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Time to Re-Volt?
Really, maybe it’s time for us to re-volt . . . our electric grid.
As we celebrate Independence Day, I can’t help but be thankful to live in a country where I can exercise my First Amendment rights. Aren’t we fortunate to be able to speak at public meetings, file written comments in public proceedings, even blog in public forums? I’m a firm believer that we should never take our constitutional privileges for granted, much less abuse them, and that we should never underestimate the power of our spoken or written word.
A year ago today some of us were finalizing our written comments to the Department of Energy (the Department) regarding our opposition to its draft designation of the Mid-Atlantic Area National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor, aka the Mid-Atlantic Area NIET Corridor. Over 2,000 citizens, groups and organizations, companies and commissions, public officials, etc. filed comments addressing one or both of the draft designations. Unfortunately, the Department issued its final Mid-Atlantic Area NIET Corridor designation last October virtually unchanged from its draft designation, and legal challenges to both designations are in the process of being considered by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
A month ago today the Department’s request for public comments regarding its 2009 Congestion Study was noticed in the Federal Register. Thus, another comment period is now open. Per its website www.congestion09.anl.gov/involve/comments/index.cfm “Members of the public are encouraged to participate in the Congestion Study process,” and a form is provided so that can occur electronically. Significantly, comments will be accepted through the end of the year. Regardless of the decisions that resulted from the Department’s 2006 Congestion Study, we now have another opportunity to consider filing public comments before the next study takes place and before more corridors are designated.
I hear politicians talk about energy independence and mention other buzz words but wonder who has the fortitude to make some real policy changes. Our country’s bias toward coal-fired generation of electricity and its transmission over long distances needs to yield to a more balanced portfolio with more localized energy solutions. It’s probably going to take a critical mass of concerned citizens seriously engaged with energy issues to make that happen.
So maybe it’s time for all of us to give some deliberative thought to the various ways we can individually and collectively help re-volt our electric grid . . . What do you think?
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