I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July. The United States has been through many trials in the last 241 years, and people of all colors and creeds have made their marks in history. This leads me to ask, what’s the big picture, America? In what condition do we want to leave our communities for those who come after us? I recently attended an Energy Breakfast (where we eat breakfast and learn about energy!) in Decorah, Iowa, where some folks want energy sustainability and are working together to accomplish just that.
The event was hosted by the Winneshiek Energy District with guests from the newly formed Clayton County Energy District. From what I gleaned, the goal is for these counties to attain 100% energy independence by 2050, and ordinary and extraordinary citizens have teamed together to change the fate of their energy needs.
The task to provide their own energy for the county may be daunting, so what makes it worth pursuing? Apparently, $50-$75 million dollars annually. At the meeting, I heard some people question why their energy bills should go to Madison, Wis., (the headquarters of their energy provider) instead of staying in the communities they live.
A representative of a local geothermal firm was also present. It was mentioned that, even though solar seems to always be the talk of the town, it’s also important to recognize energy consumption is different than energy production. Both play important roles towards energy sustainability.
Here’s a short geology lesson: In southeastern Minnesota, and northeastern Iowa, the average air temperature is 48 degrees. As a result, after some depth, the ground temperature is constantly 48 degrees. Thus, using geothermal technology, one’s household can have a base temperature source of 48 degrees which can make it easier to cool the house during the dog days of summer and warm the house in the dead of winter.
The geothermal representative illustrated to those of us at the Energy Breakfast that a partnership of geothermal and renewable energy can not only produce a clean energy environment, but also save on the consumption of energy simply by using the ground beneath our feet and the sun above our heads. It’s a big picture idea and not a bad one.
There are some decisions we as individuals can make to keep energy costs down; change to LED bulbs, turn the lights off behind you, close the refrigerator door until you know what you want to eat, for some examples. Additionally, folks in northeast Iowa have an opportunity to get an energy audit. Green Iowa is an AmeriCorps State/National program dedicated to helping homeowners and small businesses make decisions to save energy and money.
Many small businesses took advantage of the Obama era government subsidies and constructed solar panels to feed energy into the grid, thereby offsetting their own energy consumption. Many people may want to make these changes but cannot afford to, and are stuck paying higher costs for energy when people who can afford to upgrade get lower energy bills. This is another example where those who cannot afford something are still stuck paying more in the long run. This is what I believe the Winneshiek Energy District is trying to eliminate.
Unfortunately, I had to duck out of the breakfast early, but the ideas instilled in me by others have been churning in my mind.
Remember, the basis for the free market is supply and demand. If we can cooperatively produce our own supply and limit the demand of energy (or anything!), costs go down. If the costs for renewable energy goes down, it may force fossil fuel costs to decrease as to remain competitive. Naturally, there are costs which must be covered and organizers willing and able to spend long days to accomplish their vision, but the people at the breakfast were enthusiastic about the process. They were, for a lack of a better word, energized.
I encourage you to consider other big picture ideas a community of people can collectively succeed in that otherwise is difficult to accomplish as individuals. If we plan together and work together, we thrive together, and the sky ceases to be the limit. Cheers!
Leave a Reply