November/December 2008 / Cover Story
Global Issues, Local Implementation
Businesses, the authors say, need to influence the elected officials and policy-making bodies responsible for energy policy. To be effective, businesses must have a strategic energy plan and be involved in major policy and decision-making at the local, state and federal levels of government.
At the federal level, decisions by Congress and the executive branch to address climate change will directly influence the price, availability and reliability of electric power. Nuclear is cost-effective in the long run, but its capital costs are immense and waste disposal issues have not been resolved. Wind energy is promising but geographically limited. Energy conservation will only slow the growth of energy demand, and demand will need to be met with new generation and transmission facilities.
Businesses should not ignore state issues when examining their energy portfolio. Each state has its own laws and forms of utility regulation. Businesses cannot claim to understand their energy issues if they do not understand them in each state where they operate. Businesses cannot wait for their federal lobbyist to tell them which bill is being considered on Capitol Hill. They need to be engaged in energy policies as they are being made in state houses and before state utility commissioners. Increasing our energy capacity will require years of planning and construction and billions of dollars in capital.
