Oregon’s Energy Future: In Your Hands
According to the Oregonian, Oregon’s energy future is,
a tangle of questions: How much energy does Oregon have, how much does it need, and how will it make up the difference with efficiency programs, renewables and more conventional generation options — all the while acting aggressively to reduce carbon emissions?
Moreover,
Oregon’s 1.6 million households spent $2.1 billion on natural gas and electricity in 2006, and the overwhelming consensus among energy experts is that costs will go up no matter what policies state leaders adopt.
Ratepayers will get a taste of what’s to come this winter, as both natural gas and electricity rates are expected to spike because of rising commodity costs. One in four households in the state qualify for a limited pool of low-income bill paying and weatherization assistance. Meanwhile, manufacturers are struggling to keep up with increased production and transportation costs.
Guess what? We have a solution to this problem. The Bradwood Landing project. According to information regarding the project:
Everyday more than 1.5 million homes and businesses in Oregon and Washington rely on safe, clean natural gas for everything from heating and cooking to hot water. What’s more, more than 20% of the region’s electricity is generated using clean-burning natural gas. But in recent years, due to decreasing supply, gas prices in the Northwest have almost doubled, squeezing household budgets and hurting our economy.
Bradwood Landing will increase the supply of safe, clean natural gas, helping to hold down rising energy costs for both residents and businesses alike. What’s more, Bradwood Landing will strengthen the community by creating hundreds of family wage jobs, pumping millions of dollars into the local economy and strengthening funding for local schools.
And finally, the Oregonian illustrates precisely why we need the new natural gas terminal:
The pressure is almost certain to rise. According to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, regional demand for electricity will grow 40 percent during the next 15 years because of higher per capita consumption and population growth.
Consider this graphic,
The price for natural gas has been going nothing but up. Since its low in 2002, natural gas has gone up 600%!
BUT, guess what else?
Brent Foster of the Columbia Riverkeeper is doing everything he can to oppose the sensible idea supported by The Oregonian and wrote in that paper that this expansion of energy options should be opposed because, as a result, Oregonians would see “one of the most important salmon nurseries in North America seriously degraded.” Foster is holding a fundraiser at Montinore Vineyards to oppose the project, which may be attractive for those who can afford high energy prices.
The truth of the matter is, we can fix this problem. Will we?
