A coalition of governors from the western United States are hoping that the lyrics to the famous Bob Dylan song may ring true over the next several decades. In late June, the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) announced that it is working collaboratively to ensure adequate energy supplies and electricity for the region in the future. Much of this energy will come from renewable sources—solar, wind, geothermal, even improved efficiency—if the governors have their way. With its Clean Energy Initiative, the WGA set a goal of 30,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2015, and a 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.

"The time has come to effectively increase the use of the West’s vast renewable resources while we create cleaner technologies for using coal and other traditional resources," said New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the outgoing Chairman of the Western Governors’ Association and the leader of the Clean Energy Initiative with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Time to shift our energy focus
Scott Kane, a WOC board member and the owner of Creative Energies, a Lander-based designer of sustainable energy systems, was enthusiastic about the WGA’s resolution.

"Now, with fossil fuels costing more than at any point in history, is an excellent time for an increased examination of how we use energy. Both utility-scale wind power and small-scale solar power have recently made great gains in cost effectiveness and dependability," he said.

"Efficiency also needs to be the headline topic in this discussion," he continued. "All forms of power generation—including renewable sources—have their environmental costs. There is one way to fulfill our power requirements that actually improves the environment—efficiency."

Wyoming’s governor, Dave Freudenthal, has also expressed support for the resolution. "Western governors recognize that both traditional and non-traditional resources will play an important role in meeting the energy needs of the West," Freudenthal said.

"This region has a unique opportunity to develop clean energy to fuel our growing economy," said Gov. Richardson. "We have an enormous potential to improve the efficiency of energy use. The West also has the highest quality solar, wind, and geothermal resources in the nation, and this clean-energy initiative will determine the steps needed to take advantage of this unique opportunity."

According to the WGA, the Clean Energy Initiative will stress incentive-based, non-mandatory approaches that will help states achieve their clean and diversified energy goals, and will consider federal programs that could assist in the development of clean and diversified energy in the West. A WGA working group is being formed to explore these goals and come up with a plan for implementing the resolution. The working group will have balanced representation that includes state, local and Native American leaders; environmental organizations; state and tribal air quality agencies; the private sector; federal agencies; and representatives from Mexico and Canada.

Blending the "new" energy with the old
Assistant Bureau of Land Management Secretary Rebecca Watson says energy production, a healthy environment and a vibrant economy go hand-in-hand. Just a few weeks ago, Watson told the Southwest Renewable Energy Conference convening in Flagstaff, Ariz. that America must diversify its energy portfolio by encouraging the use of renewable energy sources.

Watson said that public lands managed by the Interior Department have a significant role to play in the development of domestic renewable energy resources. More than 260 million acres of land, primarily in the West, are managed by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management. The BLM is charged with managing the public lands for multiple uses, including energy development.

"Our review and assessment of renewable energy sources indicates that public lands managed by the Department of Interior have the potential to contribute greatly to the U.S. renewable energy supply," said Watson. "We must work together to build a new harmony between our energy needs and our environmental concerns," Watson said.

But some conservationists are skeptical about the BLM’s commitment to these lofty goals. They think the BLM policies and management of public lands focus too much on only one use: the rush to drill and develop public lands without regard to wildlife and habitat, solitude and viewscapes unimpeded by drilling rigs, pump jacks, compressors and roads. These individuals, as well as organizations like WOC, are cautiously optimistic that the WGA resolution can bring some pressure on the BLM to do more than pay lip service to the development of renewable energy resources.

Wyoming outfitter and goat-packer, Charlie Wilson, said the future of his business may depend on finding clean, renewable alternatives for the nation’s energy needs. His business is threatened by pending oil and gas development in the Red Desert.

"For Wind River Pack Goats, the Red Desert represents about three months of operating time that we wouldn’t otherwise have, in an area that’s spectacular and pristine, which is what our clientele demands," Wilson said. "The big impact of oil and gas exploration for our kind of business is in the visual impacts, and a management plan that very much promotes oil drilling and gas development would make me very sad."

Importance of renewable energy growing
Although the United States has only about 5 percent of the world’s population, Americans use 25 percent of the world’s energy to produce about 25 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. Currently renewable energy supplies only two percent of the nation’s energy needs, but the growth in the U.S. renewable energy generation over the past decade has been impressive—increasing approximately 30 percent since 1990. This trend is expected to continue.

"There are already many thousands of solar panels around Wyoming powering road signs, remote homes, water wells and electric fences. There are also an increasing number of homes with utility grid-tied solar power systems. These all serve to reduce our overall need for power from the grid. The state could take a more active role in advocating the widespread use of these systems," Creative Energies’ Kane said.

"If Wyoming is to be the "energy breadbasket" of the United States, we need to make sure that our energy-export portfolio includes a high percentage of renewably sourced power. An energy-export economy designed as much around wind and solar power as oil and gas will dramatically reduce our exposure to boom and bust cycles and will require a more consistent work force.

"It is clear that this sustainable energy initiative will require some dedication on the part of the states involved. It will require at least a decade of dependable subsidies to cause a shift in our power generation and transmission system," Kane added.

The Western Governors’ Association’s Clean Energy Initiative’s commitment to produce 30,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2020 will meet 15 percent of the current demand in the region. More traditional energy sources and improved efficiency are expected to meet the rest.

The Clean Energy Initiative has given the western states an official position that could turn citizens who support alternative energy sources into more than just dreamers whose ideas on sustainability have for decades blown idly into the wind.

Resources:
"A Balanced Energy Plan for the Interior West", produced by Western Resource Advocates, www.westernresourceadvocates.org, 303-444-1188
A copy of the Western Governors’ Association resolution is available on the Web at www.westgov.org.
Department of Interior, Office of the Secretary, Contact: John Wright, 202-208-6416
For more information about the Interior Department’s renewable energy initiative go to www.doi.gov.