Heavy Steel Needs Friends in High Places



Today President Trump stumbled on an idea of which I approve.  He wants to do something (not just talk about doing something) to revive our waning steel industry.  And he used the right words to prompt this action, “national security.”  My concern for our lack of a robust heavy manufacturing began several years ago when I toured the Chief Joseph Dam. 
            In 2012 we visited Grand Coulee Dam and explored the Dry Falls area south of Coulee City.  How can you pass up the Ice Age saga of Lake Missoula’s ice dam breaking and a lake the size of a Great Lake draining in 48 hours, scouring out the great coulee and carving out a path for the beautiful Columbia River?  But, the surprise came a few days later when we took a wrong turn and headed toward Chief Joseph Dam 51 miles down river from Grand Coulee. 
            Chief Joseph Dam, named for the great Nez Perce leader, is the 2nd largest electricity producer in the United States.  It is a beautiful dam with the power plant sitting at right angles to the dam itself.  There are 27 penstocks sending water, powered by gravity only, to an equal number of turbines, each generating electricity and helping to keep the lights on in Seattle.  Tom and I are both former science teachers, so this stuff is more fun than a day at Disneyland. 
If you want the best dam tour in the whole country (sorry, I couldn’t resist that), go to Chief Joseph.  The security was tight, but in return we got to see the dam from the base to the walkway in front of the flood gates, and up to the top.  We toured the power house, but, instead of standing in a gallery, we walked down to the turbines, viewing each level.  The only thing we couldn’t do was walk all the way down the line because Chief Joseph was busy installing a new turbine. 
Guess where they were getting this massive piece of stainless steel?  Yup.  China.
I had to ask why.  The reason was chilling.  There is no steel maker in the United States that can currently build a turbine of this size.  What!?!  If we want to produce electricity in this country we must count on the Chinese?  Well, that is at least one thing we have in common with North Korea!   
            This country saved Europe from the Nazis because we could out-build the rest of the world when it came to heavy steel products: ships, tanks, airplanes, cars.  Our electricity produced along the Columbia River powered the production of aluminum for countless airplanes.  Now we are getting our turbines from China?  What happened here? 
            Even the style of turbine, the Francis Turbine, was invented by James B. Francis of Lowell, Massachusetts.  This great little invention, essentially a water wheel spinning a magnet inside a coil of copper, starts exciting those little electrons to 60 cycles (Hertz) per second.  We didn’t invent heavy industry, but we did perfect it.  So, why are we buying our new turbines from China?   It boggles the imagination.  Or does it?
            This is a matter of whether you want foreign trade that works to the advantage of both parties or trade that homogenizes the world economy.  I do not want to trade goods for security. 
            Big steel needs to be a given in American economics—not to the exclusion of foreign trade—but as a bulwark against exploitation.
            Put some steel in your spine.  Keep the faith. 

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