Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ross cites need for energy investment

Though there are some differences

of opinion on some

points related to the energy crisis,

there seems to be a common

train of thought - theres

no single cure.

Clean coal technology was

the subject of a two-day conference

held in Hope and U.S.

Congressman Mike Ross was

among those who spoke during

the conference.

Ross cited the planned

Swepco power plant slated for

Southwest Arkansas in the near

future. That plant will utilize

coal as the source of power for

production of electricity.

Ross called the plant "a step

in the right direction" based on

environmental standards being

utilized in that technology.

Ross, who has introduced a

bill in the U.S. House of

Representatives, said

Americans continue to demand

more power - oil, gas, electricity

- but arent producing more

of that power. The problems

with dependency on foreign oil

is not a new idea and Ross has

continually touted the need for

the U.S. to find alternative

ways of producing whats

needed.

Coal technology has become

an unpopular option mainly

because of the release of carbon

elements into the environment

- a "greenhouse gas"

byproduct of the burning

process. But Ross and others

say the emerging technology

means that "clean coal" use is

possible. Add to that the fact

that Arkansas sits on a major

coal deposit and that there is

sufficient coal to produce electricity

for America for the next

two centuries and coal is a

more viable resource.

Ross, addressing a group of

legislators, local and regional

business people and members

of various economic concerns,

said the dependency is a major

problem. But an even bigger

concern, according to Ross, is

cost.

"Working families need

relief from $4 a gall gas and $5

a gallon diesel fuel, and they

need it now," Ross said.

The key to lowering prices,

according to Ross, is to invest

in alternative energy reserves.

Ross has proposed an alternative

that would allow the

U.S. to drill on government

lands. The opposition claims

these lands are environmentally

fragile but Ross points out that

there would be stringent regulations

on the drilling and that

the areas are relatively small.

In addition, the government

would profit from the drilling.

Ross said the proceeds - estimated

at some $80 billion -

could then be funneled into

alternative energy technologies.

Ross said that President

John Kennedy called for the

nation to "put a man on the

moon." While the cost was

high and the results - some say

- were limited, Ross said there

was a byproduct of that

endeavor that goes well

beyond space travel.

"We grew a generation of

innovators," Ross said.

He cited the fact of immediate

communication and technology

as an example of that

innovation.

"Its time for a President

Kennedy, lets-go-to-themoon-

sized investment," Ross

said.