TMCnet News
Free of state [Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho :: ](Moscow-Pullman Daily News (ID) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 19--As Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories will soon celebrate its 30th anniversary, including 10 years of serving customers in the Middle East, Edmund O. Schweitzer III spoke to business owners about SEL and free enterprise at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday. The SEL founder was among 96 other chamber members, including Moscow Mayor Bill Lambert and 5th District State Rep. Cindy Agidius to attend the luncheon. "The moral justification of profit is taking risk," said Schweitzer, who added SEL took a risk 30 years ago with the creation of the SEL-21, the first microprocessor relay. "Who would want to buy from a professor in a basement?" he said, laughing. But many companies and power companies did. Almost 30 years later, SEL still sells protective relays, as well as U.S.-made computers, called the SEL-3355, which have no moving parts and a fanless, ventless cooling technology. Locally, Avista depends on SEL protective relays to protect transmission lines, while locating faults and reporting events. Avista is able to keep power prices at 7 cents for 1 kw/hour, while the national average, Schweitzer said, is 12 cents. Some places, like San Diego, reach as high as 35 cents, he said. With higher national rates, Schweitzer said power companies are actively searching for solutions, such as energy storage, but for now, storage is too expensive. Luckily in the Northwest, energy can be stored behind the dam, while wind power is used. When there's a lack of wind, suppliers can use hydroelectricity. Wind costs 12 cents for 1kw/hour, while hydro costs 3 cents. But government mandates force Avista to purchase wind energy whenever possible, Schweitzer said. Plus, hydroelectricity is not considered renewable energy, "because some politician said so," he said. Outside of the Northwest, SEL has product in 144 countries in the world, such as the Republic of Georgia and Costa Rica, though Schweitzer doubts SEL will manufacture in any other countries soon. "A lot of blue boxes come from Pullman," said Schweitzer regarding Costa Rican systems. SEL employs 883 people in Pullman, 481 in Moscow, 195 in Lewiston and 109 in Clarkston. With that, Schweitzer said businesses have to realize the importance of their employees and of free enterprise. "If we are broke, who are we to take care of our poor or the environment?" Schweitzer said of the $17.5 trillion U.S. debt as of Wednesday. So, he called the U.S. and Moscow Chambers to action. He said the chambers need to simplify taxes and regulations, support free, flat, open markets, guard political and economic freedom, speak up when under attack, reduce debt before interest rates rise, invent the future through free enterprise, and embrace strong values and hard work. More information on SEL can be found at www.selinc.com. Lindsey Treffry can be reached at (208) 883-4640 or by email to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTreffry. ___ (c)2014 the Moscow-Pullman Daily News (Moscow, Idaho) Visit the Moscow-Pullman Daily News (Moscow, Idaho) at www.dnews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |