Thursday brought many out to the lawn of the State Capitol for New Energy Economy Expo. Those in attendance had the opportunity to wander through exhibits presented by Colorado’s many clean energy companies, ranging from solar panel makers to electric and hybrid car producers and distributors. The highlight of the afternoon were remarks from Governor Bill Ritter, Robert Kennedy Jr. and State Senator Gail Schwartz made from the steps of the Capitol building.
Senator Schwartz, a member of the Agriculture, Natural Resources & Energy Committee, kicked off the remarks noting pride in Colorado’s position as a “national leader in the new energy economy.” She also highlighted the 11 Bills in the legislature this session that are related to renewable energy, legislation covering such areas as electric transportation, job training and residential energy improvements. Governor Ritter then echoed Colorado’s strong position in sustainable fuels, citing it as “at the center of the conversation about the new energy economy.” Ritter focused on his belief that it is possible both to focus on energy policy and “do economic development at the same time.” He noted the rich potential for “sustainable jobs…not as vulnerable to boom and bust cycles,” citing the opportunities brought to the state by the addition of manufacturing facilities of wind turbine producer Vestas in Pueblo. Ritter made a point of expanding upon the traditional definition of renewable energies by specifically calling out clean coal and natural gas – the latter of which he called a potential “bridge fuel” – as the economy moves away from oil and towards renewable options. He posited that the energy debate has “never been a zero-sum game” and that “we do not have to suffer” in our conversion to cleaner power sources. In this vein, the Governor advocated national investments in natural gas pipelines.
Kennedy concluded the speakers, focusing on his vision for the United States’ path to oil independence. Kennedy called nature the “infrastructure of our communities” and advocated for an energy policy that “does not compromise our future.” Kennedy took great issue with the $700B the US exports a year to countries “who do not share our values,” and believes this transfer of wealth has “beggared a nation.” He cited the increased prosperity and innovations of several nations that have abolished the importation of carbon fuels, notably Iceland, Sweden, Brazil and Costa Rica. To Kennedy the US solution is “to build our grid into a national marketplace” where power could be produced anywhere and sold back into the grid by “individual entrepreneurs.” Kennedy estimated costs of building this smart grid at $150B, and the price tag of building the necessary infrastructure (i.e. solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal systems, etc.) at $700B. To the delight of the gathered crowd he compared these figures to the TARP funds recently issued to prop up the American banking system, echoing his call for Congress to exercise “moral” decision making.
