Paul Kjellander: Governor's initiative gives Idaho a chance to switch to more use of renewable energy resources
The first step toward responding to our state’s energy challenges is realizing they exist. The high price of gasoline, rising utility bills and the fact that Idaho imports the majority of its total energy needs leads to a general conclusion - the time is now to act!But there is no need to panic. There are numerous emerging opportunities presenting themselves to help meet our energy needs into the future. Energy-related developers are showing significant interest in Idaho. Proposed projects include nuclear, natural gas generators, wind, geothermal, biomass, methane digesters, pump storage hydro, interstate pipelines and transmission. And there is innovative activity to convert methane from dairy waste into pipeline-quality natural gas. Regarding transportation fuels, development of biofuels is expanding and more service stations are offering ethanol and biodiesel to Idahoans. There clearly is an interest in developing energy resources to serve Idahoans. When we focus on big-ticket items, there are five interstate transmission projects, three natural gas pipelines and two nuclear generation ventures that are exploring options here. This represents more activity than we have seen in decades. But why now? The reason for all this potential new supply is simple demand. We have seen tremendous growth, and our ability to manage it with the existing energy infrastructure is nearing capacity. It is time to build. And as a state, we have to be prepared to accommodate those projects that are economically feasible and cost-effective. Collaboration is under way among state, federal and local units of government to coordinate our efforts as these projects move forward. We cannot allow projects to fail because we lacked the ability to deal with them appropriately. As we confront our energy needs, we also must accept that factors beyond our control limit our options. A case in point is the impact that greenhouse gases have on our choices for generation resources. People can and do argue both sides of the science, but Wall Street has essentially settled that argument for developers. Investors simply will not risk their money on carbon-emitting resources. We already are feeling that impact in Idaho. Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power each had previously proposed building coal-fired generators in Idaho. Both utilities have scrapped those plans. They simply cannot build them until costs associated with greenhouse gases are resolved.So what can we build? Based on greenhouse gas realities, and the fact that renewables such as wind, solar and geothermal are not yet ready to meet our large-scale needs, our resource options are limited to the three “N’s” nuclear, natural gas, or nothing. Each of these options carries baggage. Nuclear is carbon-free, but concerns over waste and safety require our attention to overcome. Additionally, completion of a nuclear plant is 10 to 15 years away. Nuclear offers long-term solutions, but does not resolve our short-term requirements. Natural gas facilities are low-carbon emitters, but they expose utilities and customers to volatile fuel prices. And if we do nothing, our energy plan would likely need to include scheduled rolling blackouts.There clearly is no silver bullet. That is one of the reasons Gov. Butch Otter placed the 25 by ‘25 initiative under the Office of Energy Resources. The goal is to have 25 percent of Idaho’s energy provided by renewable resources by the year 2025. This challenge represents a tremendous opportunity to explore all renewable options and their financial viability. Additionally, it enables us to examine the role that carbon trading can play in pushing projects to fruition. Ultimately, the 25 by ‘25 initiative allows us to thoroughly investigate possible energy resources. We want to avoid stomping on innovation before it has a chance to bloom.There is something each of us can do. Through energy efficiency, conservation and demand-side management we can control the size of our energy bills and reduce the burden on our existing infrastructure. If you want to do your share, go to your utility’s Web site and explore some of the options that exist. You also will find some cash incentives there that could make your choices a little less expensive. The cheapest energy is the amount we do not consume. Working together, we can meet our energy needs. Paul Kjellander is the director of the state’s Office of Energy Resources.
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