We Receive an Update on Energy

We were reminded that energy is used for two purposes--transportation and electricity. (Jack says that since the two are mutually exclusive, windpower cannot reduce our dependence on foreign oil, as is often asserted.) Concentrating on electricity, Jack explained that in Michigan we are currently getting most of our electricity from coal and less than 4% from renewable energy. But Michigan's Public Act 295 provides that in 2015 utilities must get 10% of their power from renewable sources, basically biomass, wind and solar.

Solar is great in Arizona but is impractical here. With regard to wind power, Duke Energy will be unable to sell its electricity to Michigan customers without all three of the things needed to get electricity from utilities to customers--generation, transmission and distribution. Jack's personal opinion is that we should look to coal for our future needs, but with improvements in production ("Clean up or shut down"). He urged all of us to get behind one of the choices in energy resources.