Yet Another Kennedy Chimes In

This op-ed, which appears today in the Providence Journal, is truly precious.

Patrick Kennedy: Uncle Sam leads way on energy savings

01:00 AM EDT on Monday, March 10, 2008
PATRICK KENNEDY

THE ENERGY BILL recently passed by Congress received the most attention for its most important provision: an increase in corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. While the notice paid to that one provision was fully justified, I am even more intrigued by separate provisions that will make the federal government itself a more efficient user of energy. In our current energy crisis, the greatest role for the federal government to play may not be as a legislator or regulator, but as an early adopter and promoter of innovative clean energy technologies. When it comes to clean energy, the federal government can lead by example.

The federal government consumes 1.6 quadrillion BTUs of energy each year, making it by far the largest consumer of electricity in the country. Why not leverage that enormous purchasing power to create greater markets for innovative energy technologies? Doing so would drive even larger investments and greater innovations. Leading by example will have impacts that reach far beyond the walls of the federal government.

The first step would be to adopt energy saving technologies that decrease our energy consumption. According to Environment Northeast, electricity generation from the New England spot market in 2005 averaged $80 per megawatt-hour. Meanwhile, reductions in energy consumption through state efficiency programs cost between $9 and $40 per megawatt-hour. As long as cuts in energy consumption cost less to implement than increases in promotion, efficiency programs should be a top priority.

Within the federal government, there is enormous potential for efficiency gains. Take as an example the federal government’s management of its data infrastructure. Federal agencies store, process and analyze enormous amounts of information, from the Internal Revenue Service to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The result is a large number of mammoth data centers, packed with electricity-guzzling computer servers. New and emerging technologies allow institutions to manage their data in a smarter way, reducing the need for high-electricity consuming servers. The federal government should lead the way by adopting these technologies and applying them to our own internal operations.

But energy-efficiency programs can only get us so far. Having realized the gains from efficiency programs, the next step is to produce more clean energy. The options available in this regard vary by region, but when it comes to large federal facilities, the potential for clean, on-site generation is great. Furthermore, it is fiscally responsible. In many areas the installation of a clean on-site generation system would save taxpayers money in the long-run by lowering the utility costs of the facility.

The energy bill passed by Congress last December funds the installation of a photovoltaic generation system at the Department of Energy. This project should be replicated at as many federal facilities as possible. Facilities in regions rich with solar resources may wish to explore photovoltaic generation, while those without such resources may prefer to adopt new technology that uses hydrogen fuel cells to produce clean, cheap electricity. Other facilities may choose wind power, while others still may wait for the next generation of on-site generation technologies.

Of course, I cannot mention wind power without first clarifying my position on the possibility of wind-farms in Rhode Island’s coastal waters. I believe that the process currently being undertaken by the state government to determine the plausibility of wind farms in various locations off Rhode Island’s coast is both thoughtful and deliberate.

In siting wind farms, officials should weigh the benefits gleaned from cleaner and possibly cheaper electricity against the potential impact on our environment and the possibility of disruptions to our state’s fishing and tourism industries. If, at the end of the day, sound scientific evidence and evaluation shows potential wind farms to be a net benefit to the people of Rhode Island, then we should move forward with those projects. I’m glad the state has given the researchers at the University of Rhode Island a leading role in making these evaluations.

That being said, I believe that federal adoption of the newest, most cost-effective efficiency and generation technologies will encourage more and more investment and innovation. When scientists, entrepreneurs, and venture capital firms realize that the federal government is in the business of adopting the most innovative energy technologies available, they will work even harder and devote more resources to ensuring that their technology is the best. That kind of race to the top will benefit all of us.

Patrick Kennedy represents Rhode Island’s First Congressional District.