Energy in the Mountain West: Colonialism and Independence Steve Piet, Lloyd Brown, Robert Cherry, Craig Cooper, Harold Heydt, Richard Holman, Travis McLing Idaho Academy of Sciences Meeting April 19-21, 2007
Acknowledgments • Professor John Freemuth and Mike Louis – Spring 2006 Boise State course on Energy Policy • Team does not represent INL nor was this INL sponsored work. – INL paid our tuition
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Hypothesis • There are distinct set of issues that broadly affect the entire energy-producing West and which deserve more study and careful consideration in developing energy policies. – Geography, land, water – Political structures – Energy supplies
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Garreau’s 1981 hypothesis of 9 “nations”
The Nine Nations of North America [Garreau, 1981] 4
Colonialism •
Land ownership is elsewhere, over 50% of the nine intermountain states is owned by the Federal government, vs. 8% of the rest of the nation.
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No regional companies in the top Fortune 100. (Albertson’s had been)
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Extraction of local resources (at relatively low value to local economies) with economic upgrading happening elsewhere.
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Many energy-resource decisions are made outside the region.
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Under-representation in the national political process compared to the energy resource base.
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Outsiders moving into an area, such as six of the seven authors of this paper. 5
Different heuristics influence decision making, such as ones in traditional Western art Decisions are and
Thomas Moran
should be made at the level of the rugged individual, not communities or larger. Nature dwarfs people, overpowers people, therefore, how can people threaten nature?
Charlie Russell
Nature is to be fought against, not cooperated with, in order to survive.
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Issues complicating Mountain West decision making •
Has had less time to evolve workable decision approaches – been states for three-quarters of century less than other states.
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Overlapping political boundaries: federal lands, states, local, tribal - with respect to air, water, land, wildlife, and other responsibilities.
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Water law separate for surface water vs. aquifers.
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Highly populated urban areas are culturally distinct from traditional rural areas.
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Agriculture and recreation/tourism as interests are not equally strong everywhere.
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Example of assessment - Biomass – low energy payback; our dryness is a disadvantage
www.nrel.gov/data/pix/searchpix.cgi 8
A Western-focused assessment Source Coal
Advantages Indigenous
Oil
Indigenous
Natural gas Hydro
Indigenous
Biomass Wind Solar Nuclear Geothermal
Some agricultural material is waste in any case Indigenous; R&D at NREL no water use at installation
Disadvantages Air pollution, costs from future CO2 sequestration. Coal may be one energy source where westerners may wish to export the resource and let someone else process (burn) it. Newer oil sources require more water, e.g., oil shale, tar sands Coal-bed-methane production generates saline waste water Strong impact on ecological systems, seasonal and yearly variations Low energy payback; wetter areas of the country have more potential Intermittent; costly; windmills fabricated outside the West
Indigenous; R&D at NREL no water use at installation Indigenous; R&D at INL (95% of U.S. uranium) Indigenous; R&D at INL
Intermittent; costly; land intensive; solar cells fabricated outside the West High capital cost; reactors fabricated outside the West High capital cost
Indigenous
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Possible Attributes to Consider in Western Energy Policy Making Topic
Quality
Quantity
Water
Potential for water contamination
Water use; water pollution standards
Air
Potential for air contamination
Air pollution standards
Land
Views, various recreational uses
Ownership, wildlife impacts
Regional energy sources
Can value-added industries be established in the west, e.g., refine oil in addition to pumping it
Is the energy source indigenous to the West?
Population Potential for disruptive effects, e.g., moving existing communities to extract resource, unsustainable boom and bust communities
Growth rates, health impacts
Other economic
Equity, fairness among groups and states
“What’s in it for me?”
Decision making
Who decides? How reversible or adaptable is the solution? Political culture.
How long do consequences last?
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An Idaho perspective Idaho is a relative energy pauper. • The only western state consistently importing electricity (1/2 to 2/3 in past decade) • The only Western state without substantial fossil energy resources. Thus, Idaho has an extra incentive to catalyze a Western comprehensive energy strategy.
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Concluding thoughts •
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Which does the rest of the country want more from the Mountain West: – our water, – our fossil energy resources, – our food, – our eco-systems to visit, – our electricity? What do we want? How do we develop ways to successfully address these issues?
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