Category Archives: Energy

Democrats’ latest idea: gas stamps

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TheHill.com – Democrats’ latest idea: gas stamps

You have got to be kidding. Gas stamps?  Is this the only thing the Democrats have?

Gas stamps are throw back to the great depression.  This is a great example of a top-down, entitlment approach to government the democrats are known for.

Instead of looking for ways to lower the price of gas, they are pushing an answer that is over 70 years old and technology that is still in the laboratory.

We need real action on maximizing our oil and gas supplies today while planning for the future, utilizing new technology that will help us in the future.

Not take a big step backwards!

Rocky Mountain News gets it wrong about FasTracks

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The Rocky Mountain News gets it wrong today in their editorial in today’s paper.  Their editorial, “Best of bad options: smaller FasTracks,” calls for cutting the North Metro, Northwest, and Interstate 225 FasTrack lines because the projected ridership is too low.

Well I would have to disagree.  I live up north and I am quite tired of getting the shaft in the metro Denver area.  All the infrastructure development (highways and light rail) are in the central and south.  

The commute in the north is now approaching, if not already, the worst commute in the metro Denver area.  On cue, the traffic backs up before 6 AM going south-bound starting at 84th Avenue and is quickly backed-up to 120th Avenue.  Let there be an accident and it it quickly up to 136th or 144th.

It is even worse coming home in the evening, coming to a complete stop at the intersections of I-25, U.S. 36, and I-76.

The I-225 corridor and U.S. 36 corridors are just as bad.

The north metro Denver area has seen explosive population growth, but no improvement in the infrastructure from the powers-that-be.  I would take Light Rail to work from the minute it opened.

I work at the Denver Federal Center.  I have explored taking the bus to work, but there is no good route and it would take me about 1 to 1.5 hours to get to work.  It is just not feasible when I can drive their in 30 – 45 minutes.  Light rail would get me there in a much more reasonable time with a lot fewer emissions.

I am tired of the north Metro area getting ignored by Colorado Department of Transportation and Regional Transportation District.  We pay taxes and deserve highways that aren’t always congested and a light rail system to help us get around.

By putting in the light rail to the north, I-225, and U.S. 36 corridor it would help take traffic off the roads, prolonging their life, and clean the air.  There is proof that people like Light Rail.  As soon as a line opens up, it is at capacity.

Maybe RTD and CDOT should partner with Regional Air Quality Council to develop more stable financing and other potential ways to cover the skyrocketing, which shouldn’t be blamed on RTD because the costs are rising much faster than thought would happen or was expected, while preserving FasTracks as envisioned by the voters.

Now don’t get me started about the city of Golden doing everything in their power to prevent the completion of the beltway around the metro Denver area.  They are a player in this community and the completion of this section of beltway will help reduce traffic and meet the air quality standards.

With the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week, the Democrats should step up and offer to help push through money to help complete this project and provide alternative transportation opportunities for metro Denver.

RTD, CDOT, Regional Air Quality Council, and Denver Regional Council of Governments need to come together and solve this conundrum.

Republicans protest on House Floor, chastise Democrats for adjourning session

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This is an interesting development for the refusal of the Democrats to debate or vote on opening new land to gas and oil exploration, a new energy bill.  This when fuel is at all time highs, they are restricting future development.  

What did the Democrats decide to do?  The decided to go on a five week vacation?  Give me a break.  

It get even better.  The first vote on adjournment happened on Wednesday.  Earlier in the week, Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO) said in a debate for the vacant seat in the U.S. Senate that he would vote to keep the lawmakers in session until the considered the new energy bill.

But he missed the vote!  He showed up late because he was attending fundraisers in Colorado.  Why can’t he do what he was elected to do and represent the people of the second district in Colorado.  He is off fundraising for his run for U.S. Senate that he can’t serve his constituents back home.

If Mark Udall can’t spend his time in Washington when the House is in session representing me, then why should I vote for him in the election this November?

The GOP has a right to be mad.  I have a right to be mad because my Congress can’t do anything and my representative is more concerned about raising money than he is about representing me.

Congress needs to get their act together and get something done.  There was a time in the country where the Congress would debate an issue in public and then come together for a compromise that would work with both sides of the aisle.

Let’s get back to that time. The stuff that is happening now is just not working.  America is better than this.

Earth Hour is a waste of time and energy

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I just want to say that Earth Hour is just a waste of everyone’s time. Turning off power for one hour on a Saturday evening around the world is a novel idea, but it won’t do anything to reduce carbon emissions.

It is just a symbolic ploy by people who have no clue how energy is developed, generated, and distributed.

For those of you who don’t know, Earth Hour is an international event that asks households and businesses to turn off their lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour on the evening of 29 March at 8 pm local time until 9 pm to promote electricity conservation and thus lower carbon emissions. (Wikipedia)

Power companies plan their power generation based on historical averages and will have that power available to deliver during Earth Hour whether it is used or not. They will also have reserves available in case demand is greater than the historical averages.

So turning off your power and non-essential appliances for an hour will not save any electricity or reduce carbon emissions for that one hour. Nice idea, just wrong.

A more novel approach is to get people to reduce their consumption permanently. People should replace all their light bulbs with CFL’s and make sure your appliances are energy star compliant. (My family has.)

There should also be better ways to generate power individually. I am thinking the cost of putting solar panels on our homes should be cheaper. It shouldn’t cost $20,000 to $30,000 to do this. My parents just did this and it was nothing but a hassle to get it installed and for PG&E to get it hooked up to the grid.

We should use water efficiently in our homes and we should reduce the impact of our vehicles by combining as many trips as possible or by taking public transportation. (I just wish public transportation was a lot better in Denver than it is.)

By doing what we can do as individuals and as a society, we can have a bigger impact on energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions than the Earth Hour claims to do tonight.

Daylight Savings Time Begins…

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Well this is the second time that Daylight Savings Time is beginning the second Sunday in March. Even though I like the sun being out later, it is quite dark in the morning.

I have been quite exhausted at work and this will only intensify this week because of the lost hour of sleep tonight.

Congress passed the new Daylight Savings Time rules as part of the Energy Bill a couple of years ago to save energy. But there are reports recently that more energy is used than saves because we switch so early.

As mentioned earlier I like the sun, but I am not sure it is worth the additional energy.

Home thermostats: Big Brother’s next target?

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Home thermostats: Big Brother’s next target? – Engadget

As reported on Engadget, the state of California is considering whether or not to require a thermostat that they can control in times of need to raise or lower the temperature to help reduce load.

This sounds and means well, but won’t work and is an invasion of what temperature I want my house set at.  Don’t get me wrong, we should be doing whatever we can to reduce our energy footprint, but if want my temperature set at a temperature, the government shouldn’t set it for me.  I have even installed a programmable thermostat to help us better manage the temperature in our house.

There are many reasons why I want a temperature set where I want it.  For me, I have an elderly family member living with me and she needs the temperature a little higher in the winter and cooler in the summer.  It just something she needs.

The temperature in our house should be managed by the homeowner, not the government.  The government should be working to better develop the energy in the state so their is enough, not reducing or increasing the temperatures remotely.

Where’s That Energy Bill? – New York Times

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Where’s That Energy Bill? – New York Times

This is a great editorial from the New York Times. This was a highly anticipated bill, but it has fallen into some hidden office in the Capital.

Since the oil prices are going through the roof and the public has an increased awareness of energy issues, it would be the perfect time for Congress to take action.

But Congress is more divided than they ever have been in their history. It used to be the different sides of the aisle would fight on the floor of the House or Senate, but they respected each other to sit down out of the public eye and would work out a solution that everyone could handle.

But because they can’t get along, Americans will suffer.

We will not have solutions to the energy crisis that we are facing now. America needs to take action and the table is set for Congress to take action. But they are choosing to fight on the playground instead of coming home and sitting down and having dinner.