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Coal Plant Solutions

There are ways to address the energy needs of the West without building new, dirty coal plants. Through a combined approach of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy, it is possible to lead our region away from coal dependence.

Energy Efficiency

On an individual level, doing something as simple as buying fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent ones saves you around $50 over the lifetime of the bulb, and reduces energy consumption as well! If every household in the nation replaced four of their incandescent bulbs, we would save as much energy as is consumed by 38 million cars in one year.

If you want to take your efficiency to the next step, replace old appliances with Energy Star ones – appliances that have met the energy efficiency guidelines outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Replacing appliances with Energy Star certified ones can cut annual energy bills by 30 percent, or more than $450 per year, while reducing energy demand too.

For more information about how to make your home more energy efficient, see this report by the Alliance to Save Energy, Power$mart: The Power is in Your Hands.

It is also important to encourage larger energy efficiency measures. While the potential for energy efficiency measures varies some state by state, we can expect that similar actions can be taken across the West. The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project did a study of suggested energy efficiency measures for the state of Nevada, and found that the best seven actions would result in, by 2020, energy savings of 8,730 GWh per year, and economic savings of $4.8 billion dollars between 2006 (when the study began) and 2020. How much energy is that in the larger state picture? The seven measures would reduce state electricity use by 22% and peak demand by 36%. Efficiency measures both allow for the state to save significant amounts of money and preclude the need to install new coal plants.

Renewable Energy

The potential for renewable energy in the West is vast. In 2000, multiple organizations came together to map the renewable energy potential of the West, and determine where wind, solar, biomass and geothermal could be developed. As a result of that project, they found that the potential renewable power in the region dramatically outweighs the West’s power needs (see chart).

Due to land use constraints, it may not be possible to tap all of the renewable energy potential in the region, but we only need about 15% of it to meet our energy needs!

Furthermore, prices of wind, solar and other renewable energy technologies continue to fall as research and development continues. While these technologies were once nothing more than an expensive proposition, they are now part of a competitive economic reality. In fact, when the future cost of carbon is taken into account, renewable energy technologies are often the cheapest and best option for power companies.

Construction of renewable energy generators will have a positive impact on not only our environment but on our economy. A 2006 study found that an investment of $3 billion in wind energy would create 16,000 direct jobs and 36,800 total (direct and indirect) jobs. That same investment in photovoltaics would create 20,400 direct and 47,100 indirect jobs. In comparison, the proposed Desert Rock coal plant in New Mexico will cost nearly $3 billion and is expected to create 1,000 temporary construction jobs and a mere 400 permanent ones.

Furthermore, according to the Climate Alert report, meeting the energy demand of the Interior West through greater dependence on renewable technologies will result in cheaper energy. Diversifying the energy portfolio of the seven states in the Interior West to include 20% renewable energy (and investment in energy efficiency) would reduce the region’s carbon emissions by 52 million tons and decrease electricity production costs by $2.5 billion per year./p>

For more information on the energy future of the West, see Clean Energy, a Strong Economy and a Healthy Environment: A Report for the Western Governor’s Association and A Balanced Energy Plan for the Interior West.

What you can do

As a consumer you can conserve electricity and save on your energy bills by purchasing energy efficient lighting and appliances.

As a voter and a citizen, you can vote for clean-energy officials and participate in public processes on energy issues.

As a community leader, you can educate your friends, neighbors and fellow voters about the dangers of coal plants. Use the links to the right to find out more information, and pass it on!

With the proper support from industry and government, it is possible to power the West through its vast renewable resources and the installation of energy efficiency measures. Today, global climate change is providing us with not only an immense challenge, but also a great opportunity to create a sustainable future. Now is the time when we must take action to protect our land, air and water from excessive and dangerous pollution. You can make a difference – take action today!