CHARLOTTE NC - June 2, 2017: CREDIT: Mike Catanzaro, panel installer at Accelerate Solar, finishes [+] installed electrical wiring at a solar array he recently installed at a job site in East Charlotte. Competition alone, however, will not achieve the rapid electricity sector decarbonization needed to avoid climate changes worst impacts. 709 W. 9th Street If biomass from forest residues and forest product industry wastes do not prove sufficient to meet RES goals, new resources such as dedicated bioenergy crops or other biomass resources, such as municipal solid waste, may need to be used. The Alaska-based, USDA intra-agency team is co-led by Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Forest Service. Southeast Renewable Energy Summit. Sign up to receive clean energy updates in your inbox. Mike Ewall, Primer on Landfill Gas as "Green" Energy, Energy Justice Network, July 29, 1999, http://www.energyjustice.net/lfg/. The costs of delivered biomass fell into an estimated range of $1.66 to $2.01 per thousand BTUs, which was seen as competitive with coal energy costs for power generation. The terms RPS and RES (renewable electricity standard) are often used interchangeably, as no material difference exists in program goals. The OneUSDA team recommends distributing the initial $25 million investment into four broad categories: Tribal and Indigenous Interests - $12.5 million (50%) Natural Resources - $6.25 million (25%) Infrastructure - $3.125 million (12.5%) The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed on a 23% target for sustainable, modern renewables by 2025. http://www.dsireusa.org/glossary/glossary.cfm?CurrentPageID=8&EE=1&RE=1#con. Billions of dollars in savings for customers. Virginia has a 12% RPS requirement by 2022. Today, coal is the most widely used fuel for electric power generation in the United States. Overall outcomes anticipated include stronger relationships with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, and municipal governments; inclusive, diverse engagements that represent the people, communities, and cultures of Southeast Alaska; an understanding of administrative barriers that continue to impact funding distribution and may include changes to policies, laws, and regulations; and be able to use input gained from engagements to determine short- and long-term investments for the region. USAID Clean Power Asia collaborated with diverse stakeholders, partners, and regional organizations to share lessons learned and best practices across Southeast Asia to accelerate the regional transition to a high performing, low carbon power sector. To understand geography . The latter study used geographic information system (GIS) techniques to examine the theoretical effects of transportation infrastructure, distance, and biomass types on potential bioenergy projects in the 27 counties. The team used a two-pronged approach to gather public input. Nepal has achieved 78 per cent of energy access, while Bangladesh achieved 95 per cent of energy access. The pulp and paper industry has another wood waste fuel source in "black liquor," a by-product of the pulping process. Introduced by Senators Udall and Udall on February 12, 2009. Despite ambitious long-term climate announcements, Southeast utilities are still heavily reliant on expensive-to-run coal plants and are doubling down on risky new gas infrastructure investments, instead of clean technologies of the future. Lignin is the "glue-like" substance which holds woody plant fibers together. Reprinted from Greenwire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. In fact, estimates are that livestock production may be responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions (as measured in carbon dioxide equivalents) including 37% of all anthropogenic methane, and up to 64% of ammonia in the environment which also contributes to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems. endstream endobj 212 0 obj <>stream Comparing a competitive regional Southeast market through 2040 to a business-as-usual scenario based on existing monopoly utility Integrated Resource Plans reveals remarkable findings. Alaska Project Supports President Bidens Energy Goals, Baytex/Ranger Oil Combination First Of Its Kind In Almost A Year, International Energy Week Is A Lesson In Cognitive Dissonance. A USDA intra-agency team consulted with Tribal Nations and Alaska Native corporations, and engaged with municipal governments, local partners and communities, and the public to support an integrated approach to economic development planning and implementation. Energy demand in Southeast Asia has increased on average by around 3% a year over the past two decades, and this trend continues to 2030 under today's policy settings in the STEPS. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Methane released from manure management systems can be captured and used as clean energy to produce electricity. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Biomass Power Association (BPA). Justine Hunter, Forestry decline threatens B.C. Personal communications with Southern Company. New financing instruments and tools have been employed to generate wider market participation. Pulp & Paper Workers Resource Council. Spruce Roots mission is to drive a regenerative economy across Southeast Alaska so communities can forge futures grounded in this uniquely Indigenous place, said Alana Peterson, Executive Director for Spruce Root. %PDF-1.6 % VCEs WIS:dom model also incorporates electricity distribution infrastructure savings from deploying distributed storage and solar resources. Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. Energy Innovation included 37 coal plants from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee for a total of just over 53 GW of coal capacity. An official website of the United States government. See http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview/2009/03-2009-elec-ovr-archive.pdf#xml=http://search.atomz.com/search/pdfhelper.tk?sp_o=4,100000,0. Press release, National Journal, February 12, 2009 at http://www.afandpa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Releases1&template=/PressRelease/PressReleaseDisplay.cfm&PressReleaseID=936&PressReleaseCategoryID=10&ShowArchives=0. Energy demand also grew an average of 6% per year, one of the fastest growth rates in the world. Let's dive in to see what this Coal Cost Crossover analysis can tell us about coal plants in the Southeast. Wind turbines have been called ugly and noisy, and the cooling needs of solar thermal facilities in desert locations may require the use of scarce water resources. Under the regional agreements, the entities are collaborating with USDA to promote economic diversification and workforce development projects for themselves and other smaller organizations in Southeast Alaska. Aggressive customer cost savings, significant employment gains, and cleaner air for the first time, research demonstrates how much a competitive regional electricity market would benefit the Southeast U.S. To deliver these benefits for the people they serve, policymakers and regulators should immediately ramp up efforts to bring competition to a region that has for too long been beholden to monopolies at the exclusion of low-cost clean energy. To this effect, IRENA and the ASEAN Centre for Energy find that $290 billion of . Nowhere is the debate on biomass resources more pronounced than in the southeastern United States where biomass has been described as the region's best hope to meet RES requirements.44. Each idea or proposal was read by multiple reviewers. The development of renewable energy projects in the region is an expensive bill for most Southeast Asian countries to foot. In addition to the Economic Investment component, the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy also involves ending large-scale, old-growth timber harvest and focusing resources to support forest restoration, recreation, climate resilience, and sustainable young-growth management. \+e|We8yx8!x=LO\50f%*H(\(I$ xB8 dg@JH5@fzI:zX&?}`s:9w&Z[FmP}NrLbaYX1s(]l]dhol LtE{ 6&$vu_ZcU5a*rvPmM5clTRI~Q1 corporations in a process that reflects the immediate and long-term needs and opportunities in the region. In past years, much of this material was either plowed under to reconstitute the soil, left for livestock forage, or was gathered to make straw. "Our research suggests we certainly have sufficient resources." ) or https:// means you've safely Transitioning away from dirty fossil fuels is not just a question of fair competition for clean energy power providers, it's a matter of justice for communities disproportionately burdened by pollution. In addition to looking at replacing generation with wind or solar, Energy Innovation looked at pairing local solar resources with battery storage to replace some or all of the capacity of each coal plant without costing more than the continued operation of the plant. Located in a tropical climate and within the Ring of Fire, this region has great potential for a transition toward renewable energy utilization. First, with heavy reliance on fossil resources, Southeast Asian governments are promoting renewable energy as the region is endowed with a rich variety of natural resources [15][16][17]. Forest Biomass and its Role in a National Renewable Electricity Standard. Today, most wood used as fuel for thermal processes or power generation actually is waste from the harvesting and processing of trees by the forest products industry (i.e., tree bark, branches and stumps, wood chips, sawdust, and lignin). Infrastructure total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.5 million for five projects announced today. Rn?Q&i( =ET/v,yb9j1xZiKM_at$qJ{Dgny? The provisions of such a lawincluding definition of eligible biomass resources, price incentives for renewable electricity, and tax treatmentwould all affect the economic viability of possible projects and could affect demand for biomass resources. Ending large-scale old-growth timber sales on the. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Increased battery storage and system flexibility also reduces the need for seldom-used gas peaking resources, which are mostly eliminated in the RTO by 2040. Crops grown specifically for energy production are sometimes called "bioenergy crops" or "biomass crops." RENEWABLE RESOURCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (SEA . It also eliminates all coal generation by 2040. Invest Trillions Today to Keep Climate Change at Bay: IEA, Impacts of Global Biofuel Boom Remain Murky, The Other Peak Oil: Demand from Developed World Falling. Analysts from energy think tank Energy Innovation recently published a report showing that it is now more expensive to continue to run most coal plants than to replace them with renewable energy. Pictured left to right: Earl Stewart - Forest Supervisor Tongass National Forest, Chad VanOrmer - Deputy Regional Forester,Anthony Mallott - Sealaska CEO, Dr. Homer Wilkes -Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment,Richard Chalyee esh Peterson -Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska President, Dave Schmid - Regional Forester,Joe Kaaxxgu Nelson - Sealaska Board Chair, Jaeleen Kookesh - Sealaska Vice President, Policy & Legal Affairs, and Raymond Paddock - Environmental Manager for Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. This included virtual Open Houses, an online feedback tool, an information-filled website, and a dedicated email address for submitting input, letters, and/or existing plans or specific investment proposals. This discussion provides an overview of the Southeast Asian region's renewable energy resources like solar energy, wind power, geothermal, hydropower, biomass, by considering their. It is concerned that competition for biomass resources from new power generation facilities and from transportation fuel uses could drive up prices to the economic detriment of forest product companies. Listening to the importance of the sustainability strategy to local communities, learning about southeast Alaska culture, and meeting Tribal members and partners is an honor for me, said Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Homer Wilkes. March 2022 SASS meeting in Juneau, Alaska. The definition of what constitutes biomass has varied over time with changes in law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and evolution of potential uses. Arguments in favor of an RES usually involve impacts on the environment, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Alaska Regional Office Nationwide, Black Americans are exposed to 1.5 times as much PM 2.5 compared to white Americans. The production tax credit is an incentive to business developers of renewable energy projects producing electricity whereby a developer can apply for a credit against taxes for each kilowatt-hour of renewable energy produced. Although biomass-fueled power plants are not immune to such challenges, they are capable of offering base-load capacity, and a viable clean energy alternative for utilities in the Southeast should climate change considerations officially become part of the rationale for a Renewable Electricity Standard. Danielle Jackson, EPA Report Applauds Waste-to-Energy Plants, Waste Age magazine, June 25, 2002, http://wasteage.com/news/waste_epa_report_applauds/. Southeast Agriculture & Forestry Energy Alliance, Southern Bioenergy Roadmap, 2009, p. 5, http://www.saferalliance.net/projects/bioenergy_roadmap.pdf. But nowadays, possibilities for use include collection of a portion of this material for burning in a biomass boiler, producing steam for electricity, or processing into biofuels (see below) such as cellulosic ethanol, as technologies and new processes are developed. On April 2, ChargdAffairesat the U.S. Embassy Michael Heath gave remarks at theRenewable Energy Symposium and Electric Vehicle Challenge, the capstone of Clean Power Asia, a USAID funded regional program. on official, secure websites. In Alabama, for example, people of color are exposed to roughly twice as much PM 2.5 pollution as white people. Meanwhile, broad public engagement, in the form of a 30-day public outreach period, was held in mid-September through mid-October with several of platforms offered for additional engagement. Notably, in the Southeast where wind resources are often dismissed, local wind was found to be less expensive than 30% of all Southeast coal plants and regional wind was found to be less expensive than 84% of all Southeast coal plants. See http://www.esri.com/library/fliers/pdfs/measuringbiofuel.pdf. Approximately 16 mills have closed in the Southeast between 2004 and 2007. RE-Source Southeast Hub is a regional platform for cooperation between renewable energy producers and energy consumers.. Unless the utility can put its finger on the scale, this analysis indicates the portfolios where these coal plants are phased out should be less expensive than ones where these coal plants continue to operate. USDA Forest Service photo. These investments speak to the opportunities for partnershipthis isnt the first time USDA has invested in southeast Alaska, and it wont be the last, Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small said. Renewable and nonrenewable resources are energy sources that human society uses to function on a daily basis. 26 These definitions have varied over time with changes in the law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and technological change. Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. Presentation on behalf of CleanEnergy.org. Analysts from energy think tank Energy Innovation recently published a report showing that it is now more expensive to continue to run most coal plants than to replace them with renewable energy. This is a BETA experience. website belongs to an official government organization in the