Monday, March 24, 2008
Page 7
IN MY OPINION (Column)
Taking the Lead on Energy, the Environment and the Economy in Sacramento
By CAMERON SMYTH
California is one of the most ecologically, economically, and culturally diverse landscapes in the world. The wonderful complexity of the state is one of its most important assets and a major reason so many people live and continue to move here every year. That being said, in Sacramento we often see policies enacted that benefit one particular group at the expense of the greater good of the state.
For instance, policy making in the area of resource conservation is often fractured, creating a loosely associated string of regulations all meant to preserve the environment, but that lack the necessary cohesiveness to work together in the context of our state’s needs. Much of this is caused by the cross pressures created by the overwhelming need to deliver energy, goods and other services to our huge population with the desire to protect sensitive ecosystems. I agree that protecting California’s resources is immensely important, but passing policies that are not cohesive and do not work well within the larger perspective of our state simply does not make sense.
For this reason, my Republican colleagues and I are taking the lead with the formation of the E-3 task force, which I am co-chairing. This task force, which consists of myself and nine of my Republican colleagues, has been formed so that we can take a prominent leadership role in helping craft effective, innovative and responsible policy that deals with all aspects of Energy, the Environment, and the Economy.
One area of significant importance that I believe the state needs to address is the issue of power transmission. As our population continues to grow, so to does the demand for energy. To meet this demand the state has made it a priority to invest in wind, solar and other renewable, environmentally friendly, sources of energy.
While these technologies can play an important role in greening California’s future, it has become increasingly difficult to connect these devices to the grid in order to deliver this renewable energy to California homes.
The difficulties arise because in order to connect solar and wind energy to the grid, transmission lines have to be laid. Resistance to allowing the construction of these lines has caused significant questions as to what role renewables will be able to play as demand for energy increases. I agree that we need to avoid placing transmission lines through sensitive ecologies, but I also believe that renewables are a critical part of the cleaner California equation. The bottom line is that in order to maximize the effectiveness of eco-friendly renewable energy, the state needs to make determinations as to where to locate transmission lines so that they are the least intrusive to California habitats.
Another critical issue is how to reduce emissions without forcing manufacturing from our state. Many enacted ‘green’ policies have had the effect of moving manufacturing out of the state, and even out of the country. Cement production has largely been exported to China, yet our demand here at home remains high. This means we are allowing a much heavier polluter, China, to manufacture cement then ship it all the way across the Pacific back to California, leaving in its wake a huge carbon footprint. This does not make sense from an economic or environmental standpoint.
I am a Californian through and through. I grew up in Southern California, went to college in Northern California, and I currently split my time between the two. I understand as well as anyone all of the wonderful things that our state has to offer. However, after spending over a year in the California State Assembly, particularly as the Vice-Chair of the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, I see many policies coming through that are either business friendly, or environmentally friendly, but very few that work to appease both sides of the issue. Working to find the balance between the two is absolutely crucial as we move ahead.
(The writer represents the 38th Assembly District in the California Legislature.)
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