A recent letter to the editor asked if we (Americans? Yoopers?) are “gasoholics?” The writer explained how he recently purchased a Chevy EV pickup and is happily avoiding the volatile fuel prices of a declining petroleum resource, reducing his climate change impact and also the apparently excessive maintenance costs of owning a gas-powered Jeep. The writer enjoys being able to plug his truck in to recharge the battery.

When it is plugged in, whether at home or to a government or business owned recharging station, there is a cost charged for recharging your vehicle. The home electric bill will be impacted. The installation of government and business owned charging stations may have been partially subsidized by tax dollars, and they will charge you for plugging in. Who knows what the future holds, but there may be a time when electricity rates become volatile.

One problem with the “just plugging it in” mindset is that it becomes too easy to disregard the power source, environmental and economic consequences of generating the electricity to power an EV. It takes some source of power to generate electricity. That power may be supplied by burning fossil fuels, burning wood, nuclear fission, hydro power, solar or wind power.

After decades of using coal, the Marquette Board of Light and Power currently uses 3 engines that are fueled by natural gas with diesel fuel back up to generate a majority of its electricity. If I “just plug in” an electric car at my home or in town, I am still responsible for the burning of a fossil fuel to power that car. That fossil fuel comes from someone else’s backyard where it is drilled for, pumped, piped and processed then transported. Thanks mainly to fracking, natural gas is currently abundant and reasonably priced. This may not always be the case.

The BLP also generates a wee bit of electricity by hydro power. If I “just plug in” an electric car at my home or in town, I am still responsible for making use of Dead River Dams which have definite effects on the aquatic environment, good and bad, depending on who you talk to. Weather, hydrology, climate change and engineering can have a huge effect on the cost and reliability of hydro power. The 2003 Silver Lake dam failure at the upper end of the Dead River resulted in a flood surge washing down through the system, wiping out the dam at Tourist Park. Fortunately, this had little impact on the BLP’s ability to meet the electrical demand. When hydro power reservoirs in California dried up several years ago, California was forced to purchase power from other suppliers in other states. Electricity costs fluctuated wildly and became exceedingly high as Californians were ripped off by the price gouging. It should come as no surprise that America-based companies gouge fellow Americans.

A solar power generating farm is currently being planned for the Sands Plains southwest of the “Cross Roads.” Given the amount of snow and cloudy days we receive, weather related inefficiencies may make this power more expensive to generate than a similar project in Arizona. If BLP purchases power from this project, will it be more expensive that natural gas power?

Regardless of the power source, all energy generation facilities require mining minerals, processing, manufacturing, transportation and installation of the finished components. Much of this occurs in someone else’s back yard and each step has its own set of social, environmental and economic consequences. Your vehicle, whether EV or petroleum fueled, also required mining and manufacturing. So, when you “just plug in” your EV, be mindful that you and your vehicle still bear some responsibility for the resulting negative environmental impacts.

Yes, I am currently a “gasoholic,” thank you for asking. I am not proud of it and am open to change in the future.