Instead of spending gobs of money to build a dirty coal fired power plant here in S.C., one possible resolution to high energy costs is something that could lie underground, but it’s not coal or oil, it’s CAES – compressed air energy storage.

From Uncle Sam’s Sandia National Laboratories:

CAES facilities function like big batteries. Electric motors drive compressors that compress air into an underground geologic formation during off-peak electric use times like evenings and weekends. Then, when electricity is needed most during high-demand times, the pre-compressed air is used in modified combustion turbines to generate electricity. Natural gas or other fossil fuels are still required to run the turbines, but the process is more efficient. This method uses up to 50 percent less natural gas than standard electricity production.

Many people think of Aiken and horses as belonging in the same sentence. After all, Northeasteners return home bragging about Aiken being “no stress, just horses”.

But I’m here to tell you there’s another passion alive and kicking in Aiken, SC: activism!

I already knew about my Aunt’s mission to insure Aiken’s satellite voting stations opened for Election 2008, about Aiken’s strong activist movement against the dirty coal industry the other night, and just now, I received an email alert from the Coastal Conservation League about the new term on the block: “nuclear reprocessing”.

As you might expect, nuclear reprocessing facilities have an alarming track record of leaks, contamination, and health risks to the surrounding population.

With relatives flying in from out West to my Aunt’s in Aiken (west of Columbia, SC), this is my weekend driving schedule:

1. Greenville -> Aiken (initial visit Thursday)
2. Aiken -> Columbia (airport arrivals)
3. Columbia -> Aiken
4. Aiken -> Greenville (have Mom consolidate her stuff in our garage)
5. Greenville -> Aiken (drive Mom & Nat to Aiken Saturday am)
6. Aiken -> Columbia (airport departures)
7. Columbia -> Greenville (back home Sunday evening)

Nat suggested I use Hwy 25 vs. the roller coaster ride of I-26, and I’m sure glad I did. I saw open pastures and the multi-colored leaves of Fall for most of the trip, a nice break from the boring evergreen trees lining I-26 to Columbia.