Reading The Price of Power When I moved to a small town in western Colorado ten years ago, coal kept me warm at night. I bought a ton of coal each fall for cheap, partly because [lived near its source. Less than ten miles away, workers at three mines send coal into trucks, which transport it through the valley and beyond. | stopped using coal long ago in favor of solar panels, but the valley's miners still work underground. The geology of this region is its future. Those who want leaner fuels are looking to natural {as from the Rocky Mountains. From Montana to New Mexico, posh alate — thousands of wellhead new roads, 3s wollhead in the Rocky Mountains ) pipelines, and fences have been built because of the high demand for natural gas. This construction disturbs animals and destroys the land, while ranchers and hunters alike are outraged. The search for fossil fuels causes destruction and suffering in these areas. But the industry continues, partly because people all over the world need energy, and partly because the money it brings in helps local communities. To many small towns, the gas industry has benefits In the tiny town of Pinedale, ‘Wyoming, public-school students enjoy a $20-million recreation center andi classrooms with high-tech tools. Its paid for by taxes from gas companies. Jobs in mines or around gas wells can be dangerous but pay well. Sometimes these jobs are the best option around for people without a college education, And workers in the energy industry all over the world are proud of their jobs; they're doing a dangerous job wel, they're carrying on a family or community tradition, and they're serving fellow citizens, When change comes, itis often seen as a threat, not a help. But change is coming, and some of it offers a better deal. Under a new Colorado law, the states major energy companies must buy 20 % of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. Wind turbines and solar panels are appearing ‘on Colorado farms. In my town, on the edge of the gas field, the old middle school sill hosts safety training for coal miners. But ess than a mile away, at the nonprofit Solar Energy International, experts on renewable energy are showing building contractors, electricians, and retired oil and gas workers how to make money from this new energy technology. Geology remains the future here, but not for long, * wellhead the stuctue on top of anal well 16 Unit 3