Climate Change--Are You a True Believer?

I still subscribe to the hometown weekly paper from my boyhood home of Monticello Utah, the San Juan Record.  A few months ago the editor and good friend Bill Boyle invited Jim Stiles, Editor of the Canyon Country Zephyr to write a weekly editorial comment.  The Canyon Country Zephyr is a witty online publication with mostly a "green" slant.  I don’t agree with everything Jim has to say but find myself agreeing with him more often than not.  A recent piece titled “The Climate Change Test” posed thoughtful questions regarding the climate change debate that forced me to consider what I really believe.

For the past three years, we in Beaver County have tried hard, with some success, to brand ourselves as the center of renewable resources in the state.  Because of that, I guess I am all for climate change.  But do I really believe in it?  I have been quoted many times as saying “global warming is no religion to me” and adding quickly “…but it has been the best thing to come along in years for rural economies.” 

From that standpoint, I guess I am squarely in the camp of what Jim Stiles calls the Madison Avenue crowd asking “how can I make money from this crisis?”.  The question to me is less a question of personal success than one regarding the success of rural communities.  I don’t know if the true believers of man's culpability in climate change think it somehow wrong or immoral to make money off the crisis but to me, that’s the real good stuff. 

Renewable energy projects are the rural economic developers dream.  They represent large investments, create little impact with respect to the social infrastructure and, if they are well placed, generate little controversy.  That is not to say there is never controversy, just remember I said “well placed”.  Compare the response to the wind farm in Milford with the response to the proposal for wind turbines in New Harmony.  The former generated no known negative comments and the latter nearly caused World War III in the “teapot” of New Harmony.  Heck, I could have told them that project wouldn’t fly; but no one asked.

Another side of the economic argument is that power from renewable sources is too expensive, I counter by saying that yes, it may seem more expensive now, but most forms of renewable generation are fixed costs, they last a long time and they are not subject to volatile fuel price fluctuations.  Some of the cheapest power in the United States today comes from hydroelectric dams along the Columbia River.  Columbia River power is cheap for three reasons 1) heavy subsidies in the beginning from the federal government, 2) the dams are largely depreciated and 3) no fuel is required.  I see the investments in renewable energy today as forming a similar foundation of a more secure energy future.

The best thing about the climate change debate is that it has the potential to get rural residents of all factions together at the same table with the real possibility of maybe becoming friends.  I am speaking of the multigenerational families that have worked hard to scratch out an existence in rural Utah for the past 150 years and the “new westerners” (code for environmentalists—whatever that means) that have recently come to our communities for the solitude, the beauty and heaven forbid, “the wilderness experience”. 

So what do I really believe about climate change?  Surprisingly, I have no idea regarding the truth of either end of the scientific argument.  I felt much more confident in my opinions about such things back in the 60s & 70s when I was a student at Monticello High School taking math and science classes.  Now, 40 years later there is so much that I knew back then that I realize now, I don’t. 

This much I do know—the  climate change debate is more of an opportunity than a threat to rural communities.  Let the money grubbers and the environmentalists join hands.



Rocky Mountain Power Begins Public Process for 345kV Transmission Line

With a Community Working Group meeting in Cedar City on Monday October 19^th, Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) began the first step of the public involvement process to site a 345kV transmission line that will run from Sigurd in Sevier County to Red Butte near St. George.  This project will require an environmental impact statement and the Bureau of Land Management will be the lead agency in that effort.  Beaver County has applied for and received approval to participate in the review of the Environmental Impact Statement as a cooperating agency.  This will give the county a seat at the table to provide input on specific locations within Beaver County.  

The process to develop the Environmental Impact Statement provides an opportunity for public input into the process. Rocky Mountain Power has indicated they supplement that process with additional public involvement since routes for transmission lines involve so many communities. The first step of supplementing the public involvement process was forming Community Working Groups (CWG). A CWG consists of residents, political leaders and others from all counties affected by the project. Beaver County residents in the CWG include Commissioner Don Willden, County Zoning Administrator Craig Davis, Economic Development Director Rob Adams and landowner Robert Christiansen. As the project moves through the permitting process, additional meetings will be sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management and Rocky Mountain Power involving the public, landowners and participants of the CWG.

Over the next five years RMP is planning to construct more than 2,000 miles of new transmission lines as part of their Energy Gateway projects with a goal to have the major portions of those planned lines in service by 2012 to 2014.  All 2,000 miles will represent an investment greater than $6 billion.  To put this in perspective, when Mid-America Energy purchased Pacificorp, Rocky Mountain Power’s parent company a few years ago, the price was $8 billion.   The Sigurd to Red Butte line is one of the Energy Gateway projects and is scheduled for service in 2013

New transmission lines are necessary to improve system reliability and deliver generation sources such as coal, gas, wind, geothermal and solar.  The planning process for new generating capacity and transmission assets takes several years.  The process begins with forecasting load growth which is tied to job creation and population.  From that forecast, the company prepares an integrated resource plan that identifies potential overloads, potential generation sources and finally alternatives for satisfying those overloads with alternatives for both transmission and generation. 

The planning process for choosing the site of transmission lines is public.  The power company as well as the federal land agencies desires to have the benefit knowing and understanding public opinion concerning the project.  To obtain public opinion RMP organized the Community Working Group mentioned above and has also planned a series of meetings for the general public.  A meeting will be held in Beaver County when the Bureau of Land Management is ready to hold their Public Scoping meetings.  Everyone with an interest should plan to attend.

Rocky Mountain Power has identified three general alternatives for routing through Beaver County.  The farthest east of these would follow the general route of I-70 to Cove Fort then turn south running parallel to the USFS boundary to a point a few miles south of Beaver.  From there it would turn west running south of Greenville and the Minersville Reservoir and leave the county at a point south and west of Minersville.

The middle alternative also follows I-70 to Cove Fort but continues southwesterly roughly following the same route as existing lines from Cove Fort to Blundell Geothermal.  From Blundell, the line would continue in the same direction as the lines that currently exist from Blundell to the Milford Substation.  From Milford this alternative runs south and west parallel to the large power lines from IPP. 

The final and most westerly of the alternatives follows I-70 but rather than passing in to Beaver County at Cove Fort continues west in Millard County before turning south in the vicinity of the wind farm.  This alternative has two options at that point.  One option has the lines east of the First Wind project and the other on the west of it.

While most of these alternatives are in the same general area as existing transmission lines, the new lines must be a certain distance away to assure that a single event such as a fire or lightning strike cannot disrupt multiple different transmission routes.

The location of power transmission lines is frequently a controversial subject.  This is why those involved want to know public opinion.  Transmission lines can affect farming practices and can interfere with the view citizens are used to and hold dear.  But transmission lines are absolutely necessary to support the lifestyles and economic prosperity we all desire.  Beaver County’s dominance in the state’s renewable energy generation as well as our desire to develop a stronger economic base through every means are all dependent on a strong, robust transmission network in the county. 

First Wind Cuts Ribbon on 203 MW Wind Project in Milford Utah

I moved to this area fifteen years ago to work for Circle Four Farms.  One of my most vivid memories of those first days in Milford occurred one spring.  I remember we had just completed the framing on a huge new farm building, the construction crew left for the day and shortly after, the wind came up and reduced the entire structure to a pile of rubble.  All we could do was adopt the philosophical view and state “you can’t do much about the wind. “  Within a few weeks we had the site cleaned up and reframed.  Milford has always been known as a windy spot.  On Tuesday November 10, 2009 First Wind flipped the switch and began sending the harnessed energy from the wind to consumers in southern California.

Tuesday was the culmination of eight years of effort by a whole host of people across the country beginning in Milford but spanning the entire nation from Los Angeles to Boston.  When one considers the financing, those involved in this project extend to several capitals in Europe. 

Row of GE 1.5 megawatt turbines photo used with permission First Wind and Doug Barnes Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved. Lt. Governor Greg Bell was on hand and spoke to the crowd “This project has generated nearly $86 million in direct and indirect spending in Utah and will continue to benefit the region,” Lt. Governor Bell noted. “Utah has tremendous potential for generating renewable power. This development primes Utah’s economic engine, while also protecting our environment. We’re pleased this project is online and look forward to the next phases of the project getting underway.”

However, the greatest aspect about this project was the involvement of students through Milford High School teacher Andy Swapp.  It is rare that a project this large and so many years in the planning can be completed without generating more controversy.  It is a credit to the Milford High School technology students and their teacher Andy Swapp for educating the entire community for the past eight years.

Some of the original "Wind Kids" at the ribbon cutting. Copyright 2009 Rob Adams all rights reserved.There are so many aspects of this project that have roots in Milford.  Curtis Whitaker, an energy attorney in New Hampshire serves as legal counsel for First Wind.  Curt descends from the Milford Whitakers.  His aunt, Margaret Miller was on hand to comment to the group about Curt’s involvement.  Several years ago, Curt had a conversation with his mother Iola Whitaker about the need to find places to develop renewable wind energy across the country.  Iola asked the question “Why not Milford?”  Curt was introduced to Andy Swapp and as they say “the rest is history”.

Plaque reads: "In Appreciation of Iola E. Whittaker (MHS Class of 1958) Who Asked "Why Not Milford?"" Copyright 2009 Rob Adams all rights reservedThe project includes 97 turbines, 58 Clipper Liberty 2.5MW turbines located on the south end of the project and 39 General Electric 1.5MW turbines located on the north end of the project.  All the power generated in the project will be sold to member of the Southern California Public Power Authority or SCPPA.  Three ranking officials in SCPPA and its member communities were on hand Tuesday to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony. 

Many have asked why all this power is being transported to California.  The city of Los Angeles has a goal to have 20% of their energy portfolio from renewable sources by the end of 2010.  The presence of the large DC transmission line west of Milford provides the ideal corridor to move power from our area to Southern California.  A key part of this project was the construction of 88 miles of transmission line from north of Milford to IPP in Delta to access the larger DC line.

This project represents the largest renewable energy project in the state and one of the largest in the west.  It is Utah’s larges as well as First Wind’s largest.  Congratulations to all those who worked so hard to bring it to fruition.