Published: August 31, 2008 12:43 am         

Renewable energy should be promoted

It often takes adversity to generate enthusiasm in completely changing an entrenched cultural habit.

High gas prices may just provide the impetus to kick start efforts aimed at boosting renewable energy.

The cost for producing energy from coal and fossil fuels is getting more expensive, while new technology has helped lower the cost of creating renewable energy. However, there is still little incentive, particularly in Indiana, for renewable energy sources to be developed.



It is true that a wind farm located south of Gary went online in May, and other wind farms are in the planning stages in northwestern Indiana.

But there are other renewable energy options that aren’t being utilized. For instance, there are several dams in northern Indiana that could be used to generate electricity. A Goshen-based company, Lucid Energy Technologies, is testing equipment at Bonneyville Mill Park as a means of capturing kinetic energy in water leaving the dam.

Goshen’s early history included use of water power to develop industry, and the Goshen dam and millrace are waterways that could be harnessed for energy. There are also dams at Baintertown and Benton in Elkhart County.



Josh Thomas, systems specialist for Lucid, said Indiana doesn’t have a rate conducive to selling excess electricity to a power company. For instance, Indiana’s rate of 2.7 cents per kilowatt hour to sell energy to a power company is much lower than the 12 cents per kilowatt hour paid in Canada.

If state and federal officials are serious about reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil, then it seems there should be more effort to accommodate renewable energy. Maybe it will require spiraling gas prices to deliver the message.