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The official publication of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers, AFL-CIO/CLC THE REPORTER OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2019 AF FILI CLC Volume 58 | Number 4 ATED ~ AFL-CIO, Apprentices vie for top spot in national competition EXCEPTIONAL. I AM A GUARDIAN OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND THE UNION WAY OF LIFE. I AM A BOILERMAKER. LIVE THE CODE. TToo lleearnarn momorree aboutabout TThehe BBoilermaoilermakkerer CCododee,, visitvisit BBoilermaoilermakkererCCododee..ccomom THE contents OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2019 Volume 58, Number 4 NEWTON B. JONES features: International President and Editor-in-Chief WILLIAM T. CREEDEN International Secretary-Treasurer CCUS takes center stage during INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS the 2019 MOST National Lawrence McManamon, Great Lakes Tripartite Alliance Conference J. Tom Baca, Western States Warren Fairley, Southeast John T. Fultz, Northeast Arnie Stadnick, Canada EDITORIAL STAFF Amy Wiser 4 Managing Editor Maid of the Mist vessels go Cynthia Stapp electric in 2020 with Marketing Manager Boilermakers at work Emily Allen Writer-Editor Mary Echols Lead Designer Shae Jones Graphic Designer 24 Timothy Canon Local D23 scores better Manager of Digital and Web Communications safety training plus new education program The Boilermaker Reporter ISSN No. 1078-4101 is the official publication of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, 30 and Helpers, AFL-CIO/CLC. It is published quarterly to disseminate information of use and interest to its members. Submissions from members, local lodges and subordinate or affiliated bodies are welcomed and encouraged. This publication is mailed free of charge to active members and retired members holding a Retired departments: Members Card. Others may subscribe for the price of $10 for three years. Standard Mail (A) postage paid at COMMENTARY ............................................. 2 Kansas City, Kan., and additional mailing offices. BOILERMAKERS AT WORK ......................... 24 Website: www.boilermakers.org LOCAL NEWS ...............................................32 CanadaPost Agreement: PM 41892512 IN MEMORIAM............................................38 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: [email protected] The Boilermaker Reporter 753 State Avenue, Suite 565 Kansas City, KS 66101 on the cover: (913) 371-2640; FAX (913) 281-8110 Mauricio Apodaca, L-627, MIG welds two plates together during the 2019 For more articles, photos, video and National Apprenticeship Competition. resources, visit us online at www.boilermakers.org SEE STORY 16 LIKE US FOLLOW US SUBSCRIBE TO US THE REPORTER © 1 COMMENTARY BOILERMAKERS.ORG © NEAR-TERM GOAL OF 100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY IS UNREALISTIC, MISGUIDED NEWTON B. JONES OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2019 International President Rapid transition ignores unprecedented obstacles, environmental fallout and more Reaching 100% renewables in the SOMEDAY, U.S. ELECTRICAL power generation may United States by 2030 or 2040 come from 100% renewable energy consisting almost would cost $4.5 trillion. entirely of wind and solar. But predictions of that happen- — Wood Mackenzie 2019 Report ing within 10 or 20 years are unrealistic. There are simply www.woodmac.com too many obstacles standing in the way, among them: the massive investment of capital that would be required, the $4.5 trillion—from a budgetary perspective, about disruption of entire industries, technical challenges, and $35,000 per U.S. household, assuming a 20-year term. considerable societal and environmental impacts. The current capacity for wind and solar, now at 130GW Certainly, major advances have been made with wind (gigawatts), would have to be increased by 1,600GW just and solar over the past few decades. Generous government to replace existing traditional energy sources. subsidies, along with policies favoring wind and solar, have Another 900GW of backup energy in the form of helped ensure their success. Manufacturing costs for wind batteries and pumped storage would also be required. and solar energy have fallen substantially, and utility-scale But the $4.5 trillion price tag does not tell the whole battery storage has begun to address the inherent limita- story. The study does not include estimates for stranded tions of these technologies due to their intermittent nature costs of fossil fuel and decommissioned nuclear plants, (lack of electricity production when the wind doesn’t blow or the jobs lost in industries that build, operate and or the sun doesn’t shine). maintain those plants, or mining industry or transporta- In 2018, U.S. investments in renewables totaled $48.5 tion job losses. Nor does it account for economic losses billion. Wind energy accounted for 6.5% of U.S.-installed to communities dependent on those plants and those power generation, solar just 1.5% (U.S. Energy Informa- jobs. If these costs were included, the price tag would, tion Administration). of course, swell. Getting from 8% combined wind and solar to 100% would require investment on a colossal scale. And the Substantial technical obstacles remain build-out itself would face daunting challenges. ALTHOUGH RENEWABLES HAVE made consider- Renewables’ $4.5 trillion price tag able progress in the United States, they face challenging technical roadblocks. A 2019 STUDY by the consulting and research firm The intermittent nature of wind and solar means that Wood Mackenzie estimates that reaching 100% renew- their output fluctuates according to how much the wind ables in the United States by 2030 or 2040 would cost blows and the sun shines. They may produce at 40% of 2 © THE REPORTER FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2019 their rated capacity, some other rate, or not at all. Backup logical destruction of areas in China that are mined for systems must be in place to account for these fluctuations, their rare earth metals, many of which go into wind and which typically means standby gas plants that are fired up solar energy components. Mining these metals has left as needed or utility-scale battery systems. behind toxic substances poisoning both land and water. But lithium-ion batteries, the predominant technology Many areas of the world have little or no systems designed in use today, are not only expensive but they can only store to reclaim the toxic materials used in wind turbines and electricity for the short term, generally two to four hours. solar panels once they are damaged or are decommissioned Without backup from traditional sources, such as natural at the end of their life cycle (typically 20-25 years for wind © gas, long-term battery storage will be needed; and that turbines, 25-30 for solar panels). BOILERMAKERS.ORG technology is yet to emerge. Another serious issue is the leakage of sulfur hexafluo- Another major challenge is how to connect far- ride, or SF6, an insulating gas used widely in the electri- flung wind and solar generation facilities to the grid so cal industry. According to a BBC article, SF6 is the most that the electricity they produce reaches the appropri- potent greenhouse gas in existence—23,500 times more ate markets. This will entail major investments in new warming than carbon dioxide (CO2). And the gas can transmission lines. persist in the atmosphere for more than 1,000 years. According to the Wood Mackenzie study, the 200,000 There is concern, says the BBC, that by 2030 the miles of existing transmission lines would have to be construction of new wind farms across Europe will increase doubled in order for the United States to achieve the installed base of SF6 by 75%, furthering emissions of 100% renewable energy. this powerful greenhouse gas. Public acceptance is not guaranteed Getting to 100% decarbonization WHILE SUPPORT FOR clean energy is strong, not THE LIMITATIONS AND challenges of renewables are everyone wants a wind farm or utility-scale solar installa- by no means a reason not to embrace them. Mankind’s tion or transmission line in their neighborhood, let alone ability to check global warming demands strong action their own back yard. Concerns about wind turbine noise and innovation. and spoiled vistas have been widely debated. Massively But the mindset that only renewables can decarbonize expanding wind and solar will create conflicts where the electricity generation sector and significantly impact planned installations clash with community, farming, climate change mitigation—and that we should rush public use and other land use requirements. headlong into a race to shut down fossil fuels and nuclear Public outcry against the damage caused by wind energy—is shortsighted and outright wrong. and solar to wildlife—especially the deaths of birds and Every source of energy has its challenges and limita- bats—will likely intensify as their mortality numbers tions, even hydro and geothermal. But we should not turn increase dramatically. our back on any energy source simply because solving Managing fluctuating, intermittent energy sources its associated challenges is difficult. We will need every across the United States increases grid complexity energy source decarbonized to the extent that it is feasible and raises difficulties of ensuring reliability and affordabil- to ensure that clean, reliable and affordable electricity is ity of electric service to customers. available to all of humanity. Getting to 100% decarbonization is a worthy aspiration, Environmental impacts must be addressed and perhaps wind and solar can lead us there. But reach- BIRD KILLS, TURBINE