Shadegg Makes Case for Hydropower
Shadegg- “Technological innovation is the key to ensuring that our nation has a stable and affordable energy supply”
Washington,
Mar 6 -
Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ) made the following statement today at the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing on renewable energy technologies. At the invitation of Congressman Shadegg, Barbara Lockwood, Manager of Renewable Energy at the Arizona Public Service Company, testified regarding the company’s exciting project to construct, in Arizona, the largest solar power plant in the world.
“Arizona is the second fastest growing state in the country, and my county, Maricopa County, is one of the fastest growing counties in Arizona. With this rapid growth, comes a rapidly increasing demand for energy. Technological innovation is the key to ensuring that our nation has a stable and affordable energy supply to sustain positive growth. I am extremely proud of the work of Ms. Lockwood and the Arizona Public Service Company. We must explore all options when it comes to finding alternative, renewable energy sources.
I have long been a proponent of hydropower; it is a clean and renewable energy source that cannot be overlooked. Just this week, in my home state of Arizona we saw the Glen Canyon Dam release over 300,000 gallons of water per second from Lake Powell into the Colorado River. Current environmental restrictions on the operation of the Glen Canyon Dam have reduced the dam’s energy production by one third. As a result of these restrictions, energy not generated by the emissions-free dam is replaced with energy generated by coal fired power plants. I believe, through technological innovation, we can operate the dam to its full capacity producing ample energy and protecting the environment downstream. Hydropower has the potential to provide 95,000 megawatts of energy to this country, enough energy to power 76 million homes. Unfortunately, few Democrats count hydropower as a renewable energy resource because of pressure from radical environmental groups. Technology is advancing rapidly and solutions to these concerns should be fully explored. Opponents of hydropower are doing a tremendous disservice to our nation’s environment and economy by disregarding this valuable energy source.”
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