There goes the beef

A participant on a recent panel on national energy independence went through a mass of statistics to support his claim that we have the resources to replace foreign imports of oil with our own energy right now. And it is in forms of energy that do not pollute. The only things lacking are the plan and the will.

In short, he pointed out that wind-power is now making substantial contributions at this time to our electrical needs and can do more if support is given to the development of the grid. Ethanol is being produced in amounts that are making it available throughout the country, and bio-diesel fuel is being produced in quantities that make it cost-effective. Plants are being built and scheduled to come on line this year that will add billions of gallons to the supply.

Solar technology has advanced to the point that it is affordable and can pay for itself in the savings it will create for users.

The panel participant pointed out that if tax breaks now given to petroleum companies could be diverted to other energy producers, the weaning away from foreign oil could be swift.

The problem is in the bureaucracies--both government and corporate. Major energy companies are looking for ways to insure that they will have control of energy distribution in whatever form it takes. Global corporations are jockeying to take control of energy production and distribution in the U.S. as they look at the profit potential of newer forms of energy.

In our own area around Brown County, two developments are in the works. Northwestern Energy, which supplies electricity and natural gas to Aberdeen, has been purchased by an Australian company. When Northwestern went bankrupt, Aberdeen and some other cities explored the possibility of operating municipal utilities, but that has been abandoned. So, now any profits garnered from the Northwestern operation will go to another country. Not all customers in Aberdeen are serviced by Northwestern. Northern State University and some businesses are served by the rural cooperative, Northern Electric Cooperative headquartered at Bath.

To the north of us, a wind energy farm and power transmission line is under construction by a company called Tatanka. However, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of a Spanish firm whose American operation is Acciona Wind Energy USA. Again, any profits from this operation will be channeled out of the country.

American companies are not involved in these developments, except as customers.

The ethanol boom, if it fulfills predictions, is not all sunlight.

In fact, some of the new plants being constructed will be power by coal. The emissions from coal-powered operations are a grave concern to the people who are monitoring the sources of pollution and greenhouse gases.

Another complication is the use of corn as the primary ingredient from which ethanol is made. If all the planned ethanol plants go on line, some states which have been exporting corn, such as Iowa, will have to import corn from other states to meet the demand. There will be no corn left over for international export.

However, corn is not the only ingredient from which ethanol can be made. Other bio-mass crops which have little use as animal or human feed can be used, and they can be grown and harvested more cheaply than corn.

The diminished corn supply also has the potential for affecting the livestock industry. Livestock requires high-quality, nutrient-laden feed grains. If corn production is diverted to ethanol, livestock feeders will either have to be able to produce their own feed or pay premium prices for contracted feed. Now that South Dakota is producing corn used for livestock feed, packing plants are in the works to make use of the regional supply of cattle and hogs. A shift in agriculture to biomass and cheaper grades of corn could change the economic feasibility of processing plants.
That could mean that beef production from other states and even other countries could undercut regional supplies.

The biggest problem with energy independence is that corporations have been dictating what is feasible and shaping plans to their benefit--not to the benefit of the nation. Even university researchers find themselves beholden to special interests.

We need the testimony and advice from energy experts. But we need people who are not tied to corporate and special interests to do the analysis and planning. As matters sit now, we are headed for chaos and a huge energy disaster.

We need a commission like the 9/11 Commission and the Baker-Hamilton Commission on Iraq to look at our energy situation. It is another of the huge problems our legislators, national and state, should be taking the lead on. But there are other items on the political agenda that will displace energy--like the 2008 election campaign.