He receives a standing ovation for remarks
Brian Schweitzer, the Governor of Montana, has a metaphor for his views on the nation's energy policy.
He explained it on Dec 19 while receiving an award from the Partnership for Science and Technology (PST) for his advocacy of America's need to break its addiction to foreign oil.
Growing up on a farm, Schweitzer said the arrival of electricity through the lines of the Rural Electrification Administration supplemented the family's wind-powered generator. He said the key benefit of the new juice from the power company is that it allowed the family to "weld at a higher voltage."
Schweitzer's metaphor is that energy policy isn't just about measures that reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, though that's important.
What he says is that support for the economic goals of our nation includes developing new energy technologies.
Giving people the ability to 'weld at a higher voltage' is a touchstone for the Montana governor's passionate views on energy policy.
New energy technologies will reduce reliance on foreign oil
After accepting the award, Schweitzer clad in his signature look, bolo tie, jeans and cowboy boots, engaged the audience with three key points.
- We need to break America’s addiction to foreign oil. We need a new energy system that is clean, green and American-made.
- Right now, the United States imports about 70 percent of its oil from overseas. At the same time, billions of dollars we spend on foreign oil ends in the hands of groups who are openly hostile to American values and our way of life.
- This not only hurts America’s energy independence, it costs American families hundreds of thousands of jobs. This is a time when America should be working harder than ever to develop new, clean energy sources and technologies including nuclear, clean coal, wind, solar, bio fuels, and natural gas.
The governor pointed out that the development of high-efficient batteries will lead the way to future success. It will be the young people of today that will become the scientists of tomorrow who will develop the batteries that will help solve the world’s energy problems. He praised the work of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) in Idaho Falls, ID, as one of the institutions that is training the next generation of energy experts.
Schweitzer selected for tireless energy advocacy
The selection by the Partnership for Science and Technology of Governor Schweitzer for the 2009 Energy Advocate Award is based on his tireless and effective advocacy for sound national energy policy and for the clean development of the West’s abundant energy resources.
He has worked effectively to promote clean energy investment in Montana. His hard work has paid off for the people of Montana in the form of new wind farms, transmission lines, and the promise of a wind turbine manufacturing facility and a carbon-sequestering liquid fuels plant.
As the Chairman of the Western Governors’ Association (WGA), he promoted the formation of a Canada-U.S. energy corridor to increase cooperation across state and national borders, and he has pledged to keep energy and climate change as top priorities for the association over the next year.
The Governor isn’t confining his energy policy efforts to the members of the PST and the WGA. He has been a prolific and highly effective spokesman for sensible energy policy, as demonstrated by his rousing speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and his thought-provoking appearances on programs such as 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, and Real Time with Bill Maher.
The Partnership for Science & Technology is proud to have given its award this year to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer.
Media Contact:
Lane Allgood, (208) 313-4166
lallgood@partnershipforscienceandtechnology.org
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1 comment:
Growing up in northwest Minnesota, I can vividly remember the catchy TV commercial for Northern States Power (NSP): "Electricity is penny cheap from NSP to you!" That was the result of the Rural Electric Co-operative (REC).
What I find a little odd in this award is that Gov. Schweitzer noted how the windmill of yesteryear was insufficient to provide the energy needed to "weld", so how are intermittent wind turbines of today any better?
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