Because pragmatic solutions are needed to decarbonise the economy. The Obamian Moniz speaks
What the former Minister of Energy in the Obama administration, Ernest Moniz, thinks
We need "pragmatic and realistic" solutions to decarbonise the US economy, considering that it is not possible to totally replace, at least for the moment, fossil fuels with renewables. Speaking is Ernest Moniz, Minister of Energy in the Obama administration, during an event moderated by Amy Harder of Axios on the challenges that communities in transition, heavily dependent on oil, natural gas and coal, must face to fight against change climatic.
SYSTEM MUST MAINTAIN RELIABILITY AND MANAGE RISK AT ALL TIMES
Harder teased Moniz starting from the recent blackouts that occurred in California, due, according to some, to the variability of the wind and the sun. “The problems that led to the recent blackout problems have been quite evident. The message is not 'don't be solar'. It's about addressing the system in a way that maintains reliability and manages risk at all times – said Moniz -. Unfortunately this is not what is currently happening. I'm not saying solar caused the problem, but the reality is, of course, that California is way ahead in the spread of solar and there isn't enough storage capacity to move that resource overnight, that's a given. in fact. … Therefore, it is really necessary to integrate the system and the risk management approaches to be sure of not having reliability problems ”.
OIL AND GAS COMPANIES MUST BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE SOLUTION
Harder then asked the former Obama minister what are the reasons why there has not been a major action on climate change given that some say the fault lies in the fact that some communities that rely on oil, natural gas and coal do not see a possible future for them. Some environmental activists also argue that it is not so much the workers, but the big fossil fuel companies that are blocking the action. And to that end, they ask Joe Biden's presidential campaign not to take advice from officials who are linked to the fossil fuel industry, which they say includes Moniz himself and many other Obama administration officials, citing the very presence of former energy minister on the board of directors of Southern Company, an electric company with a mix of natural gas and coal.
“I disagree with the Southern Company's characterization as a fossil fuel company. It is an electrical company. It is also a retail-level supplier of natural gas. But this is like saying that anyone who drives an internal combustion car is a fossil fuel company because they use them. I think it's the wrong way to see it ”. Moniz went on to say that since joining the company's board of directors in March 2018, the company has been more active in reducing its carbon footprint. "We should consider these companies as part of the solution."
NEW ENGLAND THE MOST RELUCTIVE TO THE NEWS BUT PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED
The state or region that will have the most difficult time to switch to a clean energy economy will instead be New England, according to Moniz who highlighted how the region in recent years has opposed new energy infrastructures, such as gas pipelines. hydroelectric power and nuclear power plants that could help reduce emissions. “There are many no. Where are the yeses? If we want to go low carbon, where will we come from? It won't all come from offshore wind . This is why we need pragmatic and realistic solutions ”, concluded Moniz.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/decarbonizzare-moniz/ on Sat, 12 Sep 2020 05:44:44 +0000.