A special legislative session is needed to address Maine’s looming crisis

Many years ago, I heard Sen. George Mitchell speak to a group of foresters at a professional dinner. At that time, Sen. Mitchell was one of the few supporters of the Dickey-Lincoln hydropower proposal on the St. John River in Aroostook County.

To paraphrase what the senator said that night, he asked the audience to choose five types of energy. He said we could pick four of the five, but that oil must be the fifth. Once we decided on our sources, we could consider this group our personal “energy portfolio.”

If you think of energy as a stock portfolio, that danger of having all the eggs in one basket becomes clear. A majority of our investments are in oil, but we must start diversifying. We need a selection, without special interest groups limiting our choices.

And nothing can be off the table. Solving our energy problems cannot become a partisan issue, if we ever hope to find a lasting answer.

To take maximum advantage of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydropower and nuclear power, we have to change our national infrastructure. Our current cars and trucks cannot run on solar power. We will eventually need to switch to electric cars, which require better technology and more capacity in our energy grids.

In the meantime, we need to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. We need to stop the bleeding from the pockets of hardworking Americans, and stop sending billions of dollars a year to dictatorships such as Iran and Venezuela.

That is why we need options. So let’s do Mitchell’s exercise now.

Say we choose wind, nuclear, hydro, oil and wood.

One might choose wind as one alternative to oil, because it provides clean and renewable power. However, the argument could also be made that windmills are inefficient and their construction can harm the environment.

Nuclear is a good option, because it produces cheap, zero-emission energy. But many will argue nuclear waste is costly to clean and everyone fears disaster at a nuclear facility.

The argument for hydropower is it, too, produces clean and renewable energy. But this also means damming the rivers. So, what about the fish?

Power generated by wood is renewable, and Maine, after all, has a surplus of trees. But many would argue Maine’s forests cannot support the logging pressures that a massive shift to wood-powered energy would produce. And what about Maine’s other forest products industries? There is only so much wood to go around.

Where does that leave us? Well, with oil. That was the point of Mitchell’s speech.

Today, technology has advanced, and could add a few more alternatives to the energy portfolio. Solar, clean coal, geothermal, combustion debris and efficiency have all become choices for energy production.

Efficiency? Yes, efficiency. It is an important part of any energy portfolio. In this environment, preventing energy from being wasted is as important as generating it.

Like Mitchell, I have energy questions, for this audience.

Does your vehicle get more than 25 mpg? Do you have energy-efficient appliances or light bulbs at home? Do you have an alternative heating source? Is your home properly insulated?

How did you do? If you were five-for-five, you deserve a green star – you’re already part of the solution. If more than three, you’re on your way. If less than three, though, you may need to change some habits before going broke trying to pay for oil and gas.

Everyone knows there is an energy problem. But nobody knows the right solution.

It is safe to say that any solution will need to be bold. The governor and legislative leadership need to be bold.

I urge the governor to call the Legislature back into session to address these ideas and any others that can help.

Actions speak louder than words.

Lawmakers in Augusta need to put every possible solution on the table.

Anything less would be nave.

Rep. Tom Saviello, an independent from Wilton, represents District 133 (Avon, New Vineyard, Phillips, Strong, Temple, Wilton, Perkins and Washington townships) in the Maine House of Representatives.