The Denver Post reported recently that the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) will build its new climate modeling supercomputer – not in Colorado – but in Wyoming. Why? Because of the huge amounts of comparatively inexpensive ELECTRICITY and space required for the $500 million computer upgrade. Well, I can certainly understand why space in Wyoming (outside of Jackson Hole) might be a bit less expensive than the real estate in Boulder, but the other even more significant reason for the relocation is the relatively low cost of electricity in our neighbor to the north – a state that gets 94% of its electricity from COAL.
So in other words, the climate supercomputer, certainly a part of the New Energy Economy, will not be built in Colorado. Instead, we will export the jobs associated with running the project to Wyoming – in fact, NCAR so acknowledges in the article. Technicians from the Table Mesa laboratory will move to Wyoming soon; I imagine they are thrilled at the prospect.
“Cheaper and more plentiful electricity from Wyoming’s relatively untapped grid, including wind power, is a key factor,” said an NCAR spokesman. Who are they kidding? Wind accounts for an insignificant portion of Wyoming’s electricity. It’s coal that is responsible for keeping rates at about 6.03 cents per kilowatt-hour in Wyoming; as opposed to Colorado, where the rates are above 8 cents, according to the article. In fact, here is a map showing that states that use coal to generate the bulk of their electricity needs enjoy lower rates:
Colorado still uses coal to generate about two-thirds of its electricity; and that is the only reason why rates have not shot much higher. Coal mining has also been a mainstay of Colorado’s economy since 1864. Meanwhile, Vestas Wind Systems has announced its decision to lay off 500 workers at its Windsor plant – despite tax credits, subsidies and stimulus money. Notwithstanding the so-called promises of the “new” energy economy, unemployment is a very old problem, especially if it’s your job that’s on the chopping block. It’s time to send our elected leaders a strong message – energy policy is not a zero sum game; Colorado needs all the power it can get and we should not favor one energy source over another.
