Local clean energy, not coal exporting, is key to Northwest prosperity

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As we approach the twilight of the fossil fuel era, don't expect dirty energy to fade without a fight. Coal use in the United States has been declining for some time, but attempts are underway to revive the coal industry's fortunes by exporting American coal to feed the growth of China and other Asian economies.

The Pacific Northwest has long proven that economic growth does not have to come at the expense of environmental stewardship. However, as local economies struggle to create jobs, big coal producers are hoping the region is desperate enough to trade its credo of sustainability for a role in satisfying overseas energy appetites.

In Longview, Wash., along the Oregon-Washington border, Australian Ambre Energy and Missouri-based Arch Coal are hoping to turn a jointly-purchased site into one of North America’s largest marine coal terminals. The economic benefit? A mere 20 additional permanent jobs at the site, according to initial public reports.

Citing the dire need to create jobs in his state, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer recently visited Washington to lobby for the export of Powder River Basin coal. But it's a stretch to argue that new coal mining is an effective long-term remedy to unemployment. U.S. coal mining jobs have been in decline for decades and now total less than 90,000 — a far cry from 30 years ago when coal miners numbered more than 220,000.

If efforts succeed to build massive coal-export terminals in Northwest deepwater ports, the negative impact will extend far beyond small port towns. Proposed terminal capacities would require multiple train shipments each day, with an average of about 125 cars per train. According to rail operator BNSF, up to one ton of coal dust can escape from a single car during transport, and coal dust buildup is a contributing factor to weakened track structure and train derailment. Consider, too, the public health impact in port towns and communities along the shipping corridor. Exposure to coal dust has been linked to increased occurrence of illnesses like chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Any honest analysis of the coal export debate must take into account these adverse implications.

So if not coal, then what?

The Northwest faces a choice: Become a facilitator of foreign nations' coal consumption at the expense of the local environment and public health; or instead, support a domestic clean energy industry that can create quality local jobs and enable sustainable growth worldwide.

The nation as a whole would benefit greatly from a world-class U.S. clean-energy industry. Clean energy investment can create sustainable economic activity for the domestic market, as well as a lucrative new sector for exports. In 2009, according to a report prepared for the Solar Energy Industries Association, the U.S. exported more than $2.3 billion in solar products and enjoyed a net solar export total of $723 million. This is promising for Northwest export hubs, especially Oregon, which has established itself as a major solar manufacturing hotspot. The solar industry has also become a reliable job engine. During 2010, the United States saw solar employment rise to nearly 100,000, roughly doubling from the previous year, according to latest reports.

But solar isn't the only clean energy technology benefitting local communities. Wind energy is a fast growing area of employment as well, and U.S. wind industry jobs have escalated from 50,000 in 2007 to more than 85,000 today. Now a leader in wind energy development and deployment, the Pacific Northwest has worked hard to take advantage of this economic opportunity. The Port of Longview has credited recent record revenue in part to the increased handling of wind turbines, and with just over 2,000 megawatts installed in each state, Washington and Oregon rank 5th and 6th in state wind-generating capacity.

As communities work to overcome crushing unemployment, every new local job is of substantial value. But decision makers must let pass opportunities like coal exporting that harm the region's health and environment in exchange for limited economic gain. Instead, leaders including Oregon's Gov. John Kitzhaber, Washington's Gov. Christine Gregoire, and Montana's Gov. Schweitzer must champion the rise of new industries, such as clean energy, which offer pathways to sustainable economic growth and an improved quality of life.

Trevor Winnie is a member of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a community of business leaders that advocates good environmental policy while building economic prosperity. He is also Senior Research Analyst at Clean Edge, a Portland-based research and advisory firm focused on the cleantech sector.