There is no such thing as a free lunch

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Last century, the Nobel-prize winning economist Milton Friedman coined the phrase, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." This perspective has also been applied to interactions in the natural world and I would offer that in part it applies to the discussion about our energy supply too.

Fossil fuels have a variety of consequences from being non-renewable, to polluting our atmosphere. Hydro, while renewable, involves impounding waterways, a fact that has both social and environmental implications. Nuclear is clean but has safety and disposal issues. For now these are the main energy sources, which make it clear that turning on a light switch is definitely not free.

So what about alternative energy sources?

Solar has been around for decades but has just begun to be a reliable energy source. Unfortunately, solar arrays need a large area to be viable and thus there are social and environmental consequences. At the practical or technical level, solar panels are virtually always hot or charged. This makes for installation concerns, as well as challenges for homeowners, firefighters and others that may come into contact with them. That is why here in Oregon, we have new building codes to regulate where panels can be placed.

Wind generation has been around for a long time. With federal and state incentives, we are seeing more wind farms across the landscape. Like solar, wind tends to have a pretty large footprint and the social and environmental impacts are still being debated. Probably the biggest challenge with wind is that the energy is generated when the weather conditions turn the blades. Unfortunately, energy demand and the wind aren’t always in sync and we currently don’t have a way to store this energy until we need it.

For over half a century here in the Pacific Northwest, sawmills have been using biomass to generate energy to power saws and dry lumber. More recently, that expertise has been used to produce energy for public consumption. While wood and agricultural waste or forest fuels are viewed in part as renewable, the cost of transporting the material can be prohibitive. There is also concern about the air pollution associated with burning this material, even in a state of the art facility. Clearly this is better alternative than field burning and wild fires, but it still has a cost.

That brings us to wave energy, the new up-and-coming alternative. The challenges are many, while the opportunities are promising. The ocean is one of the most corrosive environments and the waves are very unpredictable. As a result, the generators will need to be designed to withstand the elements while also being a cost effective source of power that can be maintained. Furthermore, adding structures to the ocean environment will have impacts to the sea life and society’s use of these waters. We just don’t know to what extent yet.

All of these alternatives are complex systems that require highly skilled professionals to make them successful and safe.

We as a society understand the need for alternatives to our existing sources of energy. Some of the greatest minds and hands are working to find more efficient and responsible ways of energizing society. Clearly since there is no free lunch, we need the checks and balances of rules, regulations, permits and licensing to ensure the public’s health and welfare are protected. The IBEW and our partners at NECA are committed to a green and prosperous future and our training center is preparing both our journeymen and apprentices in latest and greatest technology.

Clif Davis is the business manager for IBEW Local 48. His last column, "Green stimulus = green jobs?" appeared in February.