TIME TO STICK WITH NEW ENERGY

Don't back away from renewable energy commitment
Editorial, March 17, 2010 (Rochester Post-Bulletin)

"At the end of last year, 37 states had set some type of goal related to the percentage of energy they produce from renewable sources…All but five…[are] legally binding targets that power companies must meet, or face some type of penalty."

"…[Republican gubernatorial asperant] Rep. Marty Seifert…introduced a bill that would let Minnesota back away from its commitment of using 25 percent renewable energy by 2025. Seifert voted in favor of the energy standard in 2007, but he now says it should be replaced…Make no mistake: Minnesota has set the bar high. Only a few states are pursuing a 25 percent renewable goal…only Illinois and Oregon are trying to get it done by 2025…"

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"But there are many reasons we should stand by our commitments to renewable energy…Right now, renewable energy is more costly than electricity produced from coal or natural gas, so without a legal imperative, utility companies would have no incentive to invest in alternative energy infrastructure…With the standards in place…companies like Xcel Energy must act… For the average, 3.5 kilowatt system, Xcel will pay $7,875, about one-third of the total cost. The "Solar Rewards" program is expected to attract more than 1,300 participants in the next three years."

The best thing about Minnesota's RES is that it will prevent the state from squandering these wind assets. (click to enlarge)

"Then there's the matter of pollution…Energy produced on wind farms kept 62 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere last year, the equivalent of taking 10 million cars off America's highways. Without renewable energy, our air would be even dirtier…Finally, there's the direct economic impact of renewable energy…[T]he hundreds of wind turbines that dot our landscape…represent jobs for manufacturers, installers and maintenance workers, as well as a direct revenue stream for the landowners who sign long-term leases…

"…[I]f Minnesota backs away from its commitment to renewable energy, all bets are off concerning future research and growth in the wind and solar industries. If "green energy" developers don't have a guaranteed market for their product, they'll go elsewhere…[W]e might face a future in which wind turbines wouldn't be worth maintaining…We're just three years along in a process [of developing a New Energy infrastructure] that was supposed to take 18 years to complete…It's far too early to be bailing out."