PO Box 1842Knoxville, TN 37901865.637.6055, Maggie Shober works to speed the clean energy transformation in the Southeast through analysis and advocacy. Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. 890, would return amounts collected from penalties for noncompliance or alternative compliance payments to retail electricity suppliers that have submitted renewable energy credits20 (REC) for compliance. Out of the seven states included in the model, only North Carolina has a meaningful renewable portfolio standard. The inorganic chemicals are recovered in a "recovery boiler" and reconstituted for reuse, while the organic lignin is burned, generating heat for steam production. http://www.dsireusa.org/glossary/glossary.cfm?CurrentPageID=8&EE=1&RE=1#con. Today, biomass [electric power] generation is mainly associated with the use of mill and agricultural wastes. Introduced by Senators Udall and Udall on February 12, 2009. 4`SZLp4M6@iGvr&8Mj e{y/aMj:7&N~}Oqz3IsJP mDVa 2by@~pM~2G^ BghouDkm0B]m7>/S=x?? ]>x#-Gx[;O^UK[uNQjh%j$[H?OWl;n OoGn;4z^.nnL,Wis8iq ^_n70>{ 6c_,77nN 0 H`1 http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_r.htm. 796 (17)(E)]. Henning Steinfeld, Pierre Gerber, and Tom Wassenaar, et al., Livestock's Long Shadow - Environmental Issues and Options, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006, ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a0701e/a0701e03.pdf. A dozen or so moderate and conservative committee Democrats want to lower the target. Official websites use .gov A .gov hXKk0+?F3SCwCL6{-+$B Three regional utilities Tennessee Valley Authority (a federal entity), Southern Company Produced by biological processes of living organisms. 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.). 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. You may opt-out by. This increased renewable generation plays a significant role in advancing sustainability goals and reducing carbon outputs. Doesn't it make more sense to be producing cleaner power, closer to home?," said Stephen Smith, head of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, one of the groups that released the study with WRI. The alkaline spent liquor from the digesters in the production of sulfate or soda pulp during the manufacture of paper. The draft bill would require utilities above a certain size to supply 25 percent of their power from renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass energy by 2025, although efficiency measures could be used to meet a fifth of the target. Considering fuel cost inputs in this range and continuation of the Production Tax Credit58 and RECs producing power valued around $0.08 per kilowatt-hour, biomass power plants could be built in the 25 megawatt size range and produce power economically, according to the Biomass Power Association.59. RENEWABLE RESOURCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (SEA . These states have ample forest resources, generally poor wind resources, and relatively unfavorable solar resources (compared to the Southwest), making biomass among the more readily available renewable energy resources in the region. Download CCC Permissions USAID and the Embassy have announced plans to continue these efforts through a new program called the Southeast Asia Smart Power Program that will promote utility modernization, energy efficiency, advanced technologies, and regional power trade, and will improve local air quality and mitigate global climate change. Bioenergy and Biomass Frequently Asked Questions. Solar Power & Energy Storage Mountain West. A nationwide renewable electricity standard is a major goal for Democratic leaders and environmentalists. It conducted targeted engagement with key partners and provided opportunities for citizens and organizations to participate in shaping the economic investment component of the strategy. Without additional details, SEEM fails to address many of the efficiencies of full RTO integration modeled in this study like reserve sharing, transmission optimization, regional economic dispatch, independent system operation and market monitoring, and market access for independent power producers. Home Explore Markets North America Southeast 1,069 TWh Energy Demand 292.2 GW Installed Capacity 11 % Renewable Share Southeast The Southeast region is assumed to be comprised of all or parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Renewable energy in Southeast Asia is a growing sector with a market size of $205 billion and capital investments totaling $11 billion between 2020 and 2022. US Department of Energy, Biomass Cofiring in Coal-Fired Boilers, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/fta_biomass_cofiring.pdf. The needs of other, possibly competing, uses for biomass are considerations if biomass resources are to be sustained while meeting projected uses. EIA, Monthly Energy Review, September 2008. These markets are far from perfect in practice, but have directly connected customers to least-cost renewable energy. In these states, most renewable energy projects are utility-owned. The need for agricultural chemicals is often lower for perennial biocrops which can mean less pollution from runoff into rivers and streams. Pulp & Paperworkers Resource Council, Mill Closures Chart, 2007, http://www.pprc.info/html/millclosures.htm. Knowledge awaits. They have also been critical to integrating variable renewable energy wind and solar and capitalizing on resource diversity over larger geographical areas. The results are clear: continued reliance on coal is. 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. 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. However, renewable energy from biomass is the exception. Renewable energy development is growing rapidly due to vast population growth and the limited availability of fossil fuels in Southeast Asia. Website by, SACE | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Analysis finds Renewables cheaper than all Southeast coal plants. Pulp & Paper Workers Resource Council. The issue of whether there is enough biomass to meet both an RES and RFS is beyond the scope of this report. Renewable energy currently accounts for about 10% of U.S. total energy production according to the U.S. Department of Energy.1 Biomass is the largest source of renewable energy2 in the United States. Increases in cost reductions from competitive scenario compared to business-as-usual from 2020-2040. The site is secure. 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. However, the region's major user of woody biomass and producer of wood wastes is the forest products industry. The projects announced today have been allocated in the categories below: Tribal and Indigenous Interests total commitment of $12.5 million, which includes about $2.3 million for the six projects announced today. From mobilizing over $7 billion in renewable energy investments to facilitating nearly 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity (enough to power roughly 8 million homes), the United States Government's Clean Power Asia program is making Southeast Asia cleaner and greener. Using them. 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 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 . 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. 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. 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. 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. Incremental progress may be on the horizon. 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. Tomorrow's opportunities for using biomass to generate electricity in the Southeast include a diverse assortment of options, particularly energy crops and wood resources. Billions of dollars in savings for customers. Ending large-scale old-growth timber sales on the. Does this mean we can just turn off all of these coal plants tomorrow? 26 USC 48. New resources (such as dedicated biocrops) or other biomass sources (such as municipal solid waste) may need to be used if biomass from forest residues and forest product industry wastes do not prove sufficient to meet RES goals. 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/. The region is committed to renewable energy and integrating sustainable practices into legacy industries. 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. 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. Criticism has increased recently about the amount of land required for clean energy resources. See http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/landfillgas/landfillgas.html. In Alabama, for example, people of color are exposed to roughly twice as much PM 2.5 pollution as white people. Anaerobic bacteria thrive in the oxygen-free environment, resulting in the decomposition of the organic materials and the production of primarily carbon dioxide and methane. Wave, tidal energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion could be tapped, to provide alternative sources of clean and dependable energy in the region. Addresses historic and/or structural decisions that previously contributed to inequitable access to USDA programs. AMERICAN COUNCIL ON RENEWABLE ENERGY With high electricity prices, a reliance on imported energy, and ongoing retirements of fossil fuel power plants, the Northeast has a strong incentive to develop local, renewable sources of energy. Discover world-changing science. Arguments in favor of an RES usually involve impacts on the environment, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. However, biomass would have to be utilized from a variety of sources, with forestry residues and stumps within a 45-minute haul range, and urban wood residues within a 135-minute haul.64, In comparison, Georgia Power's biomass conversion at the former Mitchell coal plant is expected to draw upon waste wood from a 100-mile radius around the facility. http://www.cepi.org/content/default.asp?pageid=10. The harvest of food and other crops often leaves behind a mass of stover (i.e., stalks, leaves and other plant remnants). 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. Because every Southeastern coal-fired power plant is unable to compete in an open market scenario, PM 2.5 pollution - one of the most damaging pollutants for human health - drops to near zero by 2040 along with other harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. 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. Planning for biomass resources that fails to consider competing uses, may have unintended economic, ecological and environmental consequences. Gasification. Southeast State Resources. By 2012, at least 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel must be blended into motor-vehicle fuel sold in America. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1975. The American Renewable Energy Act, H.R. JUNEAU, Alaska, March 31, 2022 The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced 25 projects totaling nearly $9 million of investments that are to be funded through the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy (SASS). 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. See http://www.nrel.gov/gis/images/map_biomass_sqkm.jpg, Biomass is possibly mankind's oldest source of energy. The pulp and paper industry has another wood waste fuel source in "black liquor," a by-product of the pulping process. P Mike Ewall, Primer on Landfill Gas as "Green" Energy, Energy Justice Network, July 29, 1999, http://www.energyjustice.net/lfg/. Introducing a Southeast regional competitive market that optimizes regional transmission and shares resources (key features of other RTOs) would save $384 billion dollars with approximately $17.4 billion average yearly savings through 2040 - 23% lower electricity costs compared to today. The region is home to 44% of the nation's total energy from woody biomass and a significant portion of other biomass types.25 Not all biomass is recognized as "eligible" to meet federal RES requirements due to differences in federal legislation and tax provisions defining biomass. CRS Report R40529, Biomass: Comparison of Definitions in Legislation, by Kelsi S. Bracmort and [author name scrubbed]. "We have to keep our eyes on the prize and actually achieve something," Inslee said. Targets for biofuels production from a Renewable Fuels Standard may mean that increased amounts of biomass would be dedicated to meet the needs of that program, if the trend away from corn-based ethanol persists and gasoline demand increases. Sustainable management of southeastern woody biomass supplies could help to meet any RES target. Identifying short- and long-term opportunities for investments that reflect the diverse opportunities and needs in the region. The American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 "discussion draft" introduced by Representatives Waxman and Markey draws upon H.R. Access to the resource is critical to a facility's economic feasibility. Despite being "green" resources, renewable energy installations are not without aesthetic or environmental challenges of their own. 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. decision-makers and leading utility executives and renewable energy players from the most dynamic states in the region providing definitive updates on the issues you'll need to understand to seize the very best opportunities across this dynamic region. 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. These proposals reflect the broad and deep need for economic stimulus in Southeast Alaska. Southeastern Region Report - American Council on Renewable Energy Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is permanently chartering a regional OneUSDA team to continue this collaborative approach to achieving social, economic, ecological, and cultural sustainability in Southeast Alaska. Alternatively, new or existing power generation facilities at closed pulp and paper mills could be evaluated as options, and configured strictly for power generation.67 Existing woody biomass stocks could be augmented by biocrops or other types of biomass to help fuel new power generation facilities. A "Renewable Electricity Deployment Fund," proposed in H.R. Demand for woody biomass could also be affected by requirements for biofuels production under the Renewable Fuel Standard60 specified by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, especially as cellulosic methods for ethanol production are improved. Another option may be to upgrade power production at some existing forest products industry mills solely for the purpose of power sales. 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 development of renewable energy projects in the region is an expensive bill for most Southeast Asian countries to foot. The Southeast Renewable Energy Summit is the ONLY conference covering this burgeoning market that gets key state policymakers, critical decision makers, and leading utility executives and renewable energy players from the most dynamic states in the region including North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Tribal and Indigenous Interests - $12.5 million, Community Capacity - $3.125 million (12.5%), Resilient Peoples & Place: When a time for peace is facilitated through partnership, Creating a Tribal Restoration Workforce - Fish Alaska Magazine, Forest Service to start improvements on Wrangell blueberry lands next spring - Wrangell Sentinel, Biden-Harris Administration Invests More Than $37 Million to Improve Recreational Sites and Cabins on National Forests and Grasslands | USDA, The SalmonState: Bringing the sockeye home | Juneau Empire, Local priorities and USDA funding strategies meet up in Southeast Alaska High Country News Know the West (hcn.org), Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategys webpage, Guiding Recommendations & Potential Long-Term Investments, Initial Investment and Recommendations Summary, Traditional Technical Knowledge and Cultural Use of Forest Products. Figure 1 shows various types of biomass resources in the United States by annual tonnage per square kilometer available in individual counties. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. 890, would establish a renewable electricity standard (RES).10 In the Senate, a renewable electricity standard was introduced in S. 433.11 Senator Bingaman had previously released a draft bill to discuss a federal renewable portfolio standard on February 11, 2009.12. No, of course not. Energy Innovation has released updated analysis comparing the cost of continuing to operate coal plants to replacing them with solar, wind, or batteries. Diversity of biomass resources seems likely to be key to the economic production of biomass-fired power generation. The pulp and paper industry dominates the cogeneration sector today fueled largely by biomass from wood wastes. U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source. to support a diverse economy, enhancecommunity resilience, and conserve natural resources in Southeast Alaska. "Our research suggests we certainly have sufficient resources." Feb 27, 2023 - Mar 1, 2023. 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. To understand geography . ( http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_c.htm. Peter Fairley, Garbage In, Megawatts Out, July 2, 2008, http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/21029/?a=f. If you wish to learn more the India inquiry, reach out to Saksham Nijhawan at S . Proponents of an RES assert that the Southeast has ample biomass resources to meet renewable energy requirements of an RES. Senator Bingaman discussion draft, Title VIII, Renewable Portfolio Standard, 111th Congress. Burning approximately one million tons of biomass annually, Plant Mitchell would be one of the largest biomass power plants in the United States.51, Collection of waste wood for biomass power plants may require a coordinated effort with forestry companies. The definition of biomass would be critical to determining which technologies and processes would be available to meet possible RES requirements. Lets dive in to see what this Coal Cost Crossover analysis can tell us about coal plants in the Southeast. 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. An official website of the United States government. research demonstrates how much a competitive regional electricity market would benefit the Southeast U.S. For more information on Tradable Credits, see CRS Report RL34116, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS): Background and Debate Over a National Requirement, by [author name scrubbed]. 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. Infrastructure total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.5 million for five projects announced today. Companies that generate wind, geothermal, and "closed-loop" bioenergy (which is powered by dedicated energy crops) are eligible for the production tax credit, which provides a variable cent per kilowatt-hour benefit for the first years of a renewable energy facility's operation. We are a nonpartisan climate policy think tank helping policymakers make informed energy policy choices and accelerate clean energy by supporting the policies that most effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 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. This incentivizes monopolies to over-build power plants, thereby increasing profits for their shareholders. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_g.htm. (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images). endstream endobj 211 0 obj <>stream Dave SjodingRenewable Resources Specialist925 Plum Street S.E., Bldg 3P.O. 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. From mobilizing over $7 billion in renewable energy investments to facilitating nearly 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity (enough to power roughly 8 million homes), the United States Governments Clean Power Asia program is making Southeast Asia cleaner and greener. Alabama. Near-term potential for renewable energy resources: energy crops (22%); forest residues (18%); crop residues (11%); urban wood residues (6%); biogas (landfills2%; livestock manure1%). While the rate of underperformance was least severe in the Southeast (reported at 17% below the U.S. average), that region is the most prone to anomalies driven by physical damage (such as cracking, delamination, or . Also called "combined heat and power." Biomass boiler greenhouse. Federal funding from recent and proposed legislation, like the Great America Outdoors Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, and other agency appropriations, can likely fund many of the investment ideas that were not quite ready for short-term support. 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. 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. The total delivered cost of woody biomass can be calculated as the sum of the costs of procurement (i.e., the amount paid to gain ownership of a biomass resource), collection or harvest costs, and transportation costs. 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. As a part of the strategy, the Secretary of Agriculture made. Ibid. 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. One portfolio would be to continue to operate these coal plants, and another would be to phase them out while replacement generation and capacity from solar, wind, and storage come online. 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. State governments have generally led the way in deploying other renewable energy technologies. Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. 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. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_b.htm. Renewable Portfolio Standards. Transportation costs associated with biomass will bear strongly on the decision to site a biomass power facility. Congress has been debating establishment of a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) to encourage increased use of all forms of renewable energy including generating electricity from biomass sources (H.R. 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. RPS requirements oblige electric utilities to provide electricity from renewable energy sources in increasing amounts over a specified period of years. A lock () or https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. Waxman had offered a lower renewable target of 17.5 percent, according to Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), a member of the committee. Rn?Q&i( =ET/v,yb9j1xZiKM_at$qJ{Dgny? 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. In the short time since the Secretarys announcement, over 270 investment proposals were received totaling more than $276 million. The difference between these two types of resources is that renewable resources can naturally replenish themselves while nonrenewable resources cannot. "Hog fuel" is a mixture of wood and bark, usually reduced to 50-75 millimeter-size chips and produced by a "wood hog" (i.e., grinder), from which it derives its name. While a fully restructured, organized market would take time to establish, the companion policy report recommends ways state legislatures and public utility commissions can introduce competitive behavior in advance of a traditional RTO/ISO.
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