliffside coal plants by 2016.

Rogers said that’s only part of the story. China, he said, already leads the world in manufacturing solar energy panels. Next year the country will become the world’s top manufacturer of wind turbines.

“They are living the balanced solution on energy,” he told his audience at The Westin hotel Thursday afternoon. “They are making it happen while we are still talking about it.”

He said China is putting its economy first. But contrary to popular conceptions, he said, they are not ignoring the environment. Rogers said China is creating the technology and developing “the creativity and the brain power to ... blow by the United States” on green energy. And it is creating jobs for its future.

So, let's all wait to buy our renwable systems from Walmart/made in China and miss a huge opportunity to world be leaders again and make a ton of money at the same time.

You just don't get it, do you?

By the way, I walk my talk and stand in a place of integrity on these issues. I live in a straw bale home w/R40 rated walls, an R50 rated roof made with SIPs, passive solar that is collected in thermal mass rammed earth floors that receive the sun's energy through an engineered glazing system that has proper oritation to the southern skies and appropriate eve length for shade in the summer. My PV system is designed for my home to supply what we need, no more no less. I HAVE NOT PAID AN ELECTRIC BILL FOR 3 YEARS NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE OBTAINED NET ZERO ENERGY CONSUMPTION WHILE STILL CONNECTED TO GRID, WHICH IS OUR STORAGE SYSTEM. We used the wood stove twice last winter, when the sun did not shine for more than 3 days at a time. We have HD Sat TV and high speed internet, a 26 cuft frig, dishwasher and modern front load laundry and a gas dryer, 250 gallons of propane last us 1.37 years, as we have inline on demand domestic hot water (the active hot water solar system helps raise the storage tank temp so we need to boost the temp only 30 degrees in the winter, and don't need to use it in summer.) I could could go on and on, but I won't change what you do because you've already made up your mind about how things should be. Too bad, but by leading by example down here in SW Colorado guys like me blow the doors off of guys like you in more ways than I can list in a silly place like this...

Did I mention we are debt free?
August 22, 2008

6:19 p.m.

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greenleaf writes:

Rainbow,

Good for you, I'm impressed. I have a Prius , a PV system all CFLS and LEDS., but you are "light years" ahead of me!
August 22, 2008

6:28 p.m.

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HopiMedicineMan writes:

The energy problem will not be solved with such platitudes. Alcohol alternatives are starving the 4th world. We're a fossil fuel economy.
We have no viable or economic alternative to that. We're stuck and we need to face it and drill. But, to put on my conservation hat, we need to
increase mileage.
August 22, 2008

8:47 p.m.

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jjez writes:

I'd love to be able to afford to buy property to build a straw-bale house on and to live "off-the-grid" so to speak! I'd love to live in a house where the air blowing out of the furnace vent isn't cold by the time it hits me. I'm truly very envious of you Warrior! I've always wondered why forced air heat is still the norm for heating in CO. I've always thought that radiant (water) heat would be so much better. Help keep the house a little less arid in the winter. But when I bought my house, I couldn't afford brand new so had to live with what I could afford. I'm all for conservation as a means to make what we've got last a little longer. But unless every poorly insulated house in this country is torn down & replaced or at least made more efficient there will be waste. No matter what else we try to do. And I love your description of a McMansion! The builders will continue to build what they THINK people want. And they think that way because people keep buying what they build. At some point, the consumer is going to have to get the word out that we want reasonable sized housing at reasonable prices that will let us conserve resources. And to do that, people will need to STOP buying the McMansions, no matter how "green" they supposedly are. But that will take an entire shift in the paradigm and society as a whole. Until conspicuous consumption becomes anathema, there won't be any change. Too bad some people are too stubborn to see that there is going to be a point when the oil does run out. Won't be in OUR lifetimes, but it will happen. Unless we've blown ourselves up before then. But by conserving some of our resources now, our grandchildren may just have a chance.
August 22, 2008

8:59 p.m.

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mmannino writes:

Rainbow,

You sure are a class guy. I wish I could think of such classy opening lines. I wonder what classy opening line you can think of next.

You are saying that we should do everything, just like China. Build coal, nuclear, wind, solar, ... The build everything plan is not in the Democratic playbook. The Democrats have determined the correct energy technologies regardless of cost and reliability. Clean coal and nuclear are not in the Democratic playbook. The Chinese are not going to use non economically viable energy technologies. They will only use wind and solar when it is cost effective.

Rogers is just cheerleading for the Chinese because his company has large investments there. The Chinese environmental record is an abomination. They need a thousand year project to clean the mess.

Your living situation cannot be replicated to the general population. I have no problem with your situation. Just do not ask me to subsidize it. More power to you if you can live off the grid without subsidies. Living off the grid for most is not cost effective without large subsidies. I suspect that you received subsidies to build your energy dream.

If you really believe that markets are anarchist, you are poorly informed about market economies. I suggest that you open your mind and read about the wonders of market economies.
August 26, 2008

9:47 a.m.

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RussDoty writes:

Governor Schweitzer is implementing the 20 x 10 state Energy Efficiency Program: A twenty percent reduction in facility energy use by executive branch agencies, by the end of 2010. Reductions will be sought in electricity, natural gas, propane and fuel oil use.
August 26, 2008

9:57 a.m.

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RussDoty writes:

Conservation works. In 2003 a Californian used 7032 kWh/yr, one-half the electricity we used per person in Montana and one-fourth the electricity used per person in Wyoming. I'm pleased that Governor Schweitzer and the other 18 Western Governors have called for a 20% efficiency savings as part of meeting 2015 electric energy requirements. Your community can get started on that by installing LED street lights. That will save 25 to 50% on energy used to light our streets. See a summary on LEDs at www.newworldwindpower.com

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Home › Opinion DNC › DNC Speakout

SCHWEITZER: West can help lead way on green energy

By Gov. Brian Schweitzer

Published August 20, 2008 at 5:24 p.m.

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