How much of the community’s mental energy and financial resources should be spent on reducing the use of fossil fuels to power and heat homes, government offices, and businesses? Should we be concerned about increasing energy efficiency and finding renewable sources of energy?
These are questions being addressed by the Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) and initiatives they have spawned.
The concept of peak oil
According to a May 2011 article on the limits of global petroleum production (Limits to Global Petroleum Production – An Update on Recent Analyses) by environmental research group Dovetail Partners, the concept of reaching peak oil production – after which production would go into permanent decline – was not embraced when Dr. M. King Hubbert introduced it in a Science journal article in 1949.
Dovetail’s article describes King as “a geophysicist who observed that the amount of oil is finite and that therefore the rate of discovery must eventually reach a maximum and then decline.”
Dovetail explains that the predictions of Hubbert and other were derided, discussed, studied, and debated, but more than anything else – ignored by world governments. However, a study by the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that oil production would peak as late as 2047 and as early as 2026.
“Scenarios of supply once peak production is reached, done as part of that same study,” says Dovetail Partners, “suggested relative chaos in world energy and financial markets, as well as large downside risks for any nation that was unprepared for a post-petroleum world.”
Dovetail goes on to say that a 2005 U.S. Department of Energy report concludes that “prudent risk management requires the planning and implementation of mitigation well before peaking,” and that “the oil peak problem deserves immediate, serious attention.”
They cite a 2007 Wall Street Journal article (Oil Officials See Limit Looming on Production) stating that the plateau of oil production “could set the stage of a period marked by energy shortages, high prices and bareknuckled competition for fuel.”
Added to the problem is the fact that global demand for energy continues to rise at an alarming rate. According to Dovetail, untapped petroleum on American soil will not be able to keep up with the demand.
Dovetail’s conclusion: “Serious, immediate, unified action is needed in developing a focused, no-nonsense energy policy for the nation and for each of the 50 states and for developing contingency plans in the event of energy supply disruptions. …There is simply too much at risk to allow continued inaction on these matters.”
Addressing the issue
That’s where Cook County’s reputation for willingness to entertain new ideas could save the day. On May 25 and 26, 2011, CCLEP hosted community energy summits in Tofte and Grand Marais. The goal was to update the public on the creation of an energy efficiency and renewable energy plan—a grant-funded project of CCLEP, the county board, and the City of Grand Marais—and to garner input from the public.
A presentation by consultant Jessica Burdette of Energy Management Systems stated, “The purpose of this project is to better prepare our community for the challenges of a rapidly changing energy environment and to be better able to take advantage of opportunities inherent in those challenges.”
Besides helping to preserve our nation’s energy and economic security and independence, said George Wilkes of CCLEP, coming up with an energy plan could help the local economy and contribute to the health of our environment.
Energy efficiency — retrofitting existing buildings and building energy-conserving technologies into new ones—is considered by some to be the first logical step, since an inefficient building would not make good use of renewable resources even if they were readily available. Having alternatives to fossil fuels could become important as well. Wilkes called energy efficiency “the lower hanging fruit” with an easier and quicker payback period.
New technologies can be expensive, although the payback in energy savings is real. Everything costs money, however. “I think it’s dangerous to think there’s a source of cheap energy,” said contractor Chris Norman, who is a champion of renewable resources.
Another community member at the summit pointed out that what people put into new buildings now would have consequences—positive or negative— down the road. “We need to have a longer view than just our lifetimes,” said another citizen.
How can Cook County residents afford to increase energy efficiency? “There is money out there,” said Burdette, the consultant, referring to grants for energy projects. Brian Bennett, a local solar installer, suggested that the local government offer incentives for people interested in harnessing renewable energy—such as solar or wind power—that they could sell back to the grid when they have a surplus supply.
Other opportunities are available. Both of Cook County’s utility companies — Arrowhead Electric and the Public Utility Commission—provide rebates for certain energy efficiency initiatives. Both the Duluth Energy Efficiency Program (DEED) and Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) have programs and expertise that could be helpful to Cook County.
The end product of the energy efficiency project will be “a living document that will guide Cook County and the City of Grand Marais – their governments, businesses, and residents – to make educated decisions with regard to energy conservation and renewable energy projects.” More information can be found on the CCLEP website, www.cookcountylep.org or by contacting CCLEP via email at cclep@boreal.org.
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