Posted by Harry Borysewicz on Inforum.com
Terms like “global warming” and “cap and trade” have become politicized and are distracting North Dakotans from the important issues in the energy and pollution debates. Let’s set partisanship aside, and watch common sense and shared values emerge. What are some shared values on which we can all agree?
How about a clean and healthy environment in which to raise our children and grandchildren, or expanded employment opportunities in North Dakota? Comprehensive energy/climate legislation will fund development of clean energy sources like wind, solar and biomass, which North Dakota is in a good position to exploit. Further, it will spur research that will help us use fossil fuels like coal and oil in cleaner, more efficient ways, resulting in the preservation of these finite resources while leaving a cleaner planet for future Americans.
Wind energy’s potential benefits to North Dakota are enormous. The people who build, install and maintain the towers will become an important part of this state’s economy. Farmers who lease land for wind towers will find a reliable source of extra income. The state will benefit from diversification of its exportable energy portfolio.
Wind energy is an economic opportunity that is already producing benefits. North Dakota wind energy production almost doubled last year, and appears to be expanding. More than $7 million in federal tax incentives were set aside for a wind tower manufacturing plant in Bismarck. DMI Industries in West Fargo, an established wind tower manufacturer, is working to keep up with growing demand. In Grand Forks, LM Glasfiber recently signed a contract to supply Samsung with more than 1,800 wind turbine blades over the next five years.
Another shared value is national security. We all want a secure and peaceful place to live, for ourselves and our children. Comprehensive energy/climate legislation plays an extremely important role in national security.
Energy and climate change are simultaneously problems to solve and opportunities to pursue. China recognizes this and is aggressively building a clean-energy industry. Last year, China invested more in clean energy than any industrialized country. It is now the world’s leading manufacturer of wind turbine equipment and solar cells.
Renewable energy can create more than a quarter-million American jobs. We have already lost many manufacturing jobs to China. Are we ready to give up this promising
21st-century industry as well? Might we someday trade our addiction to foreign oil for a dependence on foreign energy technology? For many reasons, comprehensive energy/climate legislation is a critical and timely concern.
Americans must realize that energy and climate change are issues essential to us all. Don’t let political arguments distract you from common sense. You don’t have to believe in climate change to understand the value of clean, domestic energy. Clean energy is the future, and North Dakota is poised to be a key player in the booming clean energy economy.
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