Should Maryland adapt a natural gas liquefaction facility?
Energy is a double-edged sword. We need it to provide for our modern lifestyle, but yet at the same time gathering it can be a damaging task. Because of this, conflict arises between those who support such endeavors and those who oppose it. One recent example of this is the recent proposal by Dominion Power in the state of Maryland. Dominion Power has proposed a project to expand the already existing facilities located on Cove Point in Lusby, Maryland by adding natural gas liquefaction and export facilities. While Dominion states that Cove Point will provide long-term revenue, jobs, and reduce our dependency on foreign nations for energy, there are plenty of negative consequences that has sparked opposition.
Despite the positive benefits touted by Dominion, opposition to the plan within Maryland is plentiful, especially at the University of Maryland. The Sustainability club recently held a lecture promoting opposition against Cove Point that I attended, in which several speaker from different fields discussed why they were against the Cove Point Plan. One counterargument that was emphasized a lot addresses the issues of job creation of renewable energy compared to that of Cove Point. According to Dominion, Cove point will produce more than 3,000 construction jobs during the three-year construction process and create 75 permanent jobs once in operation. Solar or Wind farms, however, is likely to create even more jobs through construction and maintenance. I am a Civil and Environmental Engineering Major, and in my Intro to CEE class, Dr. Brubaker pointed out that Maryland has a goal to run on 40% clean energy by 2025, in order to inspire other states to follow. Cove Point is counterproductive to this end-goal, as it will destroy Maryland’s desire to be a clean energy state. If Maryland is truly committed to its goal of 40% clean energy, than rejecting Cove Point is an obvious solution. Lastly, during the lecture it was noted that drilling for natural gas has negative effects on the environment. While natural gas is cleaner than other fossil fuels, it is still many degrees dirtier than renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar which have no emissions. Natural gas by itself is cleaner than other fossil fuels, liquefying and transporting Liquified Natural Gas is as polluting as if you were to burn coal – definitely not a good thing for something purported to be a clean alternative.
While the lecturers listed numerous reasons to oppose the Cove Point expansion plan, there are still some compelling points to accepting the plan. Dominion Energy predicts that Cove Point will become a new long-term revenue source for the state of Maryland. It states that in the next five years after completion, Calvert County will receive an average of forty-five million dollars a year. It is also predicted that this facility will reduce our countries trade deficit by up to 7.1 billion dollars annually. The project is also expected to strengthen our nation's international standing by both reducing our own dependency on foreign energy, and also by aiding allied nations such as Japan and India, who need energy as well. Contrary to predictions of negative environmental effects, Dominion Energy promises the opposite based off of their companies history. Based off of nearly forty years of work and recognition as a responsible environmental guardian, they estimate that by using a conservation management plan, they can preserve and protect nearly 90% of the worksite. The new equipment needed to liquefy and export natural gas will be placed within the already existing footprint of the facility, and they will convert the surrounding 800 acres as a natural preserve. Wastewater from the new facility will also be recycled and waste heat will be used to generate electricity, ensuring the new facility will pose a minimal threat to the environment while being a sustainable facility.
I personally am torn between supporting Dominion Energy and opposing it, which may be because of my upbringing. My father is a Civil Engineer who works with DC Water, a Wastewater and Energy Plant based in DC, and throughout my childhood he always taught me that the environment is sacred, but we still must alter it, although in an eco-friendly manner. This type of controversy is what my father is tied into, so I cannot just simply dismiss it. Likewise, having a stable income source for Maryland is a tempting offer for a guaranteed stable sum. Yet at the same time, I am skeptical of Dominion Energy’s claims. They provide all of their statistics on their own, reducing their credibility. I have also been reading up on the side-effects of drilling for natural gas from places like Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the chance of chemicals leaching into water pipes and tremors caused by fracking concern me greatly. In addition, I really enjoy the scenery around Maryland and I would hate to see the forests and creeks I love so much be replaced with rigs, trucks, and fences. Overall, I believe that Maryland should stay true to its goal of 40% clean energy by 2025. In order for Maryland to lead by example, it must reject the offers to drill and instead put effort into courting clean energy companies to step up.
It amazes me how passionate people around my age are about this issue – through lectures, organizations, and petitions. I think the underlying factor that makes me and other students oppose drilling is just because of how young we are. We the students are the next generation. Choices our previous generations make don’t think about the consequences that will happen to future generations, as they will long be gone by the time any serious effects show up, leaving us with little say and large burdens to account for. It truly is astounding how 20 to 30 years from now, we will become the generation that is the norm, and I hope that students like me can learn from our previous generation’s mistakes and hopefully not repeat them. The best way we can do that is to make sure schools like the University of Maryland continue to be a strong voice for the younger generation’s ideas.