Summary
THE United States must have a reliable supply of electric power, but it is not on track to have that. According to the NexGen Energy Council, demand is expected to grow by 18 percent in the next 10 years, and baseload generating capacity by only 8 percent by 2016. The United States will require about 120 gigawatts of new generation to maintain the 15 percent reserve margin needed to ensure a stable and reliable power system. That will take an investment of least $300 billion in generation and transmission lines over the next eight years. Yet lawsuits that block the building of that infrastructure are delaying much-needed expansions. One of the primary barriers to new power plants and transmission lines, the group contends, is the opposition of well-funded environmental groups that oppose and file lawsuits against virtually every new infrastructure proposed. The result is that if vulnerable regions like the western United States experience unusually hot weather for prolonged periods in 2009, the potential for local brownouts or blackouts is high, the study said. Everyone everyone wants a cleaner environment and a more diverse energy supply. But allowing an extreme environmentalist fringe to paralyze construction of energy projects including coal-fired power plants endangers the whole nation. That is irresponsible. Americans need to make careful choices in the November election.
* n n GREYHOUND racing seems to be falling out of favor with the public. The Associated Press reports that 13 tracks across the United States have closed or ended live racing since 2004. Seven states already ban greyhound racing, including Nevada. Opponents of greyhound racing have placed it on the ballot in Massachusetts and have raised 10 times as much money as the racetracks there to promote their point of view. Greyhound racing may become an issue in West Virginia as well. The states two dog tracks, Tri-State in Cross Lanes and Wheeling Downs in the Northern Panhandle, might even benefit from concentrating on slots and table games. But breeders would not. As the Intelligencer of Wheeling noted recently, state law now requires that three-quarters of 1 percent of video gambling revenue at the states four racetracks go into the dog and horse breeder funds. That sent more than $7.5 million to dog breeders last year, with 13 operators each receiving $200,000 or more. Tomblin Kennel Inc., affiliated with state Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, D-Logan, received $263,604, and Wheeling breeder Dean Miner received $706,571. Has West Virginia no other use for that money?See the full content of this document
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Short Takes
* n n JAMIE Nicholas followed the foo...
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