Energy in the Mountain West: Colonialism and Independence
Abstract
In many ways, the mountain west (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming) is an energy colony for the rest of the United States: it is rich in energy resources that are extracted to fuel economic growth in the wealthier and more populous coastal regions. Federal agencies and global corporations often behave as if the mountain west is a place to be exploited or managed for the benefit of customers and consumers elsewhere. Yet, the area. is not vast empty space with a limitless supply of natural resources, but rather a fast-growing region with a diverse economic base dependent on a limited supply of water. New decision processes and collaborations are slowly changing this situation, but in a piecemeal fashion that places local communities at odds with powerful external interests. Proper planning of major development is needed to insure that the west has a strong economic and cultural future after the fossil energy resources decline, even if that might be a century from now. To encourage the necessary public discussions, this paper identifies key differences between the mountain west and the rest of the United States and suggests some holistic approaches that could improve our future. Thismore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 926326
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-07-12432
TRN: US200807%%646
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-99ID-13727
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual Meeting of the Idaho Academy of Sciences - Energy for the Future: Human and Ecological Consid,Idaho Falls,04/19/2007,04/21/2007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; COASTAL REGIONS; COMMUNITIES; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ECONOMICS; MOUNTAINS; PLANNING; WATER; Energy planning; Energy policy; Idaho; Mountain West
Citation Formats
Piet, Steven, Brown, Lloyd, Cherry, Robert, Cooper, Craig, Heydt, Harold, Holman, Richard, and McLing, Travis. Energy in the Mountain West: Colonialism and Independence. United States: N. p., 2007.
Web.
Piet, Steven, Brown, Lloyd, Cherry, Robert, Cooper, Craig, Heydt, Harold, Holman, Richard, & McLing, Travis. Energy in the Mountain West: Colonialism and Independence. United States.
Piet, Steven, Brown, Lloyd, Cherry, Robert, Cooper, Craig, Heydt, Harold, Holman, Richard, and McLing, Travis. 2007.
"Energy in the Mountain West: Colonialism and Independence". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/926326.
@article{osti_926326,
title = {Energy in the Mountain West: Colonialism and Independence},
author = {Piet, Steven and Brown, Lloyd and Cherry, Robert and Cooper, Craig and Heydt, Harold and Holman, Richard and McLing, Travis},
abstractNote = {In many ways, the mountain west (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming) is an energy colony for the rest of the United States: it is rich in energy resources that are extracted to fuel economic growth in the wealthier and more populous coastal regions. Federal agencies and global corporations often behave as if the mountain west is a place to be exploited or managed for the benefit of customers and consumers elsewhere. Yet, the area. is not vast empty space with a limitless supply of natural resources, but rather a fast-growing region with a diverse economic base dependent on a limited supply of water. New decision processes and collaborations are slowly changing this situation, but in a piecemeal fashion that places local communities at odds with powerful external interests. Proper planning of major development is needed to insure that the west has a strong economic and cultural future after the fossil energy resources decline, even if that might be a century from now. To encourage the necessary public discussions, this paper identifies key differences between the mountain west and the rest of the United States and suggests some holistic approaches that could improve our future. This paper is designed to provoke thought and discussion; it does not report new analyses on energy resources or usage. It is a summary of a large group effort.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/926326},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2007},
month = {Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2007}
}