Can the Forest products industry and conservationists work together?

An Idaho Environmental Forum program this week illustrated that there is reason to hope for progress, however slow, in the decades-long struggle over management of Idaho forests.

Bill Higgins with the Idaho Forest Group and member of the Clearwater Basin Collaboration and John McCarthy, with the Idaho Forest Campaign and the Idaho Wilderness Society talked about shared values between their respective ideologies including the need to repair disturbances, manage fires, maintain habitats and infrastructure and encompass the needs of local communities.

McCarthy noted that there are several reasons to be involved in the collaborative process: to work together to repair problems, build resilience and protect the products that we have in the forest.  The key idea from both the conservation and industry perspectives is that of resiliency, he said.

“Are we better off with fire being the agent of change in our forests with or without human intervention?” McCarthy said.  “Does it make sense to change fuels, change fire management options, hopefully changing the results from fires? People can argue about it all they want, but today’s climate is drier and hotter and longer fire seasons and we are going to have more fires.”

McCarthy acknowledged that environmentalists have often played the foe to the forest products industry.  They were also unhelpful to themselves in advocating for forest practices that didn’t help the forest, he said. 

For proof of the success of collaborative effort, McCarthy pointed to efforts like the Owyhee Initiative.  He said other people think there is another key value in forest production industries, but this fact doesn’t cause a conflict with conservation.

“We're not trying to drive people out of the woods,” He said.  “We're not for no-cut policies.  I can work with Bill (Higgins), because he understands and accepts my core values of wilderness.”

For his part, Higgins noted that he once found the problems at hand with forest management collaboration as too big to tackle.

“Before I got involved in collaboration, I'd look at the lack of activity that's going on out there and think this was too big of an issue to handle,” he said. “Well, it's a new day, and these collaborative efforts are affecting change.”

Higgins noted the Clearwater Collaborative was generated from a lawsuit by a motorized access group that wanted access in the Bitterroot divide.  A group of people got together to go through the long and arduous process about identifying the right groups to be represented, and ultimately have a seat at the table.

Higgins said federal lands represent one of the best opportunities for growth in Idaho.  

“Federal lands are an underutilized asset, both through higher utilization of forest products and as a recreation destination,” he said.  “They have not been carrying their weight economically.  Doing so doesn't require an ecological sacrifice; we can simultaneously improve ecological and economic conditions.”

Higgins said he has learned things in his four years with the Clearwater Collaborative about how to have an effective collaboration. 

“Everybody has to have some skin in the game,” he said. “Everybody has to have something to gain and something to lose.”

 “We hope this is the end of the Timber Wars,” he said.  “It's not all about timber, it's about recreation and land protections and all types of conservation.

Committee takes comment on Idaho's Energy Plan

On Wednesday, consumer associations, conservation organizations and private individuals gathered to offer testimony to the legislative interim committee on Energy, Environment and Technology on the draft 2012 energy plan.


The Reality of Renewable Energy Credits
Annie Black, a Boise resident and former Idaho Power employee and regulatory consultant offered testimony on  renewable energy credits (RECs) and advocate for transparency with rate payers


Black is concerned that Idaho's energy conversation should be about where our energy is coming from.  She refers specifically to what she says is a difference in the generation of fuel mix and the power delivered to Idaho Power customers.  When local rate payers believe that the energy they consume is renewable energy, they don't realize the credits for those renewables have been sold to other states that have renewable energy portfolios.


The question, Black admits, is largely academic, but with one of the tenants of the plan being energy awareness on behalf of consumers, it's an important point.

"​Geothermal and wind energy aren't making it to my electrical outlet because Idaho Power is required to sell renewables. ... stripping RECs from renewables by selling them to other states fundamentally changes how we consider the environmental benefits.  ​If you think you are getting geothermal or wind energy as a part of your fuel mix, you're not alone," Black says.  "RECs have muddied up the waters.  We need to differentiate between generational fuel mix and delivery fuel mix."

​Representative Wendy Jaquet tried to clarify: "You're saying that if I really want to promote green energy in my state, I should be wanting to know where those RECs are going and generate a dialogue about where my energy is coming from?"


Black concurred, "what I'm saying is let's be all on the same page. I'm advocating that if we are selling our renewable energy in the state, we should be aware of it."

Representative Reed DeMordaunt wondered about the renewable energy market in Idaho.
"Isn't this about getting about getting more people to check the REC box on their power bills?"  


Black noted that in her tenure at Idaho Power, the utility came forward to the PUC and asked for the opportunity to offer a component of renewables in their deliverable energy.  The PUC decided against this, Black says, specifically saying "we don't have a REC market in Idaho."


Advocating for Seniors
Lynn Young of AARP Idaho says her organization wants to ensure consumers have access to affordable energy.  While she says  the plan cites affordability it fails to address it in a substantial manner.  She says older americans devote a higher percentage f their income on home heating.  about 1 in every 4 of low income seniors spend 15% or more of their income in home energy.  


"Some of our seniors have to make regular decisions between paying their utilities or prescriptions, and end up exposing themselves to chronic health conditions and premature death due to exposure to heat and cold."

Young recommended appointing a consumer advocate.  Senator Elliot Werk wondered if the Public Utilities Commission considers their staff to be advocates for the consumers. 


"The PUC does the work they've been given to do," Young said, "but we don't believe they carry a role to be an advocate for the consumer. We feel a need to have the same representation that other groups have."

She noted Idaho is one of eight states nationwide and the only one in the west that doesn't have a consumer advocacy office. 


Ben Otto of the Idaho Conservation League served on the energy conservation task force of the ISEA.  He, too, advocates for the idea of a specific consumer advocate.  In his job, he says he frequently intervenes to represent residential customers to advocate on efficiency and conservation.  The system for reimbursing intervenors is cumbersome and drawn out, leaving individuals at a disadvantage compared to large corporations and other organizations that have specialists and lawyers at their disposal.


Conservation Groups Weigh In, Question Public Process
From the standpoint of the Idaho Conservation League, Otto highlighted specific areas of priority for the legislature to put real policies into place: tax incentives, regulatory policy and energy efficiency.


"The potential for efficiency is vast, the price is right, it addresses critical issues such as energy independence for Idaho," he said.

Lisa Young, of the Snake River Alliance noted that her organization objected to the informal nature of the revisions made to the first draft of the Idaho Energy Plan at an early October meeting.

Public Utilities Commissioner Paul Kjellander noted that, despite the lack of a public record of comments made at the meeting, in his opinion nothing underhanded had taken place.  


"We may not have seen minutes only because there hasn't been a subsequent meeting of the board.

Regarding the plan itself, the nuclear watchdog agency pointed out several specific points of interest:
- The treatment of energy efficiency in the latest draft of the plan, wherein language describing energy efficiency as of the  "highest priority" was downgraded to "high priority" where "cost effective."
- The removal of language on incentives for renewables 
- The removal of policy recommendation that would encourage customer owned combined heat/power source development
- Language specific to monitoring and exploring all advanced energy technology

Transportation Group: Don't Forget Community Planning
Heather Wheeler, director of the Community Transportation Association of Idaho (CTAI) outlined energy efficiencies and fuel conservation measures that should be incorporated into the plan:


Petroleum and transportation - restore natural gas purchase of high efficiency and alternative fuel vehicles to the plan.


Incentives - restore language that encourages alternative fuel and conservation of fuels to drive the market toward meeting energy efficiency goals.


Don't delete language about local transit tax options  - which will greatly decrease fuel consumption.


Don't delete recommendations that focus on conservation through community and transit planning.  Idaho should encourage land use planning that reduces vehicle miles traveled.



Interim Committee reviews recommendations, extends comment period
The committee took these and more than 80 other comments logged online into consideration the following morning as they went through each recommendation of the draft 2012 plan.   The committee will continue the discussion at their November 21st and 22nd, and has extended the public comment period through to November 18.


Among several areas of particular concern during the meeting was language regarding transmission.  Senator Werk described transmission's role in the Draft Energy Plan as akin to the act of capturing a bridge in a battle - a small act, but critical to accomplishing broader objectives.


"it's interesting to look at the proposed language, which is limited to what the utilities should be doing ... where it should be focused on broader policy implications," he said.


Also discussed was language concerning the priority level of efficiency and conservation, incorporating renewables where cost effective, and keeping language as broad as possible to allow for incorporation of new technologies, recognizing the role they play in a robust energy portfolio with conventional resources.


The subject of local option taxes for transportation projects was discussed as well, with policy makers noting that this subject is likely to come up in the upcoming session.


A local option tax bill failed to pass the House in 2009.  Although supported by many legislators, the bill's provision that such option taxes require a two-thirds vote rather than a simple majority was something several potential supporters of the bill sited as their reason for voting against it.


Comments on the 2012 Draft Energy Plan can be emailed to Mike Nugent of the Legislative Services Office at mnugent@lso.idaho.gov by 5 pm, November 18.

House committee hosts energy efficiency symposium

Representative Wendy Jaquet organized an energy conservation symposium to present to the House Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee this week, with speakers presenting on energy conservation efforts.

Rocky Mountain Power, which supplies power to customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho focuses on energy efficiency and peak reduction programs, including significant outreach to residential customers. In 2010, reductions in peak demand equaled the equivalent of power from a 160 mWh wind farm. For every dollar invested in energy efficiency, Rocky Mountain Power officials estimate their customers save between $2.50 and $2.70 over time.

Idaho Power is also focusing on residential customers through energy efficiency programs. Residential customers represent about 37% of their customer base, and about 83% of the total annual mW consumption.

John J. Williams of BPA noted that cost of conservation has decreased over the years. The highest source of power in the northwest is hydro, the second is coal and the third, he said, is conservation. Conservation efforts to date have resulted in enough electricity to serve all of Idaho and Montana in 2009.

Bruce Fulsom with Avista noted his company seeks to offer very specific and deep programs that are meaningful to customers but also broad so that they are accessible to various customers. Conservation is the least expensive new resource, which is why they’ve focused efforts to help customers use less of their product through rebates, energy audits and communication.

McKinstry is a company that has been involved in design/build projects for the past 50 years. For the past 10 years, they have been involved in energy efficiency projects. Last year they participated in $20 million worth of energy retrofitting projects in Idaho, employing more than 300 local subcontractors. Their projects also represent savings figures in terms of reductions in operating costs for their customers, and annual reductions in carbon emissions.

Paul Kjellander of the Idaho Office of Energy Resources updated the committee on stimulus funding projects, including energy efficiency audits in schools. The dollars saved, he says, are on behalf of the tax payer. In addition, he says, 15,000 Idahoans took part in the appliance rebate program that will conclude next month. The total savings was about $1.4 million. More information about stimulus funding programs is available online at www.energy.idaho.gov.