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Home / Washington Business - November/December 2003 / Pros & Cons: Washington Must Improve Generating and Transmission Capacity to Lower Power Costs |
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Pros & Cons: Washington Must Improve Generating and Transmission Capacity to Lower Power Costs |
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Written On: November/December 2003 |
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Written By: Sen. Bob Morton (R-Orient) |
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Affordable and readily available energy is not just about being able to switch on the lights; it is about a thriving economy with family-wage jobs and the Washington quality of life.
For years, a key ingredient in Washington’s prospering economy was inexpensive power. Washington’s aluminum industry thrived, and companies like Boeing greatly benefited from the low-cost power and aluminum produced here. Now these and many other businesses are shutting down or leaving Washington. And others are finding it more and more difficult to operate with the high cost of power.
The only way we can beat the high cost of power is to improve our energy generating infrastructure and produce more. There are a variety of opportunities to accomplish that goal here in Washington, including: Water storage, diversification and improving our power grid.
Water storage
Washington’s more than 70 percent reliance on hydropower put us in a tremendous bind during the 2001 drought. We were confronted with the difficult decision of prioritizing water use amongst competing interests, power generation, agricultural irrigation and fish. Unfortunately, the end result lead to high energy consuming aluminum smelters throughout the state being shut down and orchards of dried up fruit trees – workers left without a means to support their families.
We could prevent that from ever happening again by planning ahead. Improving our water storage system here in Washington would guarantee us water supply during drought and other unforeseeable conditions. Many opportunities already exist at reservoirs created by Washington’s dams, and in abandoned mines, which could serve effectively as man-made aquifers.
Diversification
The 2001 drought opened the door to new and alternative generation of power in Washington. In addition to hydropower, clean-burning natural gas, and coal, we should be looking seriously at increasing production of other types of cost-effective power, like solar, wind, fuel cells, biomass, and nuclear.
Solar
Many would argue that Washington is not sunny enough to warrant the widespread use of solar energy. That is not accurate. In fact, Germany, which is not known as the sunniest spot in Europe, has capitalized on the use of solar power over the past several years. The German Association for Solar Energies reported a 50 percent rise in solar panel orders during 2000 and by 2005 Germany expects to have 140,000 roofs across the country fitted with solar panels.
Washington state is along the same latitude and has far more exposure to the sun than Germany.
Wind
The Stateline Wind Farm, which straddles the Washington border from Walla Walla County south into Oregon has estimated that when their plan is complete, it will generate enough power to supply 100,000 homes. Many private landowners throughout the state have also added wind power production to the use of their land, for their own purposes and as additional power for the system.
Nuclear
Nuclear power is known for its dependability, lower average power production cost than coal or natural gas, and with the least impact on the environment.
For many, the word nuclear may conjure up mental images of Chernobyl or Three Mile Island, but the nuclear industry has worked diligently to make nuclear safe. In fact, there are currently 103 power-producing nuclear facilities safely operating in the United States today. In Washington, nuclear provides us with only 5 percent of our power. Opportunities currently exist for the expansion of safe and effective nuclear power production.
Improve our power grid
More power production does not mean anything without an adequate grid to transport that power to the 2.5 million homes and 310,000 businesses in Washington. Just as blood vessels are the life-lines that take oxygen to your heart, transmission lines are the life-lines that take power from the power plants to our homes and businesses.
Unfortunately, the Northeast learned the hard way in August about the importance of transmission lines. Although I am confident that Washington is nowhere near experiencing a situation like that which occurred in the Northeast this summer, investment in our state’s power grid now will guarantee that for years to come.
Washington must, however, ensure that our investments are not used against us. As we work to diversify our power sources and improve our transmission lines, we must fight against having our energy taken from us to benefit the states that have done nothing to improve their situation. We should benefit from the work we do to make power stable and affordable again in Washington. Our homes, our businesses, our workers and our families should benefit from our own exhaustive efforts.
Sen. Morton represents the 7th Legislative District, which includes Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln and parts of Okanogan and Spokane Counties. He is the chairman of the Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee.
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