John Kerry, Office of Energy Independence

John Kerry, the director of Maine’s Office of Energy Independence and Security, is now speaking, starting out with arguments about why Maine, a small state, still has a role and a responsibility in the global climate crisis.

He's declaring the interests of energy policy in economic development policy. He's presenting a 50-year vision: here in 2008, we're inside of a "fossil culture." He's envisioning a transition to a "conservation culture" by 2015. Dramatic increases in fuel costs, 80% - 100%, are already helping that transition, of course.

Kerry also talks about the importance of improving transmission infrastructure. Huge renewable projects are happening in the Maritime provinces to our north: we're in the middle of these projects, but our existing transmission grid still puts Maine at the "end of the line."

As energy prices increase, the economic development potential of conservation and efficiency programs becomes stronger. Kerry mentions Katahdin Paper, and the potential of developing a cutting-edge "trigeneration" (electricity, heating, and cooling) power plant there. He estimates the payback for such a project at 5 years.

The state is still pursuing biofuels - Kerry makes an important distinction that we're researching cellulosic ethanol made from wood pulp. While this is less harmful than corn-based ethanol, I still have my doubts, personally. A recent study from Iowa ag economists declared that cellulosic ethanol may never be commercially viable. Here's an alternative, more optimistic view from biofuels investor Vinod Khosla.

Here's a looming problem: Maine is 80% dependent on fossil oil for heating. Kerry has a target to bring Maine's proportion of heating by oil down to 25%. He mentions the formation of an ironically-named "Pre-Emergency" task force on the costs of heating oil in Maine (I think that many people would argue that it's too late for a "pre" emergency task force).

Kerry just put up a map of regional wind development sites and transmission lines, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to James Bay to New York. Maine is a big blank white space in the middle, scattered with potential sites for wind power development. I'll try to find another copy of the map to post here in a moment...

Kerry wraps by citing his experience with the Catholic Charities of Maine, and telling us that Maine has a "moral obligation" to help Mainers address these energy problems.