I really appreciate Michelle Dupler from the Tri-City Herald.  She’s a straight on young reporter and seems to be filling in the shoes of the Herald’s political beat quite well.  It may be kind of dull politics around here but when Speaker Chopp shows up in town to coo the locals, and gets reported in the Tri-City Herald - and backpedals - well, the bullshit alarms are a’ringin!  Commenting on I-937 Chopp chose to tell the locals what they wanted to hear.  That Hydro power is renewable and ironically, why it should be considered to be in Washington State.  But no sooner than the original article came out, Chopp reconsiders.

The Herald’s editorial…

According to Herald political writer Michelle Dupler, these are a few direct quotes from Chopp in response to an audience question about whether the Legislature is moving toward classifying hydropower as renewable:

- “Why it gets classified as not renewable is beyond me.”

-  “It clearly is renewable and why it isn’t classified as such is absurd.”

-  “In California they can count our hydropower as renewable, but we can’t count it here.”

The issue is important because the voter-approved Initiative 937 mandates that a percentage of electrical power used in the state must come from renewable sources.

Since hydropower isn’t considered renewable under the initiative, ratepayers must buy expensive solar and wind power to meet the quota. If that leaves a surplus of hydropower, some other state gets to buy the cheaper electricity.

Direct quotes and sorry Frank… I trust Michelle.

Given Chopp’s penchant for killing good legislation aided by the BIAW,  Chopp is similarly influenced by the west side environmental lobby as well.

Take it away Michelle:

A source who asked not to be identified forwarded to me an e-mail from environmental lobbyist Clifford Traisman assuring the environmental community that Chopp is still on their side. From: Clifford Traisman [mailto:clifford@wcvoters.org]

Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2009 12:02 PM

To: ‘<937defense@lists.onenw.org>’

Subject: FRANK CHOPP’S COMMENTS IN PRESS ON 937

Importance: High

Friends, by now many of you might have seen the below article that has been emailed around over the past day. Upon receiving it myself, I immediately forwarded it to Frank Chopp’s Chief of Staff to ask, “what gives?” Frank called me back immediately to personally let me know that his comments were completely misconstrued and taken out of context by this Tri Cities reporter (who apparently has a history of doing this sort of thing). Frank told me the following good news:   As during last session, he has no interest in repealing or decimating I-937. [...]

Um… wow!

Then Chopp later responds?

Michelle:

I want to apologize for leaving the wrong impression during my comments to the Pasco Chamber of Commerce. My remarks came at the end of a long day, so I wasn’t as clear as I should have been.

Let me clarify.

On nuclear power: There are several major concerns: 1) Safety, not only in terms of facility operations, but also nuclear waste storage and its impacts on the environment; 2) Financing costs, which are typically high for such facilities; and 3) Public support, which is low.

With this in mind, we should focus our efforts on developing new, renewable energy sources and encouraging energy conservation. In fact, at a meeting earlier in the day during my Tri-Cities visit, I heard three presentations on solar-related projects which hold a lot of promise for energy production and for the local and state economy.

On renewable resources: I support requirements and incentives for new renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power incorporated in Initiative 937. During the 2009 legislative session, I supported a negotiated compromise that would have amended Initiative 937. While hydro power is widely recognized as a renewable resource, I do not support amending the initiative to include it as part of the renewable portfolio standard beyond the hydro power provisions within that compromise.

I hope this clarifies my position, and, again, I apologize.

Sincerely, Frank Chopp

A distinct lack of courage is what comes to mind.

[I'm going to take a second to note something I got from Sen. Jerome Delvin today because I think it's relevant]

I sympathize with west side environmentalist.  I appreciate them and the good that they do.  But when discussing nuclear and hydro energy their discussions turn remarkably unreliable to the realities of today’s energy economy.    And just as remarkably, so does the 8th LD’s Senator Jerome Delvin.  From today’s Delvin newsletter:

In Pasco, Chopp said, ‘It (hydropower) clearly is renewable and why it isn’t classified as such is absurd.’ That sounds pretty clear to me. In fact, I agree wholeheartedly. Hydropower is a cheap, clean, carbon-neutral and renewable fuel source. Why should we sell it to California and other states smart enough to know that – while we buy expensive and unreliable wind power?

A distinct lack of courage is what coems to mind.

What Delvin does here is take a pot shot at Chopp while hopping up his anti-global warming and anti energy diversity stance. But like Chopp, Delvin has a constituancy to coddle with every breath.  And this is easy fodder for Delvin and costs him nothing but… courage.  If Delvin’s newsletter was a serious one, he would have encouraged Chopp to take a stand.  The one he expressed in his own earlier words.

A distinct lack of courage is what comes to mind.

Energy diversity comes from, well, diversity!  The novel idea that putting all your eggs in one basket leaves you with all your options in… one basket.  We all know that.  But what neither Chopp or his detractor in Delvin can face is reality beyond percieved loyalty.

A distinct lack of courage is what comes to mind.

And Bullshit.