See http://www.house.gov/jct/x-39-08.pdf. 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. , and Duke Energy The Renewable Fuels Program requires increased use of renewable fuels every year through 2012. 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. 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. 26 USC 48. Using them. (Photo by Logan Cyrus for The Washington Post via Getty Images), 1.4-gigawatt coal-fired power plant located in Roane County, just outside Kingston, Tennessee. 's biomass plants, Globe and Mail, March 25, 2009, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090325.wforestry0325/BNStory/National/. USDA plans to 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. Meanwhile, the coastal areas in the region have considerable potential to harness wind energy. 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. The OneUSDA team is continuing to work with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, and other partners to distribute all funds in 2022. The Golden Age For Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). 890, S. 433). The report, which is based on a review of existing literature regarding renewable resources in the Southeast, includes the following renewable energy resources: wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass, and tidal. With biomass representing the most widely used (and ostensibly the least expensive) renewable energy resource in the United States, its potential use in meeting RES requirements is key to the success of any RES that may be enacted. 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. Confederation of European Paper Industries, Bio-energy and the European Pulp and Paper Industry. 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. 26 USC 45. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE). Renewable energy, particularly solar, is poised for significant growth in the southeastern United States. Interact with the entire Southeast renewable energy community and hear from key players Effective Networking Connect with speakers and attendees in the Networking Lounge or via secured, private messages Schedule 1-on-1 meetings or group calls using built-in video chat features on our virtual platform FEATURED SPEAKERS Kathryn Arbeit On July 15, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the newSoutheast Alaska Sustainability Strategy to support a diverse economy, enhancecommunity resilience, and conserve natural resources in Southeast Alaska. LockA locked padlock Leaders from USDAs Natural Resources and Environment, Rural Development, and Natural Resources Conservation Service are visiting southeast Alaska this week and meeting with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, regional and local partners, including recipients of the initial funding. We look to be part of an inclusive, responsive approach that complements existing efforts toward practical, common-sense solutions. 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. Discover world-changing science. See http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/landfillgas/landfillgas.html. 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. 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. Traditionally regulated electricity markets dominate most of the Southeast, Northwest and much of the West (excluding California). The American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 "discussion draft" introduced by Representatives Waxman and Markey draws upon H.R. Sustainable management of forest resources is a basic consideration. Reprinted from Greenwire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. These enormous savings come from cheaper wind, solar, and storage displacing more expensive-to-run coal, along with an RTO-led regional transmission planning scheme where all seven states share power resources and expand transmission to most efficiently meet regional electricity demand. 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. 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. To understand geography . Southeastern lawmakers, who say their states could not meet the targets, say their districts would face higher costs because utilities would be forced to buy credits or make other payments. has suggested that increasing the penetration of renewable . However, numerous studies have found that renewable energy development has a negative impact on the . Since 2016, the USAID Clean Power Asia program has worked with governments and the private sector across Southeast Asia to encourage power sector investments in environmentally friendly, grid-connected renewable energy sources. This has fuelled economic growth and permitted higher living standards. New financing instruments and tools have been employed to generate wider market participation. The Southeastern United States, one of the countrys only regions without a competitive wholesale electricity market, is dominated by monopoly utilities, which have favored expensive and polluting fossil fuel generation over cheap clean energy. 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 majority of that capacity is expected to come from new energy crops.46, Opponents of an RES say goals for new renewable energy generation are unfair and cannot be easily met in the timeframes under discussion. Having a financially viable forest products sector producing wood wastes is important to the biomass power industry. 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. Developed and published financial models for utility-scale and rooftop solar, wind, and biomass power, which were downloaded over 3,000 times and used to help renewable energy project developers identify critical factors that impacted project profitability and bankability. All renewable energy sources combined account for about 10% of the U.S. total energy production. Work continues with southeast Alaska partners on additional projects to meet the strategys initial $25 million commitment. Official websites use .gov A .gov The harvest of food and other crops often leaves behind a mass of stover (i.e., stalks, leaves and other plant remnants). For the purposes of this discussion, southeastern states include Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. 210 0 obj <>stream For additional information, see the discussion of these tax credits in the federal incentives section of the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy website at http://www.dsireusa.org/. http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0505/enews_0505_Cellulosic_Ethanol.htm. Analysts from energy think tank Energy Innovation recently published a report showing that it is now more expensive to continue to run most coal plants than to replace them with renewable energy. Measuring the Economics of Biofuel Availability. This increased renewable generation plays a significant role in advancing sustainability goals and reducing carbon outputs. "There have been at least three different proposals back and forth," Stupak said in a short interview yesterday. CHARLOTTE NC - June 2, 2017: CREDIT: Mike Catanzaro, panel installer at Accelerate Solar, finishes [+] installed electrical wiring at a solar array he recently installed at a job site in East Charlotte. Rn?Q&i( =ET/v,yb9j1xZiKM_at$qJ{Dgny? Box 43165Olympia, WA 98504-3165(360) 956-2004sjodingd@energy.wsu.edu. Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. research demonstrates how much a competitive regional electricity market would benefit the Southeast U.S. They are finishing up installing a solar panel array at the Aurora Apartments to help offset electrical demand in certain buildings. 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. Investments in energy production in the southeastern United States have long favored base load technologies due to increasing economies of scale from large generation units. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_b.htm. What are Energy Crops? The results for the Southeast make it abundantly clear that solar and storage is a cost-effective and resilient replacement for retiring coal plants across the region. Approximately 53% of all domestic renewable energy comes from biomass sources3 represented by biofuels, landfill gas, biogenic4 municipal solid waste, wood and wood-derived fuels, and other biomass such as switchgrass. KINGSTON TN - MARCH 31: Kingston Fossil Plant, commonly known as Kingston Steam Plant, is a [+] 1.4-gigawatt coal-fired power plant located in Roane County, just outside Kingston, Tennessee. For Tlingit & Haida, the agreements are an example of USDAs renewed commitment to its Federal Trust responsibilities and what can be done when partners work together on common goals of sustainable, community-led economic development in Southeast Alaska. Billions of dollars in savings for customers. The commitment identifies short investments that reflect diverse investment opportunities and needs in the Southeast Region. See http://www.esri.com/library/fliers/pdfs/measuringbiofuel.pdf. "Right now we are depending on other regions of the country, and foreign countries like Columbia and Venezuela, to supply us with coal. Broken down by region, underperformance affected projects in the Pacific Northwest the most at 17% above the national average. 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. The Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy is USDAs approach to support economic, cultural, and natural resources sustainability in the region. She has expertise in renewable energy, energy efficiency, coal retirements, energy market modeling, and, Copyright 2023 cleanenergy.org / Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. USDA Forest Service photo. But this modest proposal appears to extend rather than limit utilities power to retain expensive coal generation, ignoring billions in annual savings. In these states, most renewable energy projects are utility-owned. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), one of the panel's more liberal members, said there should be "flexibility" to address regional issues but warned against watering down either the bill's emissions or renewable energy targets. Daniel Cusick, "Southern utilities led effort to squash Senate RPS proposal," Earth News, June 26, 2007. The intra-agency team collected diverse public input to inform opportunities for priority investments and in reducing administrative barriers that support a diverse economy, enhance community resilience, and conserve natural resources. We are grateful for USDAs investment, and we also know more must be done. By converting biomass, waste materials, or other carbon-containing materials into a synthesized gas (synthesis gas or syngas) comprised mostly of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, the syngas can be burned directly to generate electricity.39 Further processing via Fischer-Tropsch methods40 or other forms of catalysis can convert the syngas into higher value chemicals or transportation biofuels such as ethanol, methanol, or a form of biodiesel called di-methyl ether. The report was released today as lawmakers negotiate over whether to scale back the renewable electricity standard in the bill sponsored by Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. 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. It doesnt even achieve the benefits of a true Energy Imbalance Market, such as the kind that serves the West including an independent operator, transparent pricing, or open transmission access. 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. This is a BETA experience. Monopoly utilities plan their electric grids independently from their neighbors and impose fees called wheeling charges to ship power across successive utility transmission systems. The group aims to build renewable energy capacity of 5,000 megawatts across Southeast by 2025. 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. Together were making a lasting impact across the Southeast. With the increasing growth of renewable energy, reliable and efficient technologies, such as blockchain, are expected to have higher adoption in the Southeast Asian region during the forecast period. The issue of whether there is enough biomass to meet both an RES and RFS is beyond the scope of this report. The people who live and work here have inspiring visions for the future, and USDA will continue to support them with investments that promote long-term economic sustainability and honor their values, communities and cultures., For years Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) has worked with private landowners in southeast Alaska to enhance the health and vigor of private forestlands and improve fish and wildlife habitat, said NRCS Alaska State Conservationist Alan D. McBee. Biomass power plants are tied to a "geo-economic zone" in which it is cost-effective to collect and deliver the biomass feedstock to the boiler. The definition of which types of biomass are eligible under an RES would determine which resources, technologies and processes will be available to meet a possible federal RES mandate. 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. 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. F^"jDq2)r3#%_uM5wnZf;A6i{mag2CHs.]tv;e|>un .naf`n_^q $X,J,nE}|2|9?-__6/I:U Major benefits for public health and the climate. 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. Criticism has increased recently about the amount of land required for clean energy resources. Under RES proposals, most producers of renewable electricity will receive renewable energy credits or certificates to prove that a certain amount of renewable electricity was produced (usually 1 Megawatt-hour). Peter Fairley, Garbage In, Megawatts Out, July 2, 2008, http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/21029/?a=f. Biomass boiler greenhouse. The news was shared during a collaborative virtual, partner-led event hosted by the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida), Southeast Conference, Spruce Root, and USDA leaders. 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. This visit reinforces USDAs commitment to locally driven collaborative work towards shared outcomes in southeast Alaska communities. Not only are there immediate investments that will benefit the region, but there is also an eye toward the future with support for capacity building and technical assistance that will make these projects sustainable.. A companion policy report to the Southeast modeling highlights successful state policies smoothing the clean energy transition for coal-dependent communities in Colorado and New Mexico, which could be a valuable model for the Southeast. Community Capacity total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.7 million for five projects announced today. Increases in cost reductions from competitive scenario compared to business-as-usual from 2020-2040. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Much of the debate over an RES revolves around whether there is a need for a federal requirement for renewable energy use by electric providers and whether the momentum in the states is truly moving the use of renewable energy forward. 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. Southeast Renewable Energy Summit. 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. Gasification. Policymakers can unleash the power of competition. 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. The level playing field that markets provide is critical to customers being able to access the clean and renewable power they need to meet their goals.. The legislation also calls for building 450 megawatts of renewable capacity in the county to help replace lost tax revenue from closing coal operations. USDA applauds the success of the economic investment portion of the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy and credits the many partners who have come together in the spirit of community, culture, conservation, and commerce. The platform was created as a result of the signed memorandum for cooperation and promotion of the corporate supply of renewable energy in Bulgaria, and in a broader aspect in Southeast Europe, between the Association for Production, Storage and Trade in Electricity (), the . Figure 1. SCCO Concerns over the potential impacts of a federal RES seem to revolve largely around the issue of whether, nationwide, sufficient renewable energy resources exist and are economically viable. North Carolina has enacted a 12.5% requirement by 2021 for electric utilities and a 10% requirement for municipal and cooperative utilities. Biomass Resources: The Southeastern United States and the Renewable Electricity Standard Debate, Renewable Energy Resources in the Southeast, Forest-Based Resources: Wood Wastes and Black Liquor, Other Potential Sources of Biomass Energy, Landfill Gas and Municipal Solid Waste [Waste-to-Energy], Potential Biomass Use in the Southeast for RES Requirements, Summary of Barriers and Challenges to Greater Use of Biomass, Technological Challenges and Opportunities, http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_r.htm, http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/renew_energy_consump/table1.html, http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_b.htm, http://americanhistory.si.edu/powering/past/history4.htm, http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_c.htm, http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview/elec-ovr-rps.pdf, http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/jul/23/germany.greenbusiness, 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, http://www.dsireusa.org/glossary/glossary.cfm?CurrentPageID=8&EE=1&RE=1#con, http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/electricity.cfm, http://www.saferalliance.net/projects/bioenergy_roadmap.pdf, http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/pdfs/ornltm-2002199.pdf, http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7407e/W7407e05.htm, http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/faqs/index.html#overview4, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/fta_biomass_cofiring.pdf, ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a0701e/a0701e03.pdf, http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/landfillgas/landfillgas.html, http://wasteage.com/news/waste_epa_report_applauds/, http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_g.htm, http://www.recoveredenergy.com/d_plasma.html, http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/21029/?a=f, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ba/pba/pdfs/bio_overview.pdf, http://thehill.com/business--lobby/southern-co.-takes-aim-at-renewable-energy-bill-2007-05-08.html, http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-22-2008/0004871944&EDATE=, http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/biofuels/article171226.ece, http://www.pprc.info/html/millclosures.htm, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090325.wforestry0325/BNStory/National/, http://www.afandpa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Releases1&template=/PressRelease/PressReleaseDisplay.cfm&PressReleaseID=936&PressReleaseCategoryID=10&ShowArchives=0, http://www.cepi.org/content/default.asp?pageid=10, http://www.epa.gov/oms/renewablefuels/420f07062.htm, http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0505/enews_0505_Cellulosic_Ethanol.htm, http://wood.tennessee.edu/NR/rdonlyres/70B5D4FC-FAAB-4DF3-A291-45E39CA5C99A/1310/EconomicAvailabilityofWoodyBiomass.pdf, http://www.esri.com/library/fliers/pdfs/measuringbiofuel.pdf, http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1975, http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090226/testimony_gruenspecht.pdf. "We have to keep our eyes on the prize and actually achieve something," Inslee said. By 2012, at least 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel must be blended into motor-vehicle fuel sold in America. President Biden is placing climate change at the center of U.S. foreign policy, he said.
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