U.S. senator from Nevada. Majority leader of the U.S. Senate. Protector of Utah air quality.
We're not wild about everything that Harry does. But we are just ecstatic about that last thing.
The air quality thing.
Sen. Reid drew a line in the Nevada sand the other day, saying he would do everything in his power to oppose three coal-fired electric generating plants proposed for eastern Nevada. He said that they weren't good for his state.
Because many Utahns live downwind of these proposed plants, they wouldn't be good for Utah, either, or at least for those Utahns who breathe. Because conventional coal-fired generating plants pump microscopic particles, mercury, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide (a major greenhouse gas), among other nasty things, into the air.
"Because I believe that developing renewable energy in Nevada is far preferable to coal for the sake of our economy, public health and the environment, I will use every means at my disposal to prevent the construction of new coal-fired power plants in Nevada that do not capture and permanently store greenhouse gas emissions," Sen. Reid wrote.
We wish we were hearing that from Utah politicians, who could join Sen. Reid in encouraging the development of renewable energy sources in the Great Basin.
About 95 percent of Utah's electricity comes from coal. We believe that for the sake of air quality and to mitigate human-caused global warming, Utah needs to move to renewable sources of electricity, particularly solar, wind and biomass power.
We understand that this cannot occur overnight. It will take decades to diversify Utah's energy portfolio. There are cost, regulatory and technical challenges to overcome. In the meantime, coal-fired plants, which are cheap and run 24/7, will have to remain part of the energy mix. But that doesn't include building new ones, at least those with conventional technology.
Sen. Reid seems to be signaling that the time to begin the transition to renewable sources of energy is now. He's right about that.
We don't hear Utah politicians objecting to the two new coal-fired plants - the Nevco plant in Sigurd and the third unit of Intermountain Power at Delta - that have received approval orders from the Utah Division of Air Quality. Those orders are being appealed to the Air Quality Board by the Sierra Club.
Harry Reid can't speak up for Utahns. Utah leaders must do that.