To the editor:

In my Aug. 2 letter to the editor, I am asking “What if?” What if, through our combined efforts at conservation and the progress in efficient power systems, we could make the point to Duke Power and the Utility Commission that the proposed high voltage power line is not needed? Not needed in Polk County or anywhere in our section of Western North Carolina.

I had hoped to spark a debate. Instead what I have gotten are comments such as, “You are dreaming, never in 100 years, it’s not going to happen here.” On reflection, these are legitimate claims. Conservation is so boring, so mundane, tedious, possibly inconvenient and way too easy. Imagine, turning off the light when leaving a room, installing LED light bulbs, changing your thermostat setting, cleaning/maintaining your HVAC system, unplugging the TV in your guestroom, running the washing machine with full loads, hanging out laundry, making sure the dryer vent is clean and unclogged, wrapping the water heater and hot water pipes, closing curtains and shades to keep out the sun and pulling the plug on rarely used stand-by appliances and electronics — actions that require living intentionally, thinking and using common sense.

There is no glamour in this kind of stuff, no excitement such as attending a demonstration to fight an ugly eyesore and an environmental mess with cameras rolling and not in my backyard mentality. We want to slay the beast while deep down we know that we are dependent on it.

Duke Power is in the business of providing the electricity we crave and need to sustain our coveted lifestyle. The utility company is only prudent in planning for the future. If Duke Power can prove that a 15 percent increase in capacity is needed in the foreseeable future, it will have to find a way to provide this power.

It has been intimated that there is spare capacity, that Duke is planning to sell electricity to other utilities, and that there is room for upgrading the existing system. Given these rumors and innuendos it would be well for Duke to show its cards, and honor our request to release its studies documenting the reason and need for this proposed modernization scheme.

Right now, though, we need to wake up. Duke Power is a convenient target, but we could also look at it as a catalyst for greater change. It has been claimed that the proposed power line is not only a Polk County problem but a regional problem. I suggest that it is an issue with global implications. It is no secret that the US is the energy hog of the world. We are consuming more than our fair share of resources. Getting started on the little stuff will raise our awareness that what we do matters.

On the positive side substantial progress towards energy reduction even here in the US has been made with the development of energy efficient appliances, innovative and improved building technologies and elimination of some of our own personal wastefulness.

Okay, I am dreaming that efficient appliances, innovative and improved building technologies and elimination of some of our own personal wastefulness will effectively reduce our power consumption. Will it be soon enough and sufficient to eliminate the proposed high voltage power line? These are the dreams that keep me awake. I also acknowledge that modernizing an aging electric grid is important.

Can it be done with less disruption to the environment, our economy and natural resources, the beauty of this place? Can our homes become power-generating stations that are adequate to eliminate the need for long distance power lines anywhere?

And finally, what is the true cost/benefit of this line and who will profit the most? If I disturbed anyone’s dreams it will be the start of a good thing.

Christel Walter
Mill Spring, N.C.