FoxPolitics.net - Appleton, WI News - What's really going on in the Fox Cities

FoxPolitics.net Blogs

FoxPolitics News

Local/State Govt Links

Salaries

• Appleton School District, 2007-08
• City of Appleton
• Town of Grand Chute
• City of Menasha
• City of Neenah

Candidates

City of Appleton

• Elected Officials
• Salary Watch
• Directory
• Mtg. Agendas/Minutes

Advisory Board

Blogroll

Selected News Sources:
Business Jrnl of Milw
Christian Science Monitor
Daily Caller
Drudge Report
La Crosse Tribune
Milw Journal Sentinel
National Journal
New York Times
Public Policy Forum
Real Clear Politics
Stateline
The Hill
TPM
Washington Examiner
Washington Post
Washington Times
WI State Journal
Selected Blogs - from the Right:
American Mind
Blaska's Blog
Boots & Sabers
Charlie Sykes
Dad29
Freedom Eden
Heritage Foundation
Jerry Bader Blog
Life Voice
Marketplace of Ideas
Marquette Warrior
Natl Review Online
No Runny Eggs
Patrick McIlheran
Real Debate Wisconson
RedState
Rhymes with Clown
Shark and Shepherd
The Lote Tree
Vox Populi
Wall Street Jrnl, Opinions
WI State Jrnl, Opinion
Wigderson Library & Pub
Wisconsin Family Voice
WPRI
Selected Blogs - from the Left:
Big Money Blog
Blogging Blue
Brenda Konkel
Caffeinated Politics
Capital Times
FightingBob
Folkbum's rambles
Griper Blade
Huffington Post
Lost Albatross
MAL Contends
Mid coast views
Moneyed Politicians
One Wisconsin Now
Open Left
Playground Politics
Political Environment
Rock Netroots
Talk to Tony
Uppity Wisconsin
Waxing America

Today's Blog: Time for the Guv to morph into Chris Christie
My husband and I and a couple hundred friends watched in Green Bay as ...(more)

Search Archives

Blogs

Time for the Guv to morph into Chris Christie (6/28/2011)

Time for Gov. Walker to talk more about the cake (3/4/2011)

Today, reality hits home (3/1/2011)

FoxPolitics News going on hiatus (1/28/2011)

Brown County Executive candidate forum Feb. 8 (1/28/2011)

Education done right (1/27/2011)

To Obama, the ‘We’ is Government (1/27/2011)

(more)

5/13/2008
From Frank Lasee: Green Electricity

For those of us who believe that often less government is more (for the most people to better their lives sooner), how much involvement should the government have in helping (forcing or encouraging) us to go green? By identifying and creating alternative sources of energy and then subsidizing them with our tax dollars and then requiring its use even if it still costs more.

The fact is, all green energy (at this time) is more expensive than coal, natural gas and nuclear. How much are you willing to pay to use a renewable resource? Click here to answer a quick survey.

Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) has created a Green Energy program. For $6 extra per month (about 10% more), MGE says the average customer can buy enough green power to offset their electricity-generated carbon dioxide emissions. (That doesn’t include the subsidies.) The rest of us pay the hidden cost of government subsidies and tax breaks, up to 50 times the government subsidies for traditional energy plants.

Twenty years ago, few in northern climates had central air conditioning. Now 89% of us in Wisconsin do. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that prisons must have air conditioning, too. I wonder how we ever got along without it, or how kids in school ever learned without it? Whether we like it or not, the rest of the world including India and China want what we have. (They want lots of cars, too.) I don’t blame them.

A recent front-page proposal was to farm winds over the Great Lakes. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand this comes with environmental consequences of its own. The wind is free, the turbines, equipment, and manpower are not.

Not many people want to live next door to a wind farm. I have heard the neighbors of those big turbines complain and I don’t blame them. Take a look at this You Tube clip and see what can happen when things go wrong—for perspective, that is a barely visible truck being crushed. According to the story, no one was hurt in this accident. Additional clips of neighbors complaining of the noise and strobe light like shadows are available on You Tube. (Type “wind turbine” or click here or here)

Why don’t environmental extremists support nuclear power? Europeans have used nuclear power for years without incident. So have we. The French have been recycling spent uranium for years. We could do the same. Nuclear is the cleanest source of electricity and is inexpensive. We have had two nuclear power plants in Wisconsin for many years and we should have more. (I support changing the law in Wisconsin to allow more. I was a cosponsor of the bill the last two sessions.) The Chinese are building one nuclear plant a year in each of the next 20 years. They understand that to grow their economy, their country needs to grow energy supplies as well. The lower the cost, the better for their economy. The better for the majority of their citizens.

They are also bringing on line one coal fired electric plant every week for the foreseeable future. They are building them cheaper and faster than we ever could, and without our environment safeguards. (I thought the Kyoto Treaty would put a stop to that.)

Increasing costs more than they need to be, makes us less competitive in the world economy. That is not good for the majority of us. Right now with a softening economy, we should continue conservation efforts. (I signed up for a program from my utility that will shut off my air conditioning when there is an electric shortage during peak times. I get a discount to boot!) We also need to grow our electric supply at low costs. This will encourage our economy over time. Our political leaders need to understand this. We need to make it easier, not harder or more expensive, to grow our electric supply and other energy supplies. Our nation’s population is growing, our energy needs are growing as well.

Frank Lasee is a Republican and represents the 2nd Assembly District.

COMMENTS

I doubt that wind turbines are more expensive, especially since the ones I am familiar with, were put up by private landowners...they figure they'll recoup their costs by selling excess electricity back to the power companies, while saving on their own usage.

But in my county, wind generators have been banned I presume because "they don't look nice". They don't look any worse than cell phone towers! The best thing would be for government to KEEP THEIR NOSES OUT, and not to BAN wind generators

EMILY MATTHEWS (Tue May 13 21:59:04 2008)

Even though I disagree with some of the statements here I appreciate the attempt to at least document the statements made. A few thoughts:
A) no energy source is without some impact
B) the U-tube wind power clips are not accurate in what they are supposed to imply. No one can get as close to a wind turbine as the under the turbine shot shows. Therefore there is no relevance to the sound issue and flickering light issue unless there is empirical evidence. The U-tube of an exploding turbine is no more relevant than a any odd mechanical failure. As far as I know wind turbines don't simply self destruct and if they did, no harm done. We do know the consequences when nuclear power plants have problems. (I happen to be a supporter of aggressive nuclear power generation by the way)
C. The chart showing federal subsidies for alternative energy shows about 25% going to alternative energy. I suppose the giveaway to the ethanol industry should also be included here.($5 billion by 2010) If we took the ethanol subsidy and applied it to wind power the results would be huge. Another problem with this chart is that it doesn't include the externalized costs given to the coal industry. These include the environmental damage from extracting and burning coal and the global warming load. If the coal industry had to pay all their costs it would be much more expensive. Once wind turbines are up there is minimal environmental impact (other than perhaps a spoiled view off Nantuckett Island)

dave allen (Wed May 14 08:11:32 2008)

Post a Reply

Print this Article

Email Article to a Friend