Special Announcements
Commissioner Kirby Attends National Clean Energy Summit
At the National Clean Energy Summit sponsored by Senate Majority Leader,
Senator Harry Reid and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on August
18th and 19th at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I was privileged
to hear exciting talks by Harry Reid, former President, Bill Clinton,
and T. Boone Pickens (a Republican!), Financier and Chairman of BP Capital
Management (among others).
According to Pickens the U. S. used 24% of Worldwide oil production in
1970, graduating to 42% by the first Gulf War in 1990, and then to 70%
today. The cost to America is 700 billion dollars a year that we really
don't have or need to spend if we correct our ways. And if we don't
find an imminent solution, we're in big trouble!
Of the 85 million barrels a day, we use 21 million while we only have
4% of the world population and only 3% of the oil reserves. Additionally,
we are dependent on Middle East forces that could deny oil to us placing
our economy in a melt down which could be far greater than what we are
currently experiencing.
The conference covered a whole array of options, some of which directly
impact on Esmeralda County. Of course the most important concern we in
Esmeralda have, is getting the energy production into the national grid
(or market place), and the only way that can be accomplished is for the
developing Federal legislation on upgrading transmission lines nationally
to include our remote area. One of the prerequisites to us getting
transmission capabilities is that we meet the "potential" standard in
the proposed legislation. I believe we do (along with others). Nevertheless,
there will be others who will interpret whether we meet the "potential"
requirement, not us, and that is a worry.
We need the geothermal (and solar/wind, etc.) to bring funds to our
county to support declining revenues so adequate services mandated by
law can be provided our citizens.
Some of the options discussed at the conference included conversion to
burning natural gas in our cars instead of using it to produce electricity.
Wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear, coal, bio-fuels, etc., would replace the
natural gas. Of course the emphasis was to use clean energy options,
including the cheapest and best option, in my opinion, to provide the
bulk of our energy at the lowest current energy cost, and that is nuclear
with the new technology "pebble" self contained reactors. Nuclear
production does not add to so called global warming.
Wind generation in the so called wind corridor that runs through middle
America is a strong possibility to meet our rising energy needs, reducing
our need for foreign oil. If done properly, it could ultimately dismiss
the need for most foreign oil, according to Pickens.
Other forms of energy mentioned and emphasized were coal, solar, wind,
geothermal, and so on. All, at this time, far more expensive than nuclear
to the consumer in my opinion. This is especially so without the law
changing so that plutonium and uranium waste can be reprocessed over
and over after each energy producing use. President Jimmy Carter's
administration stopped this process to set the example with regard to
a process that produces some elements for nuclear weapon production.
Most of the primary nuclear energy producing countries ignore this ban.
To me, one of the most interesting possibilities brought up by the
Research Department at Google, was extra deep drilling for geothermal
energy (or pumping water into deep holes to heat it for generating
electricity). This program is called EGS and an enormous investment
is going into the program. If successful and with reduced costs (in
the near future?) in developing this program, the U.S.A. could have
unlimited energy for commercial and consumer electrical needs without
oil! It was said that Nevada alone could produce 146,000 megawatts of
continuous production, about 75% of the additional energy needed by
the U.S.A. by 2020. Furthermore, this process would be cheaper than
coal, would not pollute, and would bring more jobs into our state.
Another point of interest brought up was that as our truck fleets wear
out about every three years. They can be replaced with trucks that use
new technology fuels that do not pollute and add to global warming.
They can currently use bio diesel fuel (clean burning and more efficient
- and extends engine life), a fuel that is currently being produced and
used with residuals from restaurants. Synthetics of this fuel are within
reach according to the experts at the conference. The same with hydrogen,
as it is only a matter of time.
With our cars there was a lot of talk of public transportation (taking
the freedom of mobility away from the American people?) and the new
hybrids (electric, gas, etc.) which are headed towards 150 miles per
gallon of gas and a long battery life for the electric component.
Fully electric vehicles were discussed with future technological breakthroughs.
At the conference, your commissioner, met with people from Senator Reid's
office (briefly), the Nevada Commission on Economic Development (for a
story about our Land Rush that they will distribute giving us free publicity),
geothermal and nuclear executives, and others that we need a rapport with
to further our County's best interest. I gave out e-mail addresses to
some that may consider doing business in our county?
Comments on this report will be appreciated. I am not an expert and my
notes taken at the conference may not be dead accurate. If corrections
are necessary, I will make them and send them out.
Respectfully,Bill Kirby
Top of Page