This letter is a response to a recent letter from Bruce Peterson that was critical of electric vehicles.
“The environmentalists’ push to kill coal-powered electricity and nuclear energy hasn’t helped at all.”
The fossil fuel industry, with the help of friendly legislators, has obstructed federal subsidies for development of non-fossil fuel alternatives. Non-fossil fuel sources were not eligible for assistance or assistance offered was of negligible effectiveness. For instance, HM3 Energy of Troutdale, Oregon (https://hm3biocoal.com/) has struggled for federal assistance in developing “biocoal” fuel that is carbon neutral, mercury free and providing 10% more BTU/lb than anthracite coal shipped from Wyoming. This biocoal can be burned in today’s coal-fired generation plants without modifications. Annually, 600 to 700 million tons of logging debris are burned as slash across the Pacific Northwest. About 1,000 family wage jobs could turn that logging debris into biocoal feeding the Centralia and Boardman generation plants. Any plant product can be processed. Fast-growing bamboo, poplars or empress trees could be grown and harvested as agricultural crops. The economics of biocoal are challenging, but wider application and acceptance could bring the cost/benefit into line.
“The cost of buying an EV is outrageous.”
Any new technology entering a market dominated by established technologies is so challenged. My 1982 notebook computer cost $1,300 and had 32k RAM. The first 1972 Hamilton digital watches cost $2,100 ($12,000 in today’s dollars), though now digital watches can be had for pocket change. The first Seagate 10MB hard-drive for an IBM PC was $1,500. A broadcast TV camera in 1973 cost $80,000 and did not have the high resolution or colorimetry of the smartphone in your pocket.
“And why has my electric bill quadrupled this year?”
It’s folly to take for granted the abundance of hydroelectric power in the Pacific Northwest. As glaciers on Mount Baker, Rainier and Hood disappear, snowpack and rainfall will continue to diminish. Reservoirs will shrink. Summers may see rationing of hydroelectric power.
Development of wind and solar resources will help, but with better grid management, especially as coal-fired plants in Boardman, Oregon and Centralia close. Wind turbine technicians are in high demand. Every wind turbine technician graduate from Columbia Gorge Community College is strongly recruited, with starting salaries topping $60,000 a year. Sadly, wind technology comes from Swedish and German companies, while China and India dominate solar technology. We have much catching up to do.
“And this part of the equation doesn’t even speak to the environmental damage caused by the mining of the lithium and nickel.”
“Unlike lithium-ion batteries, iron flow batteries are really cheap to manufacture,” Rich Hossfeld, CEO of SB Energy, told Bloomberg. “The battery is made of iron, salt and water.” This technology is scalable for use in vehicles, whole house power and grid backup.
“We would be much better off pursuing biodiesel and hydrogen fuel.”
Industry has yet to accept these technologies fully. That takes time. Again, development and management of energy will demand a more nuanced approach, devoid of non-productive fear-mongering.
David Eatwell,
Chehalis
