Editorial

New energy ideas are not the answer

Friday, April 29, 2005

Gov. Dave Heineman seemed to be enjoying himself as he pumped gasoline in Trenton on Friday morning, part of a promotion to spotlight the use of ethanol to ease our dependence on foreign oil.

Heineman, one of four Nebraska governors to have called McCook home, pointed out that not only does ethanol help farmers by improving the corn market, give drivers a price break and create jobs at ethanol plants -- it also provides construction plants when the giant alcohol stills are built.

But ethanol isn't the answer to America's energy problems.

The Nebraska Public Power District recently broke ground on a huge wind farm in north central Nebraska, where 36 wind turbines will generate 60 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply power to 19,000 homes.

NPPD will use 32 megawatts worth of electricity, and sell the rest to the Omaha Public Power District, JEA of Jacksonville, Fla., the Municipal energy Agency of Nebraska and Grand Island Utilities.

Turbines are expected to be delivered between June and July, and commercial operation is expected in the fall of this year.

But wind energy isn't the answer to America's energy problems.

Talk to local car dealerships, and you'll probably find that new hybrid vehicles are among their most popular. Using gasoline engines, generators and batteries, the vehicles get around town using perhaps half as much gasoline as similar cars and SUVs. Quiet, efficient and environmentally friendly, hybrid power plants will be fitted to more and more consumer vehicles in the coming years.

But hybrid technology isn't the answer, either.

During Thursday night's press conference, President George W. Bush suggested using old military bases as sites for oil refineries, and urged modernization of the country's electricity grid, funding for research into hydrogen fuel cell technology and speeding approval of natural gas projects. He also endorsed wind, ethanol and bio-diesel as well as coal and nuclear power. Nuclear power? As the president pointed out, France has built 58 nuclear plants since the last nuclear plant was ordered in the United States in the 1970s.

The fact is, however, that none of those are the answer to our energy problem.

The good news is, all of them, in some combination or another, can play a part in stabilizing energy prices, enhancing national security, and even creating whole new industries while protecting and improving our environment. The better news, with assets like wind, sunshine, corn, soybeans and our central location, Nebraska can play an important part in that future.

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