Colo. GOP do want to tackle climate change

Humans have an undeniable effect on the environment via our emissions. Period. That may sound like a surprising statement coming from a Republican elected official, but facts are facts and science is science. Republicans in the state legislature are willing, ready, and able to put forth bold, free-market based solutions to help tackle environmental issues, diversify our power grid with reliable, emission-free solutions, and leave our state’s air, water, and land in better shape than the way we found it.

There are those that claim that the idea of climate change is a hoax — perhaps concocted by the Chinese. There are also those that claim that we must consider banning air travel, overhaul every building in our nation, and potentially phaseout the entire beef industry. Both opinions are radical, nonsensical, and should be rejected by our elected officials.

Perhaps the misconception around Republicans and the environment stems from our defense of Colorado’s oil and gas industry — which is understandable. While the issue of jobs and school funding usually takes center stage with any debate surrounding natural gas extraction in Colorado, an often overlooked fact is that natural gas has been the driving force in emissions reductions across the globe. A report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that 68% of energy-related CO2 emissions reductions since 2005 are because of our nation moving towards natural gas. In addition, a study in Texas found that moving from coal-fired plants to natural gas-fired plants, the state is saving as much as 60% of the freshwater it uses for electricity generation. Even the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that the move towards natural gas “is an important reason for a reduction of (greenhouse gas emissions) in the United States.”

In short, natural gas has been a part of the solution, and the industry can play a valuable role in moving us toward cleaner energy. This was one of President Barack Obama’s key energy policy planks just a few short years ago.

Undeniably, though, natural gas is a finite resource, and like any source of energy, it isn’t perfect. That’s why I’m working with my colleagues to further investigate the potential of both nuclear and hydropower energy in Colorado.

While nuclear undoubtedly reminds people of Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and even Fukushima, we have the experience and technology to now deploy nuclear energy with increased safety and in a more cost-effective way than ever before. As the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and energy expert Richard Rhodes points out, “nuclear deserves better than the anti-nuclear prejudices and fears that have plagued it.”

Nuclear energy is one of the most efficient forms of clean energy, and furthermore, it is more resilient to weather conditions. This is particularly relevant considering the recent events in Texas. We cannot build the energy grid of the future off wind and solar alone. A 2018 MIT study points out that without nuclear playing a part, “the cost of achieving deep decarbonization targets increases significantly.”

Furthermore, thanks to new advancements in what is known as “micronuclear” or Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), nuclear is no longer limited to the gargantuan concrete structures we are used to seeing on coastlines. In 2017, I visited with Idaho National Laboratory at their Idaho Falls facilities to see a presentation on their developments with SMRs. The technology will be revolutionary in the energy field, and I would like to see Colorado help lead the nation in this realm.

Another reliable, clean source of energy that has untapped potential for our state is hydropower. While hydro has been in Colorado for decades, the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Department of Energy has found 41 additional sites where it can be deployed, and a survey nearly a decade ago by Idaho National Laboratory found over 5,000 sites where hydropower could be implemented on a small scale. A small percentage of dams in the U.S. are actually used to generate power, meaning that those that currently do not are ripe for being retrofitted with hydropower systems to connect to our grid.

Just like with nuclear — technology has also resulted in a miniaturizing of hydropower. One of the best examples can be seen in my district at the Kannah Creek Water Treatment Plant in Grand Junction. By implementing a small-scale, 30-kilowatt hydropower system, they are saving approximately $8,000 a year in energy costs. The system paid for itself in just over six years.

I am a firm believer that hydropower can play a huge part in modernizing our energy system here in Colorado and further reducing our emissions, resulting in cleaner air, cleaner water, and a better Colorado.

This legislative session will be focused a great deal on our state’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, but I will also be asking the legislature to assemble an interim committee focused on exploring opportunities in deploying both nuclear and hydropower in Colorado.

Republicans in the legislature are ready to not just be part of the conversation but to lead the conversation on protecting our environment. For the first time since the Nixon administration, the Democratic National Committee has come out in favor of nuclear power as well.

Hopefully, that will give both parties the opportunity to sit down and ensure a cleaner, safer future for our children and grandchildren.