Events every day in every corner of the world remind us that America's economic future and our ability to compete globally demand that we wake up to this reality: we must produce and consume energy in a fundamentally different way than ever before. President Obama's call in the State of the Union address for a new goal that 80 percent of our electricity must come from clean energy sources by 2035 is absolutely achievable, but not without changes in policy, in our habits, in our very way of thinking about energy.
The stakes are high with increasing pressure to spark economic growth, wean the U.S. off its dependence on foreign oil, and comply with federal air quality standards. As Washington debates a path forward, the states are where we should be looking for viable solutions. From energy independence, to clean air to job creation, we are tackling some of our nation's toughest challenges in Colorado. And, we can do it in other states, as well.
As a candidate for Governor in 2006, I argued that the future of Colorado's economy was building wind farms in wheat fields, a symbol of the need to change our energy mindset. As Governor, I worked determinedly to create a "new energy economy" because I believed that we could create good jobs for the future, foster our research and development in our universities and in the private sector, clean up our environment, and help wean our country from dangerous dependence on oil produced by countries that are often hostile to our best interests.
That's why I pushed successfully for a 30% renewable energy standard in Colorado, the 2nd highest in the nation. It's why I signed 57 different pieces of legislation in 4 years related to clean energy, including tax credits and other incentives. It's why I tirelessly marketed Colorado as a place where solar and wind and other renewable energy companies can thrive; countless new clean energy companies from Vestas Wind to Abound Solar now call Colorado home.
It is also why I'm such a strong advocate for the important role natural gas must play in America's clean energy future. Colorado is blessed with abundant gas reserves. Its production has been a critical part of our economy for years, providing good jobs and economic opportunities throughout our state. It's the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, emitting far less carbon and other dangerous pollutants than coal. This fact was recognized by Congress in 2009 when it switched the U.S. Capitol Power Plant from coal to natural gas and created a clean precedence for all of America to follow. This long-term commitment to reducing the Hill's carbon footprint marked the end of D.C.'s last coal burning facility.
Natural gas production is not without controversy, and among my proudest accomplishments as Governor was implementing reforms to the regulations and oversight of oil and gas production. I tangled with the industry, insisting that tighter rules were needed to protect air, water, wildlife and community values, all the while knowing that production and protection can co-exist.
In fact, it must exist if we are serious about achieving our national clean energy goals. In the wake of the rules' fight in Colorado, working with natural gas companies, utilities, conservationists, local leaders and others, we passed bipartisan legislation to increase jobs, decrease air pollution, spur natural gas production and protect utility rate-payers.
The "Clean Air Clean Jobs Act" that I signed in 2010 establishes a process for converting aging inefficient coal-fired power plants to cleaner burning natural gas. It's an innovative, bipartisan solution, achieved by creating a new, diverse coalition of Coloradans committed to economic growth and opportunity, and the protection of public health and the air we breathe.
It's a responsible model for other states to consider.
Natural gas has many applications, for utilities, transportation and other energy needs. It can and must be a major part of our energy future -- along with wind, solar, biofuels, clean coal, nuclear, energy efficiency measures, and other technologies. Natural gas development is a part of doing what we know we must do: transition to a clean energy economy for the 21st century.
Bill Ritter, Jr., was Governor of Colorado from 2007 to 2011, and currently directs the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University.
two areas near my home exploded last week........one in central PA -killing 5 people and another area in OH --no one was harmed. our home has natural gas--but it scares me! Our new Governor is pro business and wants no regulations for natural gas. What does that mean for the many families already harmed by natural gas drilling and fracking?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-rose-levy/mr-ruffalo-and-mr-fox-go_b_824406.html
Once you've read these recommendations, I welcome your thoughts on whether the industries involved are ready to step up to cooperate, or whether there only aim is to generate more PR, lobbying, and campaign donations to win their way, as we see here.
Though politicians and oil executives claim natural gas production is a major economic benefit to the producing regions, the fact is the biggest producers are based outside of Colorado (or Wyoming, Utah, etc.) and the bulk of the revenues go elsewhere. Here in Colorado the taxes we collect from the industry are much lower than in most other producing states, and the U.S. in general collects far lower taxes from oil companies than other producing nations. And most landowners get little or no compensation for the use of their land for well pads. Previous owners virtually gave away their mineral rights generations ago. So the economic benefits, where they exist, are much lower than they should be - and then there is also the possibility that they are poisoning us. We don't know for sure because they won't tell us the secret ingredients in their fraccing fluids and the state won't regulate them.
Talk to the many sick people, and ask about their sick livestock of those who live near these natural gas wells. Exploitation run amok ... with no regard for contamination and fallout. We as a society can do so much better than this ... and you my friend, are of the old boy cronyism network that has exploited this country long enough. Go for the real clean dollars in clean renewable energy companies.
Progressive are so innovative they have my creative juices flowing. We should issue heat credits from Florida to little old ladies in New York who can’t afford to heat their homes. And cooling credits from Alaska to retirees sweltering in Florida’s summer sun. Why we could even solve the health care crisis by letting the healthy citizens sell wellness credits to the sick. Now if we can only stop the hot air exhaled from liberal politicians mouths.
China is using every energy resource, including natural gas and coal to fuel its economic growth. And China is generating less than 1% of its energy from clean energy sources.
America is the Saudi Arabia of coal and has hundreds of years of natural gas. The USA, like China, should use these resources to declare energy independence from OPEC, create domestic jobs and cease funding terrorists, while eliminating the need to fight trillion dollar wars in the Middle East.
Imagine the lives that could have been saved and America’s economy if those trillions had been spent in America.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/obamas-blocking-of-new-power-plants-triggers-nationwide-blackouts.html
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/11/02/obama-coal-plants/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6769743.stm
Some folks were told not to even wash their clothes in their after-the-fact water.....so what are they to drink, cook with and bathe in?
China's futuer is being sold out for short term profits by the cronies running that country. They are NOT anything we should be emulating. Also, I believe you are mis-informed about how much natural gas we have. According to this: ( http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/nat_gas.html) report by the Department of energy (second to last sentence), our country will run out of natural gas in about 60 years. Globally we will run out of natural gas in around 100 years. Yet, the EPA is still optimistically predicting a 69% increase in our investment in gas by 2035. Natural gas plants release into the atmosphere about 1135 lbs of Carbon per Mega-Watt Hour Generated. The state of Utah, with only 2.7 million people, required 42,851,000 Mega-Watt Hours of electricity in 2009.
Natural gas is not a long term solution. It is a short term way to make profits, and it, like other fossil fuels, is setting us up for some major problems down the road. The time to invest in genuine clean energy is now. Not 60 years from now.
With a food shortages happening around the world, why on earth would one entertain the idea of bio-fuels?
We need that land to plant as much food as possible.
Solar and wind is like most of Europeans prohibited from using air-conditioners in the summer, only the rich have them, the rest have to use fans, like the poor in Latin America and Africa.
So every now-n-then you see headlines of Italians boiling to death because of the extreme heat.
The answer to any shortage = produce more
You can't "conserve" your way out of a shortage and you waste time, energy and money, on inadequate forms of energy.
Nuclear is the only way to go and dealing with toxic waste will have to be the "cost" of modern civilization while mankind uses his god-given creativity and scientific abilities to deal with it.
Why is it now in our culture to approach our problems with half measures?
We need the best, the very best, and the latest and we don't need to deprive people of food to do it.
In 2009 my city had to pay such high prices for natural gas that the average bills were $500/mo and up and they never even warned us until the calls to their office were non-stop with people screaming at them. I had friends who got bills that were over $700/mo.
I am not in favor of fracking. It sounds like a horror for those communities who now have gas in their drinking water.
Something has to be done to find an affordable way to heat our homes.Fracking is not the answer. This pursuit of clean but affordable energy should have been done long, long ago because there is an aging boomer retirement group that will not be able to pay $500-$700 a month for gas heating bills in the future. Actually, even non boomers would be able to pay that every year.
We hit the peak of oil supplies in 2006--since 2006, daily supply has been flat. The new fields coming online are only replacing the old fields in decline. Natural gas can't replace oil easily--transitioning the 200 million plus passenger fleet alone is a hugely expensive task, never mind retrofitting hundreds of thousands of service stations and figuring out safe delivery of LNG.
Meanwhile, the producers have been stopped on hydrofracking--here in NY state, activists pushed through a moratorium on any excavation in the Catskills resevoir area. If the energy companies can't figure out how to safely extract all this 'newly found' natural gas, conventional NG is in flat growth.
Colorado may well get 30% of its energy from renewables in coming years, but that won't be because renewables have ramped up. Instead, conventional energy sources (fossil fuels and nuclear) are in decline.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/bakken.asp
for more technical analysis:
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5928
A report on Bakken output in 2009. While the potential is that several hundred billion barrels may be locked up in shale, present technology sees extraction of no more than 3.6 B barrels—about half a year’s US demand. As of 2009, Bakken was displacing no more than 1.1% of oil imports. There may be a large amount of oil locked up in the shale, but the extraction requires huge amounts of energy from other places. In the oil business that’s known as ‘energy return on energy invested’, and for shale, it’s running about 8x1. That’s less than pv and wind.
This is a report on shale and its limitations.
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7387
But thanks for playing!
Tell that to the people who are sick and dying.
Tell that to the whole communities that lost everything because their land isn't safe to live on anymore.
Yeah America will have gas for a few years but they won't have clean water or their health. The folks that took the deal from the gas companies are using their money for Doctor bills now. Some trade-off eh?