Posted: 9/28/04
Jane Palen commentary
Some people refer to the midwest as ìfly-over land,î a vast expanse of prairies, hills, fields and valleys where few important things ever take place.
But at a recent discussion I attended on renewable energy, it quickly became apparent that the agricultural industry of our nation has the power to lead the rest of the nation in developing renewable energy.
I admit that I hadnít paid much attention to renewable energy before attending a meeting of CERT (Clean Energy Resource Team) in Rochester. But the statistics made me sit up and pay attention.
Minnesota residents purchase almost all of their energy from out of state, including 20 percent of their electricity. The price tag is a staggering $12.6 billion annually, or $2,485 per capita. We import 50 percent of our oil from unstable countries, in some cases supporting regimes that donít deserve our support. The price of natural gas has doubled in the the past four years.
Imagine that we could produce our own energy. Imagine that at least a part of that $12.6 billion could go to our schools, our police and fire departments or for other needs. Renewable energy could reduce the greenhouse effect and global warming. And, it would create jobs.
At least that was the message from Kevin Knobloch, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Knobloch noted that ìrigorous scientific analysisî is at core of everything the UCS does. It makes recommendations for public policy on the basis of its findings.
ìWe donít want to base our recommendations on shaky science,î he told the group.
Taking Mr. Knobloch at his word, development of clean energy resources will create and preserve jobs and promote a strong economy in our state. Savings in energy costs can be pumped back into the economy. The development of renewable resources can be the next industrial revolution. Minnesota is a critical state, and one with a tradition of strong leadership and creative public policy.
And we also have a lot of farmers who have a huge role to play in the development of renewable energy.
For example, wind power is the fastest-growing energy source in the world. There was a time when farms pumped all their water using windmills, and many windmills still dot the landscape today. But wind is being used increasingly for generation of electricity. Itís renewable, economical and non-polluting.
The US Department of Energyís wind power initiative has as its goal that five percent of the nationís electricity will be generated by wind power by the year 2020. The DOE plans to make $60 billion in capital investments in rural America: $1.2 billion in new income to farmers and ranchers and 80,000 jobs over the next 20 years.
Farmers can benefit from wind power in several ways: they can use wind power to generate electricity for their farms; they can lease their land to wind developers; or they can become wind producers and sell the energy to others.
Locally, Tri-County Electric and Dairyland Power have demonstrated their commitment to renewable energy and continue to promote the development of renewable energy among their customers. Congress has set a goal for utilities to obtain at least 10 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2015; Tri-County and Dairyland are at eight percent already.
In June, Dairyland Power dedicated its landfill-to-gas energy station near Eau Claire. The station, which generates enough power for 2,600 homes, harnesses the energy of methane gas produced as a by product of the landfill. It is currently working on a manure digester program to capture methane gas from animal waste.
Dairyland also has two wind farms in southwestern Minnesota and generates hydro-electric power from a plant near Ladysmith, Wis.
The Caledonia Middle/High School uses geothermal technology for its heating and cooling, and has undertaken a study to explore the feasibility of wind power.
Our country was built on the qualities of self-reliance and resourcefulness ó and some Yankee ingenuity. Today, we are a nation of consumers, and for the most part, not producers.Farmers are an exception, and the same people who produce our food in such abundance are the same people who in the future will be producing energy.
Weíre all familiar with corn-based ethanol, but other crops, including switchgrass and some trees, have energy potential a well. Some farms use solar energy for crop and grain drying, generating electricity for electric fences and heating water.
In this edition of the newspaper, we salute the farmers who do such an excellent job of preserving our soil and managing resources so that future generations can also reap benefits from the land. A good steward of the land knows that you donít squander your resources. Developing renewable energy resources is a natural fit with soil conservation. Maybe some day, weíll honor the energy-producing farmer of the year!
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com