John Dunn: Look at all sides of the energy issue

Apr 18, 2015

Dear Editor: Wouldn’t it be great if Melissa Sargent and others wrote more about hopes and dreams?

I noticed a couple of letters from Ken Harwood recently. In one he wrote: “Where is the balance that suggests we work with employers to sustain a future that both provides jobs and protects our environment?” There was another about the Clean Power Plan.

Balance or equilibrium is an important quality. If it were possible, all of our systems could be tuned for optimal performance. There is a sort of balance where the greatest benefit can be brought to the greatest number of people for the longest period of time. Thinking seven generations ahead is fitting.

I can suggest looking into the return on investment with energy efficiency. I can suggest looking at what the development of local, scaleable, distributed renewable generation would do for us.

There can be more than two sides to an issue. I feel the Clean Power Plan — energy planning — has more than two sides to it.

To exclude energy efficiency, demand response and local renewables from our energy planning is a grave error. Unfortunately, this may be what is happening with two sides of the issue being portrayed.

John Dunn

Mauston