"Importing coal to produce electricity is a drain on Ohio's economy"

The June 15, 2010, Toledo Blade published an important editorial titled To curb Ohio's costly coal bill, fix U.S. energy policy [1], by Jeff Deyette, assistant director of energy research and analysis in the Union of Concerned Scientists' climate and energy program, and Alan Frasz, vice president of Dovetail Solar and Wind in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, that leads-off with an important observation most residents of Ohio find hard to believe... "When you turn on your coffee pot in the morning, the power likely comes from coal, which generates 85 percent of the electricity in Ohio. According to a new report, three-quarters of that coal comes from elsewhere".  Yes, Ohio is ADDICTED to dirty, expensive, environmentally destructive imported coal - Ohio electricity ratepayers spent $1.5+ billion in just 2008 on imported coal - Ohio is the 5th biggest imported coal junkie in America, and we have the pollution to prove it.

As the authors of this informative editorial point out:

Importing coal to produce electricity is a drain on Ohio's economy. Ratepayer dollars are diverted out of state, instead of being spent locally on renewable-energy projects and energy-efficiency measures that can provide the same electricity service while directly benefiting residents and creating jobs.

The report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, "Burning Coal, Burning Cash," ranks states that are net importers of domestic and foreign coal. Ohio is one of 38 states that depend on imported coal. The state spent $1.5 billion on net coal imports in 2008, making it the fifth most dependent state.

First Energy's Bay Shore plant in Oregon imported all of its coal, shelling out $64 million mostly to Wyoming. Most domestic coal comes from Wyoming, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Some states import coal from overseas, as far away as Colombia and Indonesia.

It doesn't have to be that way. Ohio has significant wind, biomass, and solar-power resources, and we've only started tapping into that potential. 

Having a coal fired powerplant in my backyard, poisoning my family with pollution that only benefits large institutions [2], it pisses me off knowing the coal burned there was probably imported - probably strip mined from somewhere they blew up a mountaintop - now that I have learned burning coal is in every way bad for the Ohio economy...

..."Clean Coal" is an expensive pipe-dream [3]...

...pollution from coal is literally a killer [4].

Because Ohioans have been brainwashed into a nihilist state of believing coal and air pollution are good for the state economy, we have been suckered into the worst, most polluting energy policies, technologies and solutions possible, and now shall suffer a long transition to renewable energy, while living through serious economic consequences of our dirty imported coal era, including the poor health and reduced productivity of our population.

We may not begin getting off this coal "junk" - this black tar heroin - soon enough.

That is why I have proposed a new energy solution for Ohio to transition our state economy off of imported coal by developing our hemp biomass economy - Growing a Bright Green NEO PAC for Legalization & Commercialization of Cannabis Crops, Products & Services. [5]

Such a biomass strategy has has not been proposed as a state-wide renewable energy economic development platform with serious scale and initiative anywhere else in America, or the world - making hemp biomass a core component of our state renewable energy portfolio [6] - making Ohio the new world leader in the development, commercialization and manufacturing of hemp agriculture and related technologies, systems, machinery, and economy [7].

By developing a hemp biomass economy, we shall develop renewable fuelstocks that may replace coal - even for burning in existing coal powerplants - and biofuel - for running existing vehicles - creating cleaner, natural power for Ohioans and the world, from Ohio-harvested powersources.

I expect the first such bright green clean hemp biomass burning powerplant in Ohio to be in my backyard, to replace the coal burning powerplant located there now - my community of East Cleveland shall make that happen for the state of Ohio, and no imported coal lobby shall get in the way. 

Our Bright Green Hemp Energy plan compliments the vision of Jeff Deyette and Alan Frasz to tap into our significant wind, biomass, and solar-power resources, as articulated in their editorial linked here [1], concluding with:

Our congressional delegation could do a lot to help Ohio keep more energy dollars in the state. Legislation before Congress would reduce pollution and require more renewable-energy and efficiency measures nationwide. A truly effective bill would place a limit and a price on the pollution that causes global warming, so wind and other renewable-energy sources would get a level playing field with fossil-fuel energy sources such as coal. It also would require utilities to generate increasing amounts of renewable energy. Leadership in Washington would help expand the opportunities for Ohio companies to compete in the global clean-energy race.

Our energy system is not as clean, efficient, or cost-effective as it should and could be. It's time we start to power our state in a way that protects our economy and our environment. A federal bill that makes energy reform a priority is key.

I've asked for the Sierra Club to endorse our Bright Green Hemp Energy plan to shift the MCCO coal powerplant and other coal burning powerplants in Ohio to hemp biomass, as a major addition to the Ohio renewable energy portfolio and our economy, and expect to see all world-leaders for renewable energy work together on a comprehensive set of solutions for developing the hemp biomass economy in Ohio, America and the world, with a strong focus on making Ohio world leaders in this brightest greenest new economy.