Editorial: Hydropower A Worthy Part Of Our Energy Mix
Since coming to office in 2007 and 2009, respectively, both Gov. Deval Patrick and President Obama have been beating the drum of alternative energy to wean the state and nation off fossil fuels and toward other sources, such as natural gas and renewables like solar and wind. The road to attaining that mix has been slow, but the increased production and seeming price stability of natural gas have begun to accelerate the shift from oil. In addition, the dramatic reduction in the cost of solar panels, while in large part driven by Chinese subsidies, has nonetheless made a large dent in the cost of solar installations. But often left out of the equation has been the long-established use of hydropower.
Many Massachusetts' manufacturing industries have a history with hydropower, as rivers and streams were critical sources of energy during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Today, the power is still there, but it makes up only about 2 percent of the state's energy mix, according to the National Hydropower Association (NHA).
But three months ago, five New England states – all but New Hampshire – announced an effort to explore the importing of more hydroelectric power from Canada. And earlier this month, Patrick traveled to Quebec to help spur discussions that could lead to bringing more hydroelectric power from the north. Massachusetts already has a program administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center that provides grants for hydropower-generation projects.
According to the NHA, the cost of generating hydropower can't be beat: two cents per kilowatt hour versus six cents each for wind and natural gas, the latter being the chief source of energy in the Bay State. So, the potential cost savings can provide rate relief to high power-using industries such as manufacturing, which need to squeeze out costs anywhere they can to grow and thrive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
Much has been made about the cost of subsidizing renewable energy. Yet a more significant share of hydropower as part of the energy picture can only tamp down our overall energy rates, making the mix of other higher cost renewables more palatable. Whether generated within the state or imported, efforts to increase the use of hydropower in our state are a positive sign.
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