By Brian Keane
President, SmartPower
The Bush Administration and, yes, the Obama Administration, have both acknowledged that coal will continue to be a vital and valuable piece of our energy portfolio. After all, our nation is sitting on 500 years worth of coal – we’re not likely to just ignore it.
But at the same time, the President is focused on diversifying our nation’s energy portfolio. This isn’t designed to kill coal, but rather to increase the production of other types of energy. The strategy is not simply to replace one type of energy for another. At the rate Americans use energy, the reality is that we simply need more energy to power our lives, our communities and our nation.
So let’s be clear — the EPA’s clean-air rules are not designed with the purpose of making coal more costly. They are designed to encourage efficient, sustainable production of new energy resources. By taking away some of the favors that have previously been handed out to the coal industry over the years, the EPA is seeking to level the playing field for other sources of energy li...
The Bush Administration and, yes, the Obama Administration, have both acknowledged that coal will continue to be a vital and valuable piece of our energy portfolio. After all, our nation is sitting on 500 years worth of coal – we’re not likely to just ignore it.
But at the same time, the President is focused on diversifying our nation’s energy portfolio. This isn’t designed to kill coal, but rather to increase the production of other types of energy. The strategy is not simply to replace one type of energy for another. At the rate Americans use energy, the reality is that we simply need more energy to power our lives, our communities and our nation.
So let’s be clear — the EPA’s clean-air rules are not designed with the purpose of making coal more costly. They are designed to encourage efficient, sustainable production of new energy resources. By taking away some of the favors that have previously been handed out to the coal industry over the years, the EPA is seeking to level the playing field for other sources of energy like solar and wind. I have a hard time seeing how this is a bad thing. Indeed, isn't the elimination of subsidies and government handouts at the heart of the Tea Party mantra?
So why not level the playing field?
Of course, at the core of our energy problems is our nation’s voracious appetite for energy. We use it for everything and we rarely even think about it. But it’s time we get energy smart.
While it may not account for much of the decline in coal, energy efficiency programs like Energize New York and Connecticut’s Neighbor To Neighbor Energy Challenge are reducing the amount of energy homeowners require to power their homes thanks to energy efficiency upgrades. Energize New York found that their program alone is capable of saving Northern Westchester residents a total of $52 million in energy bills if one in three homeowners pursue their recommended assessment upgrades. That’s $52 million less going to oil and natural gas companies.
With every small step towards energy efficiency — like reducing phantom load by unplugging devices when they are turned off — industries like coal are taking one small step backwards. I have a hard time seeing this as a bad thing. And as clean energy becomes mainstream — which I assure you, it will — coal will face even larger losses. For an energy resource that is both dirty and finite, this end result is inevitable. We might as well make the transition sooner rather than later.