Daniel Cusick, "Southern utilities led effort to squash Senate RPS proposal," Earth News, June 26, 2007. Renewable energy development is growing rapidly due to vast population growth and the limited availability of fossil fuels in Southeast Asia. The analysis does not account for ripple effects of reduced electricity rates on consumer and business spending or the increased attractiveness of Southeastern states to the growing number of companies with 100% clean energy goals. Engaging in meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations. 709 W. 9th Street If you wish to support the Southeast Asia inquiry or know more about it, get in touch with Cynthia Morel at C.Morel@forumforthefuture.org. 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. Recent technological developments are improving yields from cellulosic production and bringing down production costs61 which, when coupled with incentives for ethanol production, may further increase demand and possibly prices for biomass. 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. Planning for biomass resources that fails to consider competing uses, may have unintended economic, ecological and environmental consequences. Feb 27, 2023 - Mar 1, 2023. For additional information, see the discussion of the investment tax credit and the production tax credit in the federal incentives section of the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy website at http://www.dsireusa.org/. Does this mean we can just turn off all of these coal plants tomorrow? 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. By 2012, at least 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel must be blended into motor-vehicle fuel sold in America. Tomorrow's opportunities for using biomass to generate electricity in the Southeast include a diverse assortment of options, particularly energy crops and wood resources. The Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy is USDAs approach to support economic, cultural, and natural resources sustainability in the region. This increased renewable generation plays a significant role in advancing sustainability goals and reducing carbon outputs. Knowledge awaits. In contrast, the current utility-led planning regime is an inefficient patchwork system. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/jul/23/germany.greenbusiness. % 2;|Q2C2hH;_2 Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) released the Southeastern Region Report, the final portion of ACORE's 6th annual Renewable Energy in the 50 States report. The Montreal-based international . Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. Diversity in biomass supplies will also be key if the resource is to meet competing demands. Southeast State Resources. Approximately 53% of all renewable energy comes from biomass sources, represented by biofuels, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, wood and wood-derived fuels, and other biomass feedstocks. 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. USDA is focused on maximizing its collective resources to provide the highest level of support and service to Southeast Alaska. Together were making a lasting impact across the Southeast. See page 4 of presentation at http://files.eesi.org/cleaves_030409.pdf. Our USAID [United States Agency for International Development] Clean Power Asia program made huge investments in clean power and is projected to help the region avoid 30 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next 15 years, he continued. 890, S. 433). (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images). Electricity not used on-site to power equipment may be made available for sale on the grid. But this result is indicative of what should be on the table for each utilitys next resource plan. May 2008. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/renew_energy_consump/table1.html. 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. Waste-to-energy facilities in operation today are typically able to meet clean air standards and requirements.38. See http://www.house.gov/jct/x-39-08.pdf. November 30 - December 2, 2022. . DUK After the municipal solid waste is sorted and separated, much of the remaining material is biogenic and can be prepared for burning in a steam boiler. Denver , CO , United States. AF&PA contends that additional income from trading in RECs by biopower companies could lead to increased demand and higher prices for biomass, thus forcing forest products companies nationwide to pay more for its raw materials. Energies. Official websites use .gov A .gov Southern Company is considering converting three additional small coal plants to biomass, similar to Plant Mitchell. Another option may be to upgrade power production at some existing forest products industry mills solely for the purpose of power sales. The last in a four-part series, this portion focuses on the renewable energy sector in the 14 Southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South . endstream endobj 211 0 obj <>stream Conversely, this situation could potentially benefit landowners in the region who have seen prices for wood fall with the economic decline of the forest products industry. But the World Resources Institute paper argues the target is more than achievable, finding that renewable energy could supply as much as 30 percent of the region's power needs within 15 years. Incremental progress may be on the horizon. The Southeast Asian renewable energy market is changing rapidly. See http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090226/testimony_gruenspecht.pdf. Traditionally regulated electricity markets dominate most of the Southeast, Northwest and much of the West (excluding California). hWn0P !u{QE< lJeS=gl^ xngr*X"k"2:BFeJ9*ePUQ_g8[TMvvzb|yYdSlX6-Q7 4!IG97k%9 &Xh%~0N$Y{'(/>0F{9bAmi #Q3zC`#] Q;`d\1GHF'uN"VRd"eqG -Gb7m,Xd/>a)~yf}xw>y `6{R1gL+S!A!{c[=yH . The electricity industry in the region is still largely subject to traditional rate regulation, and power generation projects historically have been approved by state regulatory commissions which have endeavored to maintain a favorable, low cost business climate. In 2015, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam . This analysis compares a simple metric, the cost per megawatt-hour (MWh) of generation, from existing coal plants and new wind and solar plants. The results are clear: continued reliance on coal is. This important step towards more battery deployments will increase the penetration of renewable energy, reduce pollution from fossil fuels, and help develop an electric vehicle infrastructure, supporting Thailands transition towards a carbon-neutral country. Energy Innovation has released updated analysis comparing the cost of continuing to operate coal plants to replacing them with solar, wind, or batteries. The definition of what constitutes biomass has varied over time with changes in law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and evolution of potential uses. Approximately 53% of all renewable energy comes from biomass sources, represented by biofuels, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, wood and wood-derived fuels, and other biomass feedstocks. Gasification technology holds promise for increased efficiency and usefulness of biomass combustion and waste-to-energy technologies. Plans for increased use of waste wood from forests may require new forms of cooperation and coordination between forest products companies and biomass power generators to ensure access to the resource. Biomass has been characterized by advocates for an RES in the Southeast (i.e., Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) as the region's main renewable resource which could be used to meet a standard. 65. Thanks for reading Scientific American. In a brief published by Indonesian non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Habibie Centre, financial access was deemed the most important factor for developing renewable energy projects due to their capital-intensive nature. Natural Resources total commitment of $6.25 million, which includes about $3 million for nine projects announced today. 32+T9LPs))bRBbZ3H9%D1"za;V+*vJ) |FU8pr!DMf'!IHR DOE/EIA has stated that biomass has the potential to be a large part of the national solution toward meeting a prospective RES.68 This is especially true for the southeastern region, at least in the initial years of compliance.69 The definition for biomass could be chosen to expand the resource beyond the supply of woody materials to include livestock wastes, municipal solid wastes, and/or other non-traditional resources. installed electrical wiring at a solar array he recently installed at a job site in East Charlotte. RE-Source Southeast Hub is a regional platform for cooperation between renewable energy producers and energy consumers.. 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. Renewable energy sources, such as biomass, geothermal resources, sunlight, water, and wind, are natural resources that can be converted into these types of clean, usable energy: Bioenergy Geothermal Energy Hydrogen Hydropower Marine Energy Solar Energy Wind Energy Benefits of Renewable Energy Waxman had offered a lower renewable target of 17.5 percent, according to Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), a member of the committee. When burned, fossil fuels emit pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which are subject to environmental controls to limit their release to the air. 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. This cooperative agreement is truly an innovative approach taken by the USDA, said Richard Chalyee esh Peterson, President of Tlingit & Haida. Methane is the primary component of natural gas which is used in cooking, heating, chemicals production, and electric power generation. The Southeast already has a strong base of companies that can make and assemble the key components of wind turbines and other renewable energy equipment. The OneUSDA team recommends distributing the initial $25 million investment into four broad categories: In alignment with SASS, the Forest Service is refocusing resources on the Tongass National Forest to implement an integrated forest management program that includes watershed and wildlife habitat restoration, sustainable young-growth harvest, and old-growth harvest for small timber sales and cultural uses. (907) 586-8806, https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=FSEPRD950023, What is the OneUSDA Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy, On July 15, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Further, biomass combustion typically does not produce nitrogen oxides.32, The intensive raising of livestock for food often results in significant amounts of manure and other wastes from the animals.33 Some livestock wastes may be bound up with sawdust or wood shavings used in animal stalls and thus (when prepared) can be used as fuel in a biomass power boiler. All rights reserved. A decision in the Georgia Power rate case last week failed to provide age-appropriate policy and will ensure Georgia remains a bottom-10 state for rooftop solar. http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0505/enews_0505_Cellulosic_Ethanol.htm. Creating a Southeast Renewable Energy Manufacturing Powerhouse With a national renewable standard, the Southeast will become a manufacturing leader in the U.S. renewable energy industry. A OneUSDA team comprised of theForest Service, Rural Development, and Natural Resources Conservation Service engaged Southeast Alaska partners, communities, Tribal Nations and Alaska Nativecorporations in a process that reflects the immediate and long-term needs and opportunities in the region. renewable energy, also called alternative energy, usable energy derived from replenishable sources such as the Sun ( solar energy ), wind ( wind power ), rivers ( hydroelectric power ), hot springs ( geothermal energy ), tides ( tidal power ), and biomass ( biofuels ). The commitment identifies short investments that reflect diverse investment opportunities and needs in the Southeast Region. Inorganic wastes are reduced to low volume, inert solids.41 The technology is being used commercially in several installations around the world, with the first U.S. facility scheduled to be operational in 2011.42, A potential national renewable electricity standard would rely on biomass as one of the nation's most widely available resources that could be used to meet requirements.43 With many states already moving forward on advancing renewable energy goals, the acceptability of an RES may come down to regional views on the availability and suitability of renewable energy resources for meeting RES requirements. 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. A region with some of Americas highest poverty rates, which may suffer more economic loss from COVID-19 than any other area of the country cannot afford to miss out on the economic stimulus that comes from simply introducing competition. In addition, methane34 can be captured from the livestock wastes and burned to produce steam for electricity. Approximately 53% of all renewable energy comes from biomass sources, represented by biofuels, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, wood and wood-derived fuels, and other biomass feedstocks. The need for agricultural chemicals is often lower for perennial biocrops which can mean less pollution from runoff into rivers and streams. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. All renewable energy sources combined account for about 10% of the U.S. total energy production. See http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/landfillgas/landfillgas.html. A principal argument made by supporters of an RES is that it would provide benefits to the environmental goals. 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. 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. US Department of Energy, Biomass Cofiring in Coal-Fired Boilers, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/fta_biomass_cofiring.pdf. Renewable and nonrenewable resources are energy sources that human society uses to function on a daily basis. Aided by a well-established, supportive portfolio of policies in nearly every Northeastern state, the region ranks second in the nation for both solar power . Plasma-arc gasification is an incineration technology which uses an oxygen-starved environment to reduce the organic components in municipal solid waste (or other biomass) into its constituent elements. Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. Energy demand also grew an average of 6% per year, one of the fastest growth rates in the world. The use of cellulosic fiber from trees to make paper is a primary use of wood, rivaling other forest product uses such as lumber for buildings and furniture products. 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. A competitive RTO would add 149 total gigawatts of clean energy resources in the Southeast including 62 GW of solar, 41 GW of wind, and 46 GW of battery storage. Worked with the Government of Laos to support the countrys first-ever solar auction, from auction design to submission of the final auction announcement package. E-mail from Southern Company, March 30, 2009. Goals for biofuels production to meet a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) may also mean that increased amounts of biomass would be dedicated to that use. Gasification. Southern Company, a major electric utility in the Southeast, asserts it could not meet a 15% requirement by 2015, adding that it may be able to raise only 800 megawatts (MW) of an estimated 6,000 MW of new renewable energy capacity required for compliance.47 Southern Company doubts that currently discussed RES requirements of 20% or 25% (by the year 2025) can be achieved using biomass or other renewable energy sources, and the region may have to purchase renewable electricity credits48 (RECs) from other states.49 In the meantime, Southern Company's subsidiary, Georgia Power, has gained approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission to convert Plant Mitchell, a small coal-fired facility near Albany, Georgia, to woody biomass50 with work beginning in 2011 (and ending in 2012) resulting in 96 megawatts of renewable electricity. Southeast Asia countries significantly rely on fossil resources. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE). But customers across the Southeast are still beholden to vertically-integrated utilities that own every aspect of electricity generation, transmission, and delivery. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) states: Biomass represents about two-thirds of the Southeast's near-term potential for expanding renewable energy. Cogeneration is the production of electrical energy and another form of useful energy (such as heat or steam) through the sequential use of energy. The terms RES and RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) are often used interchangeably as no material difference exists in program goals. Nearly all Southeast coal plants cost more to run than replacing them with new wind and solar, so continuing to run these uneconomic resources forces customers to foot the bill and inhale dirty air. 4`SZLp4M6@iGvr&8Mj e{y/aMj:7&N~}Oqz3IsJP mDVa 2by@~pM~2G^ BghouDkm0B]m7>/S=x?? ]>x#-Gx[;O^UK[uNQjh%j$[H?OWl;n OoGn;4z^.nnL,Wis8iq ^_n70>{ 6c_,77nN 0 H`1 Within Asia, especially India and China lead the world renewable energy generation undergoing a period of energy transition and economic transformation. Relatively low electricity prices have thus resulted in the region.22 New, renewable energy technologies have not been adopted to the extent seen in other regions of the United States thus far, largely because of cost and operational variability.23 When considered from a regional perspective, the southeastern United States does not have the high quality wind and solar resources which exist in other regions of the country.24 Although offshore wind in the region may have promise for southeastern coastal states, there are no commercially operating offshore wind farms anywhere in the United States. Much of the impetus for the contribution of biomass sources and technologies to the national energy picture originated in a federal law5 originally viewed as a natural gas conservation measure, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). February 23, 2009. 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 generally means that there could be only one large "industrial" user of biomass (whether forest product manufacturer or biomass power production) in a given geo-economic zone, and growth of renewable electricity from biomass to meet RES requirements will be bound by such zones. However, the region's major user of woody biomass and producer of wood wastes is the forest products industry. But despite the global decline in renewable energy prices, Southeast Asian countries have largely embraced fossil . The American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 "discussion draft" introduced by Representatives Waxman and Markey draws upon H.R. endstream endobj 212 0 obj <>stream However, renewable energy from biomass is the exception. What are Energy Crops? Pulp & Paperworkers Resource Council, Mill Closures Chart, 2007, http://www.pprc.info/html/millclosures.htm. USDA will leverage its resources to support these efforts including programs to strengthen small businesses, broadband, renewable energy production, local foods and agriculture production, water and sewer infrastructure, healthcare, housing, outdoor tourism, silviculture support and others as appropriate. . 26 USC 45. This open-ended engagement ensures that investments were paired with a forward-looking approach to plan for longer-term action that are home-grown and responsive to local priorities, complement ongoing partnerships, and are inclusive of the values and peoples in the region. Competitive wholesale electricity markets, or Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs), are public-benefit corporations serving 70% of U.S. electricity customers that arose from electricity restructuring during the late 1990s-early 2000s to cut costs and encourage innovation. The team used a two-pronged approach to gather public input. The definition of what constitutes biomass has varied over time with changes in law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and evolution of potential uses. Grants, guaranteed loans and tax incentives from the federal government may be viewed by such parties as the best ways for the federal government to encourage renewable energy growth. The effects of these new federal requirements added to existing uses on the price of woody biomass is uncertain, but increased demand without a commensurate increase in supply (or development of alternative supplies) usually leads to higher prices for a finite resource.