A new hydrogen plant development in Lewis County — good or bad?
Economic development in Lewis County — good or bad?
I’ve been listening to a lot of people who are talking about the idea of a new hydrogen generating plant going into the old TransAlta land. There are many of my good friends who are excited about the possibilities, but there are many who have great concerns. I honestly don’t know which side I come down on, but I can say for sure that I’m concerned about some of the rhetoric. I’ve always been more analytical than accepting of a narrative, so I wanted to offer some thoughts.
First, to lay some foundation, I am completely opposed to the climate change hysteria that has been going on for decades. I am a small government person who is also opposed to the government deciding winners and losers in what should be a free market. The current government in Washington state is killing the oil companies and forcing everyone to go to alternative energy sources, and that is wrong. I also believe, being married for 38 years to a fireman, that we should have means to provide emergency services alongside the tremendous growth I see happening around our county. This is where I’m coming from.
With all that being said, here are some facts we all need to consider about our future.
While I don’t agree with the government orchestrating the show, particular new energy sources are being pushed and new technologies are being developed with amazing speed. Do we reject this path because we disagree with the government’s choice of direction, or do we keep an open mind by examining the economic and scientific ramifications?
The government has decided to provide bucketloads of taxpayer dollars to communities who will invest in alternative energy projects. Do I agree? No. But there is not one thing any of us can do to stop this particular distribution of funds. It’s your tax dollars — why would we not want some of it to come to Lewis County?
Technology isn’t static. I do not know where the alternative energy future will go, but if we look at the past, it is obvious that we have produced some amazing results, and the future possibilities are pretty incredible. Is there a risk of failure? Yes, indeed. Do we completely reject new technologies because of the fear of risk? It’s a worthy consideration, but it’s foolish to reject this only because there might be some risk involved. Another point to consider is that one business that moves in the area can very well bring many more. I’d rather have a business that brings in other high-tech opportunities for our kids rather than more warehouses. There is nothing wrong with warehouses, but I’m all for diversifying our opportunities a bit.
We do not have a great number of opportunities for our kids to find high-paying specialty jobs in Lewis County. We have nine grandchildren who have signs of being brilliant (of course! I’m a grandma!). Where will they go if they end up being engineers? Probably not Lewis County, if we reject every new idea.
I heard a concern that if the hydrogen plant goes in, it would have to be manned by people who would move to Lewis County and that it would take at least five years to train new workers. That timing is just about perfect for my 9-year-old grandson or the 15-year-old Senate page who I spoke to this week who wants to get a master’s degree in engineering. Maybe some of that new expertise coming into the county would become a professor at Centralia College and end up teaching our grandson, allowing him to live at home while going to college. Why do we have to be so short sighted?
We need to look long-term, as well.
I would also point out that even though our family is relatively new to the county — we’ve only been here about 27 years — I’d guess that between the 15-plus people in our family, we’ve given back to our community much more than some who have been here for generations. Being new isn’t always a negative thing.
I heard someone say that the particular company that wants to come here isn’t interested in Lewis County at all. They only want to make money. That’s commerce. No company goes into business for the purposes of investing in the community. The investment comes along the way as the company makes a profit. TransAlta is a Canadian-owned company. Do they invest in us?
In 2007, we had a devastating flood. The Boistfort Valley had many homes that had been flooded. Hundreds of cows and horses had drowned. TransAlta sent thousands of dollars into our community with gift cards. They sent their employees and heavy equipment out here to help us dig out from the mud and bury our animals. They have provided many scholarships for our kids to go to college. They have provided many grants for schools, baseball fields, etc. That foreign owned company is a good neighbor, investing in our community.
I know in the case of hydrogen, there are people who are concerned about safety. I agree it’s a concern. But I also know that I travel up and down the freeway every day with extremely dangerous substances in the trucks around me. Train cars are filled with danger, as well. Everything that benefits us comes with some risk.
These are just three of the objections I’ve heard. There are many more that when I think through them, I realize there are two sides to each issue. The pros and cons should both be considered carefully.
Do I have concerns? Absolutely. The resources in our county would be utilized for creating hydrogen. Is it too much? Will it raise the rates for the rest of us? If so, how much? Are there alternative sources of power that can be used instead of the power coming from our current electrical grid? What would that look like? What happens as we grow? I live on 80 acres in the Boistfort Valley. Do I want to see huge changes? Not really. But do I want my family to stay here? Yes. All these are worthy questions to ask, but it’s also worthy to listen to the answers with an open mind.
I have been involved in many aspects of the community for a couple of decades. I have met hundreds of people who spend hours each week working with others to give Lewis County a successful and prosperous future — a great many of them on a volunteer basis.
I want a county that might be a good place in which my very brilliant grandchildren can live and raise their families. I hate to see these friends vilified by people who do not know them. You can criticize and be opposed to a project without attacking those who are devoting their lives to our future, just because you don’t like the direction they are going.
While I don’t know whether I agree with the hydrogen project or not, I am humbled by a lot of people who are at least doing something to improve our future — much more than I do.
I am not suggesting that you should support or oppose the specific ideas for economic development in Lewis County, but I would ask that you consider all sides with an open mind and avoid the sort of rhetoric that attacks the people involved. If you are hearing something that sounds like it’s over the top, it probably is. We need to keep civility in our conversations about our future.
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Ruth Peterson was a state committeewoman for the Lewis County Republican Party. She resides in the Boistfort Valley.
