Interior secretary

Thank you, Daily Inter Lake editorial board, for your opinion piece “Montana benefits from Interior pick Burgum,” President Trump’s selection for Interior secretary. I too have taken away some positives from his nomination hearing.

Doug Burgum stated that America produces energy cleaner and safer than most parts of the world. He also recognizes the need to consider climate pollution in energy production.

Burning coal, oil and gas has been emitting heat-trapping pollution in the atmosphere forming a thick blanket around the earth. This is causing our planet to overheat creating irreversible damage and making weather-related events more dangerous.

In 2021, Burgum set a goal for North Dakota to be carbon neutral by 2030. As governor, he has overseen remarkable growth of wind energy which now makes up more than a third of all electricity produced in his state!

He shares Trump’s vision of a vibrant future with energy dominance as the way to get there. He wants more abundant, reliable, affordable energy so American families can prosper. He supports the power of innovation and free markets to reach that goal.

During the hearing Sen. Steve Daines raised a concern regarding the need to finalize three coal mine permits in Montana. Burgum, in his response to Daines, recognized the need for more baseload electricity and said we have the knowledge to deliver clean coal. Under his watch, North Dakota secured a demonstration grant for advancing carbon capture technology at a coal-fired power plant.

When speaking with Sen. Angus King during the hearing, Burgum stated he supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy but that we must look at the economics of either decarbonizing traditional fuels or utilizing clean energy “because it is a better path forward for every citizen if we can do it more affordably.”

Burgum is also concerned the balance of intermittent energy and baseload energy is getting “out of whack” putting reliability at stake. He says permitting reform is needed. I agree. America has outgrown our electricity transmission grid. This makes load balancing between regions harder if not impossible which reduces reliability. And it prevents adding new sources of electricity to the grid. We need permitting reform to streamline the building of power lines.

We also need to streamline permitting for energy innovation. The tech industry is demanding clean firm power and recent innovations are starting to meet that demand. One example is enhanced geothermal systems also known as “hot rock geothermal.” Google and Southern California Edison have recently made competitively-priced power purchase agreements with Texas-based geothermal producer Fervo Energy. Chris Wright, Trump’s pick for secretary of Energy who has a fracking background, is not only an advocate but also an investor in Fervo. Montana is among other western states with hot rock closer to the surface which is expected to make geothermal electricity production even easier.

I appreciate Burgum’s entrepreneurial instinct to support affordable, reliable, pollution-free energy. Contact Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, and Reps. Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing and ask them to streamline permitting for building power lines and geothermal baseload electricity to support Burgum’s goals.

Burgum summarized his opening statement by saying the Department of the Interior can help make “… the world safer and America even better for our children, our grandchildren, and generations to come.”  

This is my wish too.

— Robin Paone, Whitefish

Council pay

If you voted “yes” to Whitefish City Council compensation on the November ballot, did you ever consider it would have to be funded with a tax increase?

What should be a $20,000-$30,000 cost is under discussion, and could become a far greater expense as some councilors want a salary, and full city paid health, dental and vision insurance for themselves and their families. This is in addition to the $500 computer allowance and Wave membership they currently receive.

They propose to become part-time employees, yet current part-time city employees receive no benefits. Reasonable compensation falls somewhere between Columbia Falls at $2,400 per year, and Kalispell at $5,000 per year, and should be based on population. City Council service should remain a civic duty to the community and not a career. To protect this principle a future ballot initiative would contain term limits for council members.

Become involved and attend the March 3 City Council meeting at 7:10 p.m., write letters and say no to extreme compensation and tax increase

— Nancy Schuber, Whitefish