PRINT ADS

Let us review three acronyms: NIMBY: not in my back yard. BANANA; build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything. And, NOPE; not on planet Earth. We were witness to NIMBY when a group wanted to build an alcohol plant in Sparta. I read in my July edition of Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News that “...environmental groups claim credit for cancellations of some five dozen coal projects nationwide over the past year.” Folks, that is 60, state-of-the-art, clean-coal-fired electric generation projects that we are going to desperately need in the next ten years. Two months ago the same magazine related that during the next ten years, electric demand will increase by 18% and that generating capacity will increase by only 8%. (Notice what became of gasoline prices when world demand overcame supply for oil?) Nationally, electric bills are beginning to increase due to the passing through of higher costs of fuel

We were witness to BANANA when a company and land owners wanted to put in wind generators in Ridgeville. Even the Wisconsin lawmakers have had no luck in coming up with statewide siting standards during the last two years. And then if they can, there will be fights over the transmission lines. Renewable, free fuel, and no emissions: No - can’t use it.

The NOPE people do not want nuclear power. Mostly, they have seen a movie, “The China Syndrome” or know someone who has. Their mind has been made up; don’t confuse them with facts. They point to the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979 and close off all incoming developments. Advancements in techniques and controls for safe operation are of no interest to them. The fact that France produces 70% of their electricity in nuclear plants is of no interest to them. The fact that our nation’s nuclear plants produced a kilowatt hour for 1.72 cents compared to 6.75 cents for that produced by natural gas plants in 2007 is of no interest to them. They are quite happy that Congress has not pushed the use of the Yucca Mountain storage facility - a facility that nuclear co-op customers have already paid $700,000 to build.

Congress must “drill here, drill now” in order to maintain an economic system that will gain strength and time enough to develop the technology to make these advancements. Or, we can watch ourselves go down the path of the airlines/travel industries with their cutbacks and layoffs due to high priced oil. Taxing “Big Oil” will not lower the price of gasoline nor will it guarantee alternative fuels. They get their tax money from us. If we can’t pay it, the system breaks down.

Bob Janovick,

Sparta