Dan Hurst: Investing in clean energy technology good for economy, future generations

Dan Hurst: Investing in clean energy technology good for economy, future generations
POSTED: 3:00 AM, Sep 13, 2014

As an eighth-generation East Tennessean, I have wondered about the environment my ancestors encountered seven generations ago when they first moved to this beautiful place. And I have also wondered how history will judge my generation when it considers the environment and economy my children's children inherit from us seven generations from now.

As a business owner whose company has served clients throughout the world, I know that clean, renewable sources of energy are essential to the short- and long-term sustainability of our environment and our economy. It is important to create a future where energy is abundant, clean and delivered in a way that helps our economy grow without compromising our environment.

A well-researched and credible report, commissioned by Michael Bloomberg and Henry Paulsen, detailing weather and economic impacts of climate change on each state was released in June. The projections for Tennessee by the end of this century are sobering, including an increase in number of days per year over 95 degrees Fahrenheit from 45 to 115; an average summer temperature increase from 82 degrees to 89 degrees; and increased energy expenditures of nearly 25 percent. This underscores the need to confront the challenges presented by a warming planet.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Clean Power Plan offers an important step in the right direction. This plan seeks to reduce carbon emissions from power plants by approximately 30 percent by 2030. If states choose to comply by switching to cleaner energy sources, these standards could actually reduce a family's electricity bills by 8 percent. The Tennessee Valley Authority has already made significant progress towards meeting the proposed goals.

Although an important first step, implementation of the modest goals in the Clean Power Plan alone will not solve our planet's warming problems or make the United States a global clean energy leader. The American Energy Innovation Council, which includes business leaders from GE, Microsoft and DuPont, is focused on addressing America's energy future. The AEIC has stated, "America will be far wealthier, more secure, and more competitive with a rich array of sustainable, domestic energy options. U.S. energy companies can be leaders in the development of our future energy technologies, but they must make R&D a central part of their business models, and the government must create a public policy environment that is favorable to long-term, high-risk investments in R&D by private firms."

As a Tennessee business owner employing approximately 100 scientists and engineers, I believe we should join AEIC in its call for additional federal investment in energy technology. Such investment would be an impetus for economic growth in our region that builds on the success of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and creates economic benefits that rival those of the Manhattan Project.

East Tennesseans have been given extraordinary natural resources, business resources and people. For the last 200 years, we have always risen to a challenge. We are the people who can deliver a proud legacy to our children eight generations from now, a legacy built on a sustainable environment and economy.

Dan Hurst is founder and president of Strata-G, an energy and environmental consulting firm in Knoxville.