SUN EDITORIAL:

The BLM’s terrible plan

Agency’s power line proposal ignores renewable projects, would cross sensitive lands

Monday, Jan. 26, 2009 | 2:10 a.m.

The Bureau of Land Management last week released a map of proposed utility lines across the West, ignoring the concerns of environmentalists and renewable energy advocates.

Working with the Energy Department and utilities, the BLM proposed routes that would connect planned coal-fired power plants to the electric grid. As Phoebe Sweet reported in Monday’s Las Vegas Sun, the routes would avoid areas where renewable energy plants could be built, and they would cross some environmentally sensitive lands.

One route would go across the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada, which environmentalists said would harm animals, including bighorn sheep.

Tom Darin of Western Resource Advocates said the map didn’t look much different from the one the BLM showed at meetings intended to solicit public comment.

“What’s missing is an alternative that shows what the plan would look like if renewable energy were the primary driver,” Darin said.

The location of transmission lines is a major part of building a power plant, and the BLM’s actions are inexcusable. At the very least, the agency should have provided an alternative to include areas where renewable energy plants could be built. And the BLM certainly could have found routes that didn’t cross sensitive lands.

Thankfully, there has been a change in the White House. The new administration correctly sees renewable energy as a key to the country’s future. In addition to easing pollution, renewable energy is a way to achieve energy independence.

The Obama administration has called for 10 percent of the nation’s energy to come from renewable energy by 2012 and 25 percent by 2025. Those are worthy goals to help the nation not only lessen pollution but also help it achieve energy independence.

The BLM should get on board with the new administration and withdraw the plan and rework it to include renewable energy projects. If not, we hope the administration will send the BLM back to the drawing board.

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By Future2012

1/26/09 at 7:46 a.m.

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The LV Sun said "The location of transmission lines is a major part of building a power plant."

What about their own statement did the LV Sun not understand?

The natural corridor for the intertie has been known for a long time. The northern and southern grids already exist. This is about adding reliability between the grids and ensures power to Las Vegas.

The fact that the proposed coal plants are being smartly location near the long proposed transmission line is okay.

This Transmission line cannot be made to zig-zag line criss-crossing all over state through sensitive pristine refuge land.

BLM is reviewing the corridor routes that have been proposed by the power industry and the Department of Energy. The power industry is not going to build an intertie between the two grids if it does not efficiently serve its purpose.

The renewable industry has long known where the natural corridor is for the transmission lines, and should have factored it into their site selection process. Part of the cost of the small remote generating facilities is the local power line to the grid.
By sunreader

1/26/09 at 9:33 a.m.

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Who writes this stuff?!? Most of the corridors from Dept of ENERGY (BLM was only a cooperating agency) followed existing corridor alignments. the southern half of NV has severe land restrictions because of the test site, the refuge, and a multitude of other protected areas. The process for designating these corridors is beneficial in consolidating routes for new utilities. and by the way, anyone can still propose routes for utilities such as pipelines and power lines anywhere they choose - they don't have to follow these designated corridors. DOE's record of decision doesn't necessarily streamline the permitting process.
By getalife

1/26/09 at 11:41 a.m.

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environmentalists are hurting our economy, these whiny crazed liberals are putting people out of work on a daily basis.

Wake up America, look at the track record they have established and look at the jobs that have been decimated in their wake.

OK, no coal, no nuclear, no petroleum. Until you geniuses have a grid to switch to are we supposed to use rubberbands to power our cars and homes and planes. (oops real rubber probably de-forrests and synthetic rubber is petroleum based)
By Audit

1/26/09 at 7:38 p.m.

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The plan matches Nevada's needs. Most of the routes are on existing right-of-ways including the designation of an existing route on the border of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Construction on any of these proposed routes will require a National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) evaluation.
By getalife

1/26/09 at 9 p.m.

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OK, this is what I am talking about, this project is going to require a NEPA evaluation. AAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH......are you friggin kidding me.

It runs through the extremely sparsely populated area in Nevada where no man will live. This isn't a "if they build it, they will come" venture.

We haven't built a refinery in about 30+ years and the only power-gen plants are being built on reservations where the whacko environmentalist idiots have little say.

Let me give you a news flash *******our country needs to PRODUCE energy to be ENERGY self-sufficient******

I know Solar, and wind and hydroelectric are renewable, OK, no more rivers to dam and solar and wind are just and I mean just becoming profitable.....you get that, worthwhile to build....

We need to use all means available to us and not get our panties in a bunch and whine about the rivets popping off of mothership earth.

As long as the whacko's are in the lead our country and civilization are doomed.

Don't get me started about the global warming hype/crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By johnevegas

1/26/09 at 9:50 p.m.

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Hate to spoil the party but, who is this power for? Certainly not Las Vegas, with homes and businesses going dark every day, and with zero signs of a return to normalcy for years. What for then?

We do not need new power now. Give new technology a chance to surpass the old, and then replace old plants with new ones. Don't build more old ones!
By rusty57

1/27/09 at 3:37 a.m.

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I would have to be skeptical of a "green boon economy". Tufts economist Gilbert Metcalf ran the numbers and found that the effective tax rate for wind is minus-163.8%. In other words, every dollar a wind firm spends is subsidized to the tune of 64 cents from the government. The Energy Information Administration estimates that wind receives $23.37 in government benefits per megawatt hour -- compared to, say, 44 cents for coal. Despite these taxpayer crutches, wind only provides a little under 1% of U.S. net electric generation.