We are... Coal 'tards

Nice tip from anonymous yesterday regarding a recent article in the Billings Gazette (Highwood plant has objectors within co-op membership).

"The Highwood Generating Station is proposed to be built in Great Falls. But the major share of its energy will power the 35,000 meters of the Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, the Beartooth Electric Co-op, the Fergus Electric Co-op, the Mid Yellowstone Electric Co-op and the Tongue River Electric Co-op.

Currently, the Highwood proposal awaits decisions on two lawsuits. More importantly, however, the plant awaits a decision on a loan request from the national Rural Electric Service.

Dave Grimland, another Beartooth member and resident of Columbus, views Highwood as a financial white elephant. He and his wife, Kathleen Ralph, say the coal-fired plant could soon be outdated - perhaps even before it's completed.

Arleen Boyd, a Fishtail resident and member of the Beartooth Co-op, questions why Highwood should even be considered for government loans. Boyd reasons that much of the projected increase in demand for electricity comes from new subdivisions and expensive trophy homes - and not the family farms and ranches that were the original mission of rural cooperatives. She also takes issue with co-ops nationwide, which have pressured Congress to exempt themselves from any clean energy requirements that may be instituted."

The Billings area is growing and needs power but not more pollution. Hey, here's an idea ... let's ship our coal to Great Falls. They will burn it there and keep the pollutants, then send the energy back to us. They are such doormats there. We may even be able to send up a bunch of our workers to build the thing.

I predict that if Gregori and Lawton pull this off, they will both end up with trophy homes in new subdivisions in Red Lodge.