Utah, like the rest of the nation, is at an energy crossroads. We need to develop resources that meet demand, keep the economy going, and preserve the environment. At the same time, we must address our energy challenges without turning to nuclear power and adding to our state's already heavy nuclear burden. For decades, Utah has borne the brunt of a nuclear industry that has extracted uranium from our soils only to return it in the form of nuclear waste and the radioactive fallout from nuclear testing.
In the proud tradition of Don Quixote, Kimball Rasmussen — the CEO of a coal power plant — has taken to jousting with windmills, according to a recent story ("Green jobs and energy debate on Utah's Capitol Hill," Sept. 22). And just as the windmills posed no threat to Cervantes' hero, windmills aren't the enemy threatening Rasmussen's coal plants.
Submitted by Arthur Morris on Fri, 2011-05-27 10:24
Debates about environmental standards often revolve around the issue of jobs. A central argument for less protective standards is the “race to the bottom” concept.
This idea is that businesses will invest in the least protective countries, states and cities, because it’s cheaper. This can incite a competitive race among governments to have the least protective standards. The troubling extension of this logic is that more protective standards come at the expense of jobs and economic growth, pitting health and the environment against jobs.
If businesses really do “dumpster dive” to find the least protective environmental standards, then there must be serious trade-offs. We’ve spent some time tracking down research on this question in order to understand these costs.
Submitted by Arthur Morris on Fri, 2011-05-13 10:11
Everything you need to know about fracking is in this amazingly-musical and surprisingly-nuanced little package:
In addition to making drinking water flammable, fracking yet again highlights the faustian dilemma inherent in getting power from fossil fuel: energy helps us but always comes with harmful side effects, from dirty air to poisoned water. There are real health costs that we bear everyday when we flip the lights on across America. We need to be honest with ourselves about these costs.
Submitted by Arthur Morris on Fri, 2011-05-06 15:36
If you’re one of those folks who thinks renewables are too expensive to be a reality here are two quick headlines to blow your mind (you might want to put down that Hot Pocket you’re about to bite into):
It turns out that even when the sun and wind are doing all of the work you have to pay for power – I guess my econ professors were right there really isn’t any free lunch. It also turns out that the renewable energy lunch is getting cheaper.
As Japan starts rebuilding after this month's devastating earthquake and tsunami, it must do so with a significant shortfall of electricity. With almost four percent of the country's baseload capacity offline due to the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and problems at other generation facilities, rolling blackouts are common around Tokyo, hampering the country's manufacturing sector.
NYSEG to study compressed air energy storage
By Staff reports
Messenger Post
Posted Dec 06, 2010 @ 11:56 AM
MPNnow.com — New York State Gas & Electric is working with the federal Department of Energy on an energy-efficient energy storage system.
On Nov. 30, NYSEG executed a $29.6 million cooperative funding agreement with the Department of Energy as part of the agency’s Smart Grid Demonstration Program, launching a study of an environmentally-friendly compressed air energy storage site on the west side of Seneca Lake, north of Watkins Glen.
