Fossil fuels essential to U.S. economy, power needs
By Doc Hastings
As Central Washington’s representative in Congress for 20 years, and as the former chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee which has jurisdiction over energy policy on federal lands, I have always believed in and supported an all-of-the-above energy plan for the United States. This includes hydroelectric power — which we are abundantly blessed with in the Northwest — as well as nuclear, wind, solar, coal, oil, natural gas and others.
Not every source of power generation is available for every region of our country. However, when you consider the population growth that our nation has experienced over the last several decades, and the technological advances that have resulted in significantly more power usage within those growing populations, you begin to appreciate one fact: We cannot ignore base-load energy generation that is affordable and readily available when we flip the light switch, especially when the wind is not blowing or when the sun is not shining. Federal and state policies that promote energy development cannot afford to ignore this reality.
As an example, our region is blessed with clean hydroelectric power. Yet state law fails to consider this hydroelectric power as a form of renewable energy under the Clean Energy Initiative (I-937) that was adopted in 2006. Not recognizing water running downhill as a renewable energy source is not policy — it is politics. Not surprisingly, many of the folks who argue against hydroelectric power as renewable energy are champions of the “keep It in the ground” movement that opposes fossil energy and every other source that isn’t wind or solar.
It’s certainly easy to sit back and criticize the production of fossil fuels (such as coal) when you are not the least bit affected by policies that limit the production of these energy sources. But the fact is, communities that rely on the benefits of this production are hugely affected. The job losses in an industry that constantly experiences duplicative and excessive regulations, results in a loss of tax revenue to these communities for necessary public services such as schools, public safety, transportation, and parks.
Thus the hypocrisy of the Department of the Interior holding a public hearing on the federal coal leasing program on June 21 in downtown Seattle — a community far removed from the source of this energy production. Of course we need to seek views from all sides on such an important issue, but having this hearing so far from America’s coalfields is absurd.
An honest discussion of American energy policy would acknowledge that fossil fuels are essential to our economy, and that discussion would advocate that burning these fuels as efficiently as possible as other countries are doing, would be an intricate part of that policy. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to have an honest discussion, let alone a responsible energy policy, without recognition of the fact that more than two-thirds of U.S. electricity generation comes from fossil fuels.
As a father and grandfather, I want to leave a legacy that respects the environment but doesn’t sacrifice all else for it. The air we breathe and the water we drink is significantly cleaner than it was 30 years ago and it continues to improve considerably. We should be proud of that and build on it. However, stacking the deck against a federal program that has generated more than $12 billion to state and federal treasuries over the past decade by having a public hearing in Seattle is nothing short of politics — bad politics.
Doc Hastings represented Washington’s 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995-2015.
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Dirtiest fossil fuel benefits mining firms
By Beth Doglio
“If you find yourself in a hole: stop digging”
—Will Rogers
That cowboy truism is the key message that the U.S. Department of Interior needs to hear when it comes to hear from the public about a long overdue look at its coal-leasing policy. For far too long, the federal government has been practically giving away public lands to coal companies so they can extract massive amounts of the black rock at a tiny fraction of its market value.
All this blows massive holes in our commitment to lead the world in reducing climate pollution. It’s past time to revisit these policies and align them with our values. Fortunately, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell ordered the agency to hit the pause button on coal leasing while it updates these policies for the 21st century — something not done for more than 40 years.
Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel. Even with coal industry in rapid decline, it is the biggest contributor to global warming. The largest U.S. reserves of coal sit on public lands administered by the Interior Department, mostly in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Coal companies like Peabody, Arch and Cloud Peak want to haul that coal mined on publicly owned lands through Northwest communities and ship it to Asia from export terminals on the West Coast.
Under the current rules, coal companies define the areas they want to lease and set the price, rarely with competition and sometimes for less than $1 a ton. One study estimated taxpayers have been bilked out of more than $29 billion due to the failure to ensure competition.
Coal companies have also avoided paying royalties through deals with subsidiaries they control, instead of setting the price based on arms-length transactions. Finally, regulators have let coal companies shed the responsibility to restore public lands following mining through a practice called self-bonding. This scam practice amounts to an I.O.U. from companies that are rapidly going bankrupt as the coal markets collapse. Ranchers, outdoors enthusiasts and tribes have been waiting for years for public lands reclamation; there is a real danger that it will only happen on the taxpayer’s dime.
Secretary Jewell said she wanted input on how the agency could “manage the program in a way that is consistent with our climate change objectives.”
A recent study by the Stockholm Environment Institute puts this imperative in sharp focus. The authors conclude that stopping coal leasing, as well as oil extraction, from federal lands would put the U.S. on a path more consistent with the climate commitments made by the Obama administration in Paris last December.
Secretary Jewell was right to pause coal leasing and open the program to public review. The agency needs to revisit all policies to ensure that they are consistent with our response to the climate crisis.
We know she will hear from the lobbyists and lawyers who are representing the coal companies and profiting from the status quo. That is why your voice is needed by submitting a public comment before the end of July.
Beth Doglio is the campaign director for Climate Solutions, a Northwest-based clean energy economy nonprofit. She is also the co-director of the Power Past Coal coalition, an alliance working to stop coal exports off the West Coast.
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