Back to Work.(Brief Article)

Our nation's energy problems won't disappear

Our third-world electrical grid survived yet another summer without letting us down. We were largely spared the rolling blackouts and spiraling energy costs that were widely predicted in the spring. Californians escaped the hundreds of hours of rolling blackouts that threatened them. In fact, even the hotel chains announced plans to end their unpopular energy surcharges.

What next, now that I have declared the crisis over? Well, let's acknowledge that we still face serious energy and environmental problems.

* we waste a lot of energy in this country. How else do we explain the low penetration of even simple energy-saving appliances and devices?

* we rely a great deal on older coal-burning plants that emit [CO.sub.2], [NO.sub.x], and [SO.sub.x].

* Kyoto is a dead issue, but all parties, including the current administration, believe we should reduce our total emissions. We have made no progress in achieving this goal in recent years.

* the EIA projects continued load growth, but our communities reject the power plants and transmission lines required to move electricity from point A to point B.