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White House visit reveals a shift in the energy discussion

But, EPA continues to tighten the ratchet

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - March 29, 2011

By Ron Harper, CEO/General Manager

Last month, I received an invitation to accompany Sen. John Hoeven to a White House reception for newly elected members of Congress. It was such a humbling experience to walk in hallways that for centuries have been occupied by our country’s leaders, and it was an honor to shake the hands of the president and vice president.

While the entire experience was memorable, what really stands out are the conversations I had that evening. I met several individuals who share common opinions with our cooperative family. What I discovered is the tenor of Congress is changing, and we’re on the cusp of a major shift in the energy discussion.

I spoke with a number of newly elected senators and representatives on a variety of issues, but the bulk of my conversations focused on coal and what role it’ll play in our energy future. The resounding question continued to go back to, “Why would you eliminate an energy source that has been a part of this country for 200 years?”

As an industry, we’ve invested billions of dollars to make coal cleaner and more efficient, all while keeping costs reasonable for our end-use consumers. Why undo all that?

I also had the great fortune to visit with John Holdren, President Obama’s senior science advisor who also serves as director of the Science and Technology Division. Mr. Holdren said something that has stuck with me. He told me many people in our nation simply don’t understand how electricity is made. They turn the switch, and don’t think any further about it.

I believe he’s right. However, Basin Electric and its members have long strived to tell the story behind the switch. In fact, we have a program by that name explaining how electricity is made. We reach students of all age groups across our member cooperatives in nine states. I think we as a cooperative family tell our story quite well by providing tours of our generation facilities to end consumers and visitors; the Story Behind the Switch program; the E-Tech Program, which demonstrates electric technologies and promotes energy efficiency; and our communication vehicles – our websites, publications and educational videos. It’s a story we must keep telling.

Now, I’ve focused much of my column these past several issues on concerns surrounding proposed climate change legislation, the EPA threat, and the fact that our nation has no comprehensive energy policy. I will not stop talking about these critical issues. And, I will not apologize for it. The costs are too high. We have hope and trust our elected officials will continue to listen, and will get to work crafting a reasonable path for this country.

We can’t become complacent. EPA continues to tighten the ratchet. In North Dakota, the latest target is nitrogen oxide. They want us to put selective catalytic converters on our Leland Olds Station to the tune of $150 million-$250 million. They’re measuring “deciviews,” in other words, view shed. The North Dakota Department of Health has long managed the State Implementation Plan for all parts of the Clean Air Act. They’ve done an outstanding job protecting North Dakota’s clean air resource, while at the same time allowing the development of North Dakota’s fossil fuel resources.

North Dakota has extremely clean and clear air. But, that’s not good enough for the EPA. They want to take the right to manage clean air resources away from North Dakota and fit it into a one-size-fits-all federal program, one where the record of the state’s regional haze determination shows minimal benefits compared to the costs – fractions of what a human eye can detect.

We will not remain silent on this or other significant energy issues that will affect our future. Through findabalancedsolution.com, letters to the EPA and various congressional delegations, and work with the State of North Dakota, we will continue to protect our end-use consumers, while protecting our environment responsibly, rationally and respectively. I encourage you to do the same.