Last year, we were reminded that oil production, especially in deep water, involves serious nvironmental risks. Now the disaster in Japan has presented a frightening reminder of the risks of nuclear energy.

People have been decrying the use of coal as an energy source for some time. Many question the validity of the ethanol industry. Biofuel plants are up for auction.

Maybe the most positive way to view our energy situation is that it should be a great place for young engineers to start their careers for decades to come.

It’s intriguing to imagine what the United States might have for an energy grid right now if we had poured billions of dollars into research instead of billions into the weapons needed to keep oil flowing around the world.

It will take a while to disengage from those international policing duties, if we ever do, but it’s clear that homegrown energy solutions should be a major goal. Striving to conserve energy is a good thing, but not a solution. We’re going to keep using more and more, and so will the rest of the world.

Iowa should feel good about what it has done in the energy field. We’re benefiting from a remarkable amount of electricity production from wind turbines. A leading-edge project is under way to store energy underground as compressed air. Iowa State University researchers continue to investigate promising new sources of energy. In Marion, the city wants to build a plasma arc plant that would produce electricity by zapping all kinds of garbage.

These are the paths we must continue to follow. We might never be energy independent, but that’s not essential. What’s crucial is that we make energy as available and secure as possible for Iowans, contribute to the nation’s energy future – and it would be great to make some nice profits along the way.

On Monday, as the world watched Japan’s struggle with its damaged nuclear reactors, solar industry stock prices went up.