Shush, It’s A Secret

With US demand for electricity continuing to growing at a steady rate, we have outgrown our current capacity to generate enough for our own use. Due to pressure from the environmentalist lunatic fringe, there have been issues getting new generating plants put in place to support our electricity requirements. Putting a new nuclear plant up in the United States is like converting the nations of Islam to Judaism. The confused fringe of the green movement has gotten the ear of enough governmental officials (or maybe compromising pictures or video) to create pause when it comes to putting up nuclear plants. Nuclear plants may be big and potentially dangerous if not maintained (like Chernobyl or TMI) but they do generate inexpensive electricity without producing the ingredients of acid rain. Yet technology marches on.

The other logical option for electrical generation plants is coal. I know, it generates the smoke from burning the coal and pollutes the air. However, this is where technology comes to the rescue. It is only logical that new coal fired plants would be required to have negligible emissions. The technology is there to create virtually zero pollution when burning the coal. Gee, let’s see. Creating a line of new technology that greatly reduces pollution and the construction of numerous coal generation plants would be a two fold boost for America. Not to mention the ability to shut down older less productive plants and the increase in electricity output. I see it as a win, win, win. However, the misguided green movement will see only urban sprawl, wetlands issues, and environmental destruction. I wonder what cave complex they live in to be so backward in their thinking. Hopefully they take the same path as the Neanderthals and disappear mysteriously.

Here is why new coal fired plants make so much sense; America is oil poor but coal rich. We don’t hear too much about our coal wealth. America has been blessed with enough coal to last for 250 to 300 years. That is twice as long as the oil is expected to hold out. Now I am not saying that we do not need to explore alternative sources like hydrogen but we have the fuel and the technology so why not quench the need right now, and in 10 or 20 years when the hydrogen infrastructure is in place, we will need to update again and the time will be right. Waiting for the brown outs to become common place is a step backward. Using what you have, realizing that it is a stop gap to a better way only makes sense. But then again, I am not a tree hugger. I realize that things change and that man is the only creature on the planet that has the ability to change its own environment. If that wasn’t the case, we would still be leafing through Sears catalogue while sitting outside in the half moon house.

Icool

Cobb