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Electric Cooperatives Know What Works
December 1, 2008
There's no sugarcoating the power crisis we face as Americans. Over the past five years, electric bills have shot up 30 percent on average, largely because of sharply rising costs for coal, natural gas and basic construction materials such as steel, concrete and copper.
At the same time, electricity consumption continues to increase. In some regions—the West in particular—demand will soon outstrip supply, according to the North America Electric Reliability Corporation, which oversees reliability of the U.S. power grid.
Electric cooperatives, growing much faster than other sectors of the electric utility industry, face a double-whammy in all of this. A report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds we will need to double existing generation capacity by 2020 to keep the lights on. This means adding power plants that will be the most expensive in history thanks to escalating prices, inflation, international competition for raw resources, labor and expertise, as well as impending federal climate change mandates.
By taking steps such as promoting energy efficiency and offering online home efficiency audits, South Plains Electric Cooperative is working as best we can to minimize the effects of cost increases that we are all enduring.
But if we expect electricity to continue being a safe, affordable and reliable resource, not a luxury for the well-to-do, we must convince policymakers to work for energy solutions that are economically, technically and politically sustainable over the long term.
Electric cooperatives have been bringing electricity to the farthest reaches of our country for more than 70 years—we know what works. What we need now is strong leadership on the part of our elected officials, who will listen to our needs and address the tough questions we’ve been asking for close to a year:
* What is your plan to make sure we have the electricity we’ll need in the future?
* What are you doing to speed the development of new technology, which will allow me to have the electric power I need while meeting national climate policy goals?
* What will you do to keep my electric bill affordable?
The answers aren't simple, but they’re out there. For one, energy efficiency must become a national priority. Federal assistance must be made available to the poorest 20 percent of households, allowing them to make their homes as efficient as possible. Adequate insulation, upgraded doors and windows, Energy Star appliances and efficient HVAC systems all trim electric demand, and, more importantly, lower painfully high monthly bills and curb growing demand.
New transmission facilities must be fast-tracked, connecting rural regions—where sources of renewable energy like wind exists—to the population centers were power is needed. Renewable generation can provide an excellent supplement to conventional fuels such as natural gas and coal, but not without adequate transmission lines.
Technology remains the true key to our energy crisis and it must be treated as such. Over the next decade. $2 billion a year must be devoted to research and development of technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, that will significantly reduce power plant emissions of gases, like carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to climate change. Only a sustained commitment like this will deliver the solutions our nation needs.
Nuclear power must also be made a priority, with a national initiative to accelerate the construction of new plants. Nuclear power is a proven, low-emissions producer of baseload generation and is a valuable tool in meeting growing demand.
Electric cooperatives across the country are currently engaged in a grassroots campaign called "Our Energy, Our Future: A Dialogue With America" to ensure that these important policy consideration are made a priority. For the more than 1 million of you who have already joined in, thank you.
Let's keep letting lawmakers know that actions they take regarding our energy challenges carry enormous consequences for the folks back home. It's time to make our voices heard.