Wind, sun can best serve energy needs
By KEN MIDKIFF
Published Friday, November 28, 2008
(http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Nov/20081128Comm003.asp)

In all the hoopla about Barack Obama being elected as president, one of the more significant state ballot issues almost got lost. Although there were a few articles about this, it is suspected that most people are unaware we now have a renewable energy standard for this state, one that calls for utilities companies to provide energy from sustainable and renewable sources while affording consumers protection from higher rates.

While giving a passing nod to biomass (cornstalks, woody debris, landfill gases), it is anticipated that energy derived from wind and solar sources will provide most of the renewable energy. Not that biomass isn’t available, but it is just so much easier to obtain energy from the wind or the sun. Not only that, but major investments and major advancements have already been made on the wind and solar front.

Experimentation with various designs for photo-voltaic cells and wind turbines is pretty much complete. No doubt, there will be some tinkering with wind turbines and PV cells as the federal government pumps more and more money into "energy independence," but for the most part, the experimental stage is complete.

There are those who assert that there are massive quantities of oil and gas if only prohibitions would be lifted against offshore drilling. They are deluded.

The facts are that the U.S. Geological Survey has concluded that all of our oil reserves have been identified and there just ain’t that much there. Even if every drop of off-limits oil below the surface were to be refined, it would only represent a few months’ worth of gasoline.

We now obtain most of our oil from foreign nations. It has been observed that many of these nations don’t like us very much, and they could turn off the spigot. In the meantime, we are forced to make nicey-nice with them for that very reason.

It has been discussed that coal - a fossil fuel - has a huge set of problems. Not only is obtaining it destructive, but burning it contributes mightily to global climate change.

Then there are those who advocate that we should turn to nuclear energy. Granted, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has put forth rigid rules for safe operation of nuclear power plants. Unfortunately, a small mistake at a nuclear power plant can wipe out entire states (witness Chernobyl). And, as has been pointed out time and time again, there is still no solution to the problems of what to do with all that high-level radioactive waste. Finally, there’s the niggling problem of terrorists who, if they got their bloody mitts on high-level waste, could do all sorts of mischief.

Those are the external problems. Adding to the mix is that from a cost-benefit basis, nukes just don’t cut it. Thanks to all those necessary safety and security measures, nuclear power plants are very expensive. Since AmerenUE is unlikely to secure massive amounts of money via a loan (since the economy has gone belly up), the company wants current consumers’ rates to increase to pay for Callaway II. Critics of the repeal of the law prohibiting such Construction Work in Progress rate increases say that if Callaway II is such a good deal, then AmerenUE should pony up the money and not burden consumers with the liability.

One of the major problems with obtaining energy from "conventional" sources (coal-fired, gas-fired, nuclear, hydro) is that there is scant consumer protection. Oh, sure, public utility companies must go before the Public Service Commission and show why their rates should be increased, but the Public Service Commission has shown that it is much more interested in the healthy profit margin of the utility industry and has little interest in serving the general public.

The bottom line is that we have a renewable energy standard, and that standard was adopted statewide by a 2-1 margin.

In the end, it will be much cheaper and much safer to obtain energy from the wind and the sun. We don’t need to build nukes or coal-fired power plants when natural sources are readily available.