#plugintodevin Show - Devin Thorpe for Congress Guest: Nate Blouin Issue: Expanding regional markets for continued growth of renewable energy. Utah is still largely dependent on coal for electricity. Coal is becoming uneconomic and has always been a large source of pollution. As an outdoor athlete, burning fossil fuels is dangerous to my health through reduced air quality and endangers everyone along the Wasatch Front and throughout the Uinta Basin. Mineral leases risk destroying the lands we recreate on and that are sacred to indigenous tribes. Expanding regional energy markets will help renewable energy proliferate and will coordinate entities including utilities and other energy producers, ensuring a reliable an efficient grid. Regional markets exist in most of the United States, but the west's wide open spaces developed differently than other areas. Coordination will ensure prudent land use and will allow for a smaller footprint of energy infrastructure, protecting viewsheds, public lands and our environment. Bio: Nate Blouin is the Interwest Energy Alliance’s Policy Manager. Nate joined Interwest in February 2020 and comes from a background in political campaigns, working for candidates in Utah at the city, state and federal levels. He most recently worked for Erin Mendenhall, Salt Lake City’s newly-elected mayor, shaping policy in areas including air quality, transportation, and homelessness. Nate graduated from Brown University with an MPA in 2019 and is also a proud alum of the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College. His passion for civic engagement and renewable energy stem from his love of the outdoors: Nate is a competitive runner and avid backcountry skier. Additionally, Nate serves as a member of Salt Lake County’s Open Space Trust Committee and Salt Lake Community College’s Alumni Leadership Council. Twitter: @natefromutah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nablouin Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-blouin-b195a713/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nb.runsteep/ #plugintodevin #UtahValues #BoldSolutions #UTpol
Nate Blouin Discusses Regional Energy Markets & Regional Energy - #plugintodevin