environmental

April 10,2007 | Steven Roberti

[stevenroberti]

California Energy Crisis: Let’s Avoid The Sequel

The California Energy Crisis put “energy” on the national stage. The energy drama made headlines day after day, featuring rolling blackouts, severe rate increases and an entire cast of villains and heroes – mostly villains. If we don’t learn from our lessons, and follow the direction of energy policy makers, we may have a dark sequel on our hands.

Our electricity crisis, a lesson to learn from if we want to keep the lights on, has attracted the attention of energy experts throughout the state, and Nation. California will likely remain center stage on this issue. Only now, we are positioned for two scenarios. One, as a leader in illuminating energy policy. Or, a dark sequel to the California energy crisis. The decisions we make today will have a direct influence on which of these scenarios gets played out.

Our population is growing, with both legal and illegal immigration. As of 2006, California had a population of 37 million. By 2010, this number is expected to exceed 40 million. Each one of these additional people will use electricity, and put additional demand on our energy infrastructure.

Of course, we should do all we can to conserve energy. In fact, we are already doing this, and our per capita energy consumption is the lowest in the country, according to the California Energy Commission. Our cutting edge efficiency standards are being exported to other parts of the Country, and World. Improving upon these standards is an excellent objective, but will not prevent another energy crisis when we add another three to thirteen million people to the equation. [Source data: http://www.energy.ca.gov/electricity/us_percapita_electricity_2003.html]

Renewable energy is another excellent solution for our longer term energy planning. Our state has a long history of supporting renewable energy and we have a plan to increase our renewable energy to 20% by the year 2020. Creating the infrastructure for renewable energy is going to take some time.

To meet demand we have several options. We could use nuclear energy. Though, most Californians don’t want a nuclear power plant in their neighborhood. We could use coal. But this dirty fuel stands in the way of meeting high environmental standards, like clean air. Not only that, but most of our existing infrastructure already runs on natural gas. We use natural gas in everything from furnaces, to stoves. And, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is used to as an alternative transportation fuel that powers many clean-burning buses and vehicles.

LNG is the common sense solution to meet our short-term energy needs as we move to using more renewable energy. In fact, Both the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission state that LNG is needed to help meet the state's critical need for new sources of natural gas.

Endorsed by the Governor for its safety merits, the Cabrillo Port LNG proposal is an excellent choice for new energy supplies because of its minimal environmental impact, and proven safety technology. The Cabrillo Port project is positioned to most immediately meet California’s demand for clean, reliable energy.

Though, Hollywood actors seeking roles as energy experts would like you to think otherwise. All the world is a stage and we are all actors and actresses. But let’s make sure we are casting ourselves in the right roles. What qualifies Pierce Brosnan and company as experts in energy policy?

Would you cast the US Secretary of Energy to star as James Bond – or to direct the film. Do you even know who the US Secretary of Energy is? Probably not. But, that is ok so long as he does his job.

Just the same, Pearce Bronsan and company are not qualified to make energy policy – even though we do know who they are. Don’t get me wrong, Pierce does a great James Bond. But how do his Honorary Doctorates in Art degrees qualify him to make sound energy policy decisions?

Casting themselves as energy experts is entertaining, but let’s not take it too seriously. This is what Hollywood is about, entertainment. Fiction, not reality. A world of scripts, not policy. Let’s not let this skilled acting put a dark cloud over real solutions. If we are to avoid a sequel of the very real “California Energy Crisis” we must start focusing on real solutions, rather than creating more drama.

California energy policy is still on the national, and world, stage. Everyone is watching us, with our potential to create illuminating energy policies for generations to come. Let’s cast experts in their appropriate roles to stay the course – for a real life performance we can be proud of. Let’s make the right decisions, that will ensure an bright energy future for our Golden State. If we don’t, we risk having to live through a dark sequel of California’s energy crisis. Let’s learn from our mistakes, and keep heading towards the light.

[sr4402]

And Where do you get Natural Gas from?? Where does LNG come from?? Two guesses and the first one doesn't count. That's right- drilling - which the enviromentalists hate.

Also to supply 3 million more people, that is a lot of Natural Gas and are you going to get it from within California?? Yeah Right.

[Cyber Liberty]

IB4TZ? Registered just today for this?

[rockinqsranch]

This piece is in support of either the Los Angeles LNG terminal under assault by the local community, or it’s in support of the offshore LNG transfer facility. I don’t know which one is “Cabrillo”.

I can understand if one wishes to get an agenda across that posting privilege at FR would be highly desireable as FR has tremendous readership.

Wish I knew more of the details behind these LNG terminal projections to comment further pro or con.

[The Great RJ]

Watch for Minnesota to repeat California’s energy mistakes. Minnesota’s legislature with the backing of Governor Pawlenti recently passed a bill to mandate a portion of all the electricity sold in the state to come from renewable sources...mainly windmills. The cost of that electricity is about 4 times higher per kilowatt than electricity from other sources including the state’s only nuclear power plant. Consumers will get hit with higher bills and then petition the legislature to do something about high power costs and the DFL dominated legislature will be happy to institute price controls. Voila...rolling blackouts just like California.

[Carry_Okie]

That's right- drilling - which the enviromentalists hate.

Oh, you mean "environmentalists" such as the NRDC? Who do you think they are?

Greenie sponsors hate drilling too, such as Pew Charitable Trusts (Sunoco), W. Alton Jones Foundation (Citgo), Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (guess who!)...