Renewable Energy
To the editor:
According to statements from the FayCoSayNo group, there seems to be a phrase that triggers a need to call to arms. They are hypervigilant to assure that “green energy” doesn’t come to Fayette County. There is no such thing as green energy; that is, energy sources that don’t pollute the environment. Every form of electric energy generation creates a “carbon footprint” either when the energy source is harnessed and/or during the construction of the mechanisms used; or even recycled. The term “green energy” was made up in the 1970s when scientists used a hippy-dippy dumbed down explanation for the benefits of using renewable energy sources.
Energy sources are either renewable or non-renewable. Renewable sources can be replenished repeatedly. These include wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal and timber. The non-renewable sources are finite, meaning they cannot be replenished once depleted. These are coal, oil and gas. It has been estimated that there is about a 90 year supply of oil and a 230 year supply of natural gas remaining.
There are advantages and disadvantages to using renewable energy sources to generate electricity. Some cannot be used round the clock; such as wind turbines when the wind is calm and solar cells at night. These types of technologies also require a lot of space and have an initial high set up cost. When compared to non-renewable energy, renewable energy sources create lower environmental pollution and have a much lower risk of catching on fire or exploding.
It is disappointing that the County Commissioners elected to not support electric wind generation in the county. Renewable energy technologies tend to create lots of jobs. Last week, ERCOT issued a statement asking Texans to reduce their electricity usage during the expected heat wave as it may exceed the grid’s ability to supply power to homes and businesses. Renewable energy sources can be used to supplement power for the grid which would help keep up with our growing demand.
David McCall Waldeck