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There are at least three questions I hope the quest speakers can answer for me during tomorrow's program:

1.  Thirty years ago, the Sierra Club and others demanded the closure of PGE's nuclear powered generating facility near Rainier, Oregon, and eventually "won" this battle when the utility scrapped the facility.  Twenty years ago, the Sierra Club and other environmantal groups demanded the closure of hydroelectric facilties on Northwest rivers and streams in order to save wild salmon and other species.  Five years ago, the Sierra Club "won" a token victory when PGE removed the Marmot Dam on the Sandy River after more than 95 years of use.

All the while, the costs and demands for electricity in Oregon have both been climbing steadily.  So is there a form of electrical energy   the environmental groups will accept, and Oregon ratepayers will be able to afford, so we run our computers and watch OPB? 

2.  If the environment advocates are succesful in their efforts to close PGE's Boardman facility as early as 2014, will the utility have any hope of replacing this capacity from alternative sources at comparable costs? What are these options to produce 500 MW of electricity 24 / 7 / 365, and how much do these alternatives cost to construct and operate?

3. Gas-fired turbines have been proposed as a likely replacement for the coal-fired production capacity of PGE's Boardman facility.  Isn't it true that natural gas consumed in Oregon travels longer distances, with much of our gas supply originating in Canada?  Will the Sierra Club, and other environmental interest groups, support the construction of additional pipelines to Oregon to diversify our gas supplies and reduce the cost increases of choosing natural gas technology over coal?

I'll be patiently listening for the answers to these questions, during your broadcast tomorrow.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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