Read our post from the April 11, 2008 Dallas Morning News - "Greenhouse gas limits could create big challenges FERC official says."

As if electricity generated from coal-fired facilities and carried long-distances via transmission lines hasn't caused enough opposition, FERC tells us renewable energy transported via the same method, will also be a problem.

They're right.

Renewable energy from distant sources will move us away from coal-fired generation, but not transmission lines.

The burden rests with distributed generation, demand side management, energy efficiency and private/public sector enterprise to create local/regional energy independence.

Think Dulles Greenway, and what private developers accomplished. It took years to move the toll road into the black, but what a vitally needed success story.

The Town of Warrenton and Mayor George Fitch have the right idea for energy independence. His efforts to get a biomass refinery off the ground are to be applauded. But, first, a solid working model must be demonstrated to be economically feasible for the Town to jump in with both feet.

Virginians for Sensible Energy Policies are reported to be discussing a gas-fired facility in Northern Virginia with a private land owner to mitigate the need for future generation.

American ingenuity in action.

Yes, we can!

**Footnote: Since I wrote this blog, I've been challenged on the success of the Dulles Greenway because of the toll increases. Granted, rising tolls compounded by the cost of gasoline, have limited the number of users that can afford the tolls. My point was the ingenuity of private sector development that created the tollway in the first place...and there is no denying that the Greenway is needed more today than ever before.