A new deal worked out between Governor Bill Ritter and Xcel Energy is sure to complicate some GOP election-related talking points, and at the same time be a really great move economically and environmentally. The Grand Junction Sentinel reported over the weekend:
Gov. Bill Ritter announced a major piece of legislation Friday that would boost the use of natural gas in the state.
In an agreement worked out between Xcel Energy, environmentalists and lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, the governor’s plan would be to convert by 2017 several coal-fired power plants on the Front Range to natural gas.
The measure, the details of which are being worked out, not only would create a new market for natural gas in the state, but it also would help clear the air around Front Range cities.
“This proposal will keep Colorado at the forefront of America’s energy revolution,” Ritter said. “It will protect consumers, clean our air and protect public health and create new jobs by increasing demand for Colorado-produced natural gas.”
Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said he has been involved in discussions about the proposal, but he hasn’t decided if his name will appear on the bill.
If the measure is drafted as he thinks it should be, he said it potentially could be a “game changer” for the Western Slope’s natural gas market…
Of course, Josh Penry being Josh Penry, he couldn’t resist the chance to take a gratuitous swipe, even while saying perhaps his most favorable things ever about a Bill Ritter energy plan:
“This is a real opportunity for the governor to restore some of what he’s done to natural gas,” the senator said, referring to stricter new state rules regulating the industry that Ritter pushed last year.
We, along with a growing number of reputable news sources, have deconstructed this tired canard enough times that we really don’t feel the need to do so again. And besides, Penry is actually making reasonable, conciliatory noises overall here–a practice that should be encouraged.
According to the Denver Post, coal producers in the state are upset about this deal, but the Sentinel correctly notes that the majority of coal mined in Colorado is already exported.
The overall effect of this deal, if successful, could be a considerably reduced opportunity to score cheap and duplicitous points off the ups and downs of the Western Slope’s natural gas industry like Penry’s above–by converting coal plants along the Front Range to natural gas, a major air pollution source is mitigated, and a large, stable market for natural gas is simultaneously created.
Sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it? As much as we hate to admit it, giving politics a rest and doing the right thing can really be useful once in awhile.
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This is fine, but natural gas is only a temporary replacement to our problem. Relying on this type of technology is what keeps our energy use and economy in the past; natural gas is still an expensive non-renewable resource. This is a step towards diversification but not toward decreased reliance on dirty and unsustainable living.
So, a move toward cleaner natural gas and renewables, combined with a move away from coal. Sound kinda win-win-win to me.
Facts:
1) Ritter was forced into this position when one of his staffers annonced last year that NG was not bridge fuel, but a baseload energy source critical to national security and good energy policy.
2) Killing clean coal jobs, investment and production – whether here or in IN or IA or NE – will be shown to negatively affect Colorado’s competitiveness. In itself, it is a matter of national security.
That’d be what, the two guys who spend some of their time lobbying for something some genius decided to call “clean coal”?
So I see Ritter is sitting around today sulking that had one of his staffers not announced that NG was a baseload energy source last year, he would have never have had to do this !
Damn you William Randolph Hearst !
had chosen his or her words more carefully, none of this would have had to happen!
Where? So far, it’s in the same category as oil shale. It’s the fuel of the future, and always will be.
source: mining-technology.com
The coal in our state is the much-coveted, low-sulphur grade. There is an insatiable demand for our coal east of the Mississippi to blend with West Virginia coal so they can meet emission standards. In fact, nearly all of the coal out of the West Elk Mine ends up at TVA. We’ll be exporting every ton of coal we can mine …. and tap into our other home-grown fuel: natural gas. EVERYBODY wins in this scenario. Keep up the right wing talking points…they’re becoming the best advertisement the Dems have going. While you’re promoting membership to the Flat Earth Society the rest of us are busy taking our challenges and opportunities seriously and building a new economy.
We didn’t leave the Stone Age because we ran out of stones and we didn’t stop burning whale blubber because we ran out of whales. Every energy transition period has been propelled by the introduction of a technology and/or resource more plentiful and less expensive than its predecessor. We’ve identified over 21 Gigawatts of wind on the Eastern Plains and something similar to that in solar resources in the San Luis Valley. We’ve built this economy on the availability of affordable energy. That can only draw you to a resource that is infinite with no fuel cost…wind, solar and geothermal. The finite supplies we rely on are still…well, finite. You do the math and defend which cost curve you want to ride.
q: to produce that 21 Gwatts of energy, just how much baseload to you need to cover with for proper grid management? You know to prevent brownouts, blackouts, etc…
The fact we’re transitioning away from coal burning in Colorado has nothing to do with losing Colorado jobs. That coal is going to be put on a train and head eastbound to more-than-willing buyers.
As to your second question…we only have about 8 gigawatts of load in Colorado now so your question is moot. In case you missed the press release, natural gas is becoming baseload in this state. Great news for the natural gas industry and the state for a lot of reasons. And, the more natural gas in the system the more renewables that can be brought into the market – a win-win for all. A recent NREL study shows a great balancing effect between our wind and solar resources. Our wind is best at night – a great compliment to the sun-driven daytime power. Like I said, we didn’t leave the stone age because we ran out of stones…
I think Xcel is projecting a need of something near 11 gigawatts over the next two decades. If we get into the export market for wind energy the simple answer to your question is we don’t need any baseload to compliment the wind. The system will balance the intermittency with demand side management, natural gas, hydro, etc at its ultimate delivery point.
Neither to be seen…..
Club Twitty.
You know who is going to love this?
T Boone Pickens
Yes Twitty, I’m an idiot-Ben Stein’s $$
Despite the much talked about “clean coal” technology, its a long way off and at present cost prohibitive.
You’re right Twitty, natural gas is a temporary solution, albeit a cleaner one. I see natural gas as a “bridge” fuel to cleaner, renewables and above all else conservation and greater efficiencies. Like passing Section 201 of the climate bill into law.
Natural gas powered power plants are more compatible with renewable energy sources (i.e. wind farms) because of the ability to more quickly generate backup power to the grid (the wind isn’t always blowing). Think “hybrid technology” as in vehicles.
This is a step in the right direction, but only a small step in the overall journey.
How much do you want to bet Penry backpedals on every “conciliatory” word before the end?
Not that I wouldn’t welcome being wrong, but I have zero faith in Penry’s good faith.
Not to worry about Scooter, either. He’ll switch effortlessly to bashing Ritter and the Democrats for destroying coal jobs.
When I was a kid in Woodland Park, we bought it from a company called, I kid you not, “People’s Natural Gas”. To this day, I still can’t listen to people talking about natural gas without a smirk on my face.
Still, this sounds like good news.
of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple?