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. U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy , Overview of Biomass Technologies, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ba/pba/pdfs/bio_overview.pdf. Near-term potential for renewable energy resources: energy crops (22%); forest residues (18%); crop residues (11%); urban wood residues (6%); biogas (landfills2%; livestock manure1%). Southern Company is considering converting three additional small coal plants to biomass, similar to Plant Mitchell. Broken down by region, underperformance affected projects in the Pacific Northwest the most at 17% above the national average. In regions where the quality or availability of renewable resources may be in question, as for example, in the Southeast,19 some states are concerned that the current RES proposals would subject them to federal penalties. 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. Dana Kenney, Chief of Party for USAID Clean Power Asia, said, USAID Clean Power Asia collaborated with local and international partners to share lessons learned and best practices to overcome policy and technical barriers that have limited the deployment of clean energy technologies to support increasing demands for electricity, which are set to double by 2040. The Golden Age For Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). 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. 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. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines is one of the countries most dependent on fossil fuels,. PO Box 21628 Website by, SACE | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Analysis finds Renewables cheaper than all Southeast coal plants. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_b.htm. Produced by biological processes of living organisms. Renewable energy project developer, operations manager and energy trading business BayWa re has been steadily establishing itself in the region. See http://www.nrel.gov/gis/images/map_biomass_sqkm.jpg, Biomass is possibly mankind's oldest source of energy. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) called the RES a "moving target." 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. 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. It is not only an investment in communities, but also recognizes the critical role of tribes in the co-stewardship of our lands and waters and sustainability of our communities. The harvest of food and other crops often leaves behind a mass of stover (i.e., stalks, leaves and other plant remnants). The agricultural resources of the Midwest and the forest-based resources of the Southeast feature prominently. 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. Ending large-scale old-growth timber sales on the. 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. Creating hundreds of thousands of high-wage jobs in clean energy. Sustainable management of forest resources is a basic consideration. Introduced by Senators Udall and Udall on February 12, 2009. 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. "Right now we are depending on other regions of the country, and foreign countries like Columbia and Venezuela, to supply us with coal. has suggested that increasing the penetration of renewable . Even amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, we have achieved our goals through our four activity areas of improving power sector planning, fostering supportive policy frameworks, mobilizing finance and investment, and promoting enhanced regional collaboration.. The Southeast has enough renewable resources to meet the 25 percent renewable-power mandate proposed by draft House energy and climate legislation, according to a new assessment [pdf] by environmental groups. New report argues that even the Southeast can get a significant amount of electricity from renewable resources. Cogeneration is the production of electrical energy and another form of useful energy (such as heat or steam) through the sequential use of energy. See http://wood.tennessee.edu/NR/rdonlyres/70B5D4FC-FAAB-4DF3-A291-45E39CA5C99A/1310/EconomicAvailabilityofWoodyBiomass.pdf. Competition in these markets has reduced wholesale energy costs while creating an entry point for low-cost renewable energy to provide power to the grid. 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. 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. Today, biomass [electric power] generation is mainly associated with the use of mill and agricultural wastes. Tom Darin Liskey, Georgia Power seeks to convert coal plant to biomass, ReCharge News, February 3, 2009, http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/biofuels/article171226.ece. Engaging in meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations. 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). North Carolina and South Carolina policymakers have the right idea by requiring regulators to investigate the benefits of establishing organized markets in these states. 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. Our long-term strategy will include establishing an interagency lead for the Sustainability Strategy, establishing a team charter for the Alaska-based OneUSDA team, and empowering shared leadership within the region by aligning programs with locally developed strategies such as the Blueprint for Southeast Alaska, the Visitor Products Cluster Working Group, the 2025 Economic Development Plan, and the All Landowners Working Group, among others. In contrast, the current utility-led planning regime is an inefficient patchwork system. President Biden is placing climate change at the center of U.S. foreign policy, he said. (Photo by Rolf [+] Schulten/ullstein bild via Getty Images). Generating electricity from renewable resources emits far less of such pollutants. 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. This exciting new partnership will allow us to bring even more conservation benefits to southeast communities that address food security and local agricultural production.. Kung Ven has been hired as WSP USA's energy business line leader for the Southeast region, according to a company press release. The Trend and Status of Energy Resources and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Malaysia Power Generation Mix. Collaborated with Thailands Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission to develop regulations and technical standards to ensure the safety and performance of battery energy storage systems. If a 15% RPS goal would require 6,000 MW of renewable energy in the Southeast, then developing even 4 biomass plants of 100 MW capacity66 and all 27 GIS identified sites at 40 MW would result in 1,480 MW of capacity, less than one-third of the needed total. From 2016 to 2021, USAIDs $16.3 million Clean Power Asia program also: For the past five years, USAID Clean Power Asia has been working with Lower Mekong countries and other Southeast Asian nations to encourage power sector investments in environmentally friendly, clean energy sources, focusing on incorporating renewable energy into planning, promoting smart incentives, building an enabling environment for renewable energy policies, and mobilizing finance. 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. As a result, developing a large green power project in a traditionally regulated state and claiming renewable energy use can often be challenging. Unless some balancing mechanism is in place, such as the Bingaman discussion draft proposal to return federal penalties to those states with less renewable energy resources to specifically develop such resources, southeastern states and electric utilities fear that they will become net purchasers of RECs, which will result in a "transfer of wealth" to the sunny and wind-rich states of the Southwest and Midwest, respectively.21 Given the identified concerns over biomass supplies in the southeastern states and the pivotal role the region will likely have in a federal RES debate, issues in this region will be used as the focus of this report. CRS Report R40529, Biomass: Comparison of Definitions in Legislation, by Kelsi S. Bracmort and [author name scrubbed]. (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). Some states have moved forward with their own RES programs envisioning either an economic benefit or environmental imperative, or both.18 States may argue that a federal mandate could override existing state programs which may have involved years of negotiations among local interests to set goals and timetables. Increasing electricity generated from biomass sources may be a viable route for compliance with RES requirements nationally, especially as biomass is already the largest source of renewable energy in the United States today. 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. Energy demand also grew an average of 6% per year, one of the fastest growth rates in the world. The site is secure. Each idea or proposal was read by multiple reviewers. 32+T9LPs))bRBbZ3H9%D1"za;V+*vJ) |FU8pr!DMf'!IHR 's biomass plants, Globe and Mail, March 25, 2009, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090325.wforestry0325/BNStory/National/. Figure 1. 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. See Plasma Gasification at http://www.recoveredenergy.com/d_plasma.html. The results are clear: continued reliance on coal is expensive, and each of these plants should be evaluated for economic retirement through a comprehensive resource and transmission planning process. Of these plants included in the analysis, both local and regional solar resources are less expensive than all of the coal plants analyzed. 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. The key determinants of success related to fuel for a biomass power plant include the availability of biomass resources, prices of the feedstock, and the cost of collection and delivery of these resources. 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. PO Box 1842Knoxville, TN 37901865.637.6055, Maggie Shober works to speed the clean energy transformation in the Southeast through analysis and advocacy. (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images), WECs Angela Wilkinson: A Voice Of Reason In The Energy And Climate Discussion. The need for agricultural chemicals is often lower for perennial biocrops which can mean less pollution from runoff into rivers and streams. They are finishing up installing a solar panel array at the Aurora Apartments to help offset electrical demand in certain buildings. New financing instruments and tools have been employed to generate wider market participation. Discover world-changing science. To learn more, visit the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategys webpage. Renewable Natural Gas Market Report Contains 2023: - Complete overview of the global Renewable Natural Gas Market Renewable Natural Gas Market provides high-class data, info, vital statistics . Oak Ridge National Laboratory. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_g.htm. LockA locked padlock 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. The Production Tax Credit13 and the Investment Tax Credit14 have been used by the federal government to support renewable energy.15 Recent consideration has also been given to implementing a federal "Feed-in Tariff" (FIT) law. First announced in July 2021, the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy aims to support a diverse economy, enhance community resilience, and conserve natural resources in Southeast Alaska. Federal support for research and development is believed by many policymakers to be crucial in making renewable energy technologies more cost-competitive. 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. website belongs to an official government organization in the Rn?Q&i( =ET/v,yb9j1xZiKM_at$qJ{Dgny? See http://www.pnl.gov/aisu/pubs/14660.pdf. What are renewable resources in the Southeast? As a part of the strategy, the Secretary of Agriculture made. This resource potential represents the theoretical, upper bound of renewable energy resource available at a given locationnot considering technical or economic constraints to development (such as land-use constraints). Policymakers can unleash the power of competition. "Our research suggests we certainly have sufficient resources." The utility segment is by far the . But this result is indicative of what should be on the table for each utilitys next resource plan. Criticism has increased recently about the amount of land required for clean energy resources. Southeast Asia countries significantly rely on fossil resources. 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 . March 6, 2009. All rights reserved. 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. Identifying short- and long-term opportunities for investments that reflect the diverse opportunities and needs in the region. Growing at an average pace of more than 5% per annum, power demand in Southeast Asia is projected to keep rising over the next decade. Methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, being 21 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 100 year period. 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. Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. From mobilizing over $7 billion in renewable energy investments to facilitating nearly 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity (enough to power roughly 8 million homes), the United States Government's Clean Power Asia program is making Southeast Asia cleaner and greener. By contrasting the two scenarios, the trade-off between maintaining these resources at the exclusion of clean energy becomes apparent: Consumers lose billions by propping up more expensive fossil resources. 63 Based on a demand of 2 to 4 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) for a biomass power facility generating between 20 and 40 megawatts of electricity, the study concluded that sufficient biomass supplies potentially existed in the 27 counties. Georgia Power Company, Georgia Power Seeks Approval for Coal Plant Conversion to Biomass, August 22, 2008, http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-22-2008/0004871944&EDATE=. The paper is a survey of existing research and assessments by the federal government and other experts. hW]O[1+4v|H1MB4{x`p51 "m~'7Conn|$qL'$M&xeFgO)*KPb Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock You may opt-out by. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. 890 (111th Congress) 101, the Federal Renewable Electricity Standard. Although some renewable energy technologies have an impact on the environment, renewables are considered environmentally preferable to conventional sources and, when replacing fossil fuels, have significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation also calls for building 450 megawatts of renewable capacity in the county to help replace lost tax revenue from closing coal operations. Monopoly utilities plan their electric grids independently from their neighbors and impose fees called wheeling charges to ship power across successive utility transmission systems. Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand have achieved 100 per cent or near 100 per cent energy access. The alkaline spent liquor from the digesters in the production of sulfate or soda pulp during the manufacture of paper. Feed-in Tariffs are incentive structures for generating renewable electricity usually at above-market rates for a set number of years, reducing the payback period and adding certainty to the return on the investment. The issue of whether there is enough biomass to meet both an RES and RFS is beyond the scope of this report. Virginia and North Carolina are the only two southeastern states to have enacted RPS requirements, but at levels below current federal RPS proposals. This incentivizes monopolies to over-build power plants, thereby increasing profits for their shareholders. http://www.dsireusa.org/glossary/glossary.cfm?CurrentPageID=8&EE=1&RE=1#con. 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%) Energy Information Administration (EIA). 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. Alabama. In Alabama, for example, people of color are exposed to roughly twice as much PM 2.5 pollution as white people. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners. Making up some of this gap from market sources using procurement bids and new commercial solar or wind installations may be possible. 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. But this modest proposal appears to extend rather than limit utilities power to retain expensive coal generation, ignoring billions in annual savings. 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 Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Biomass Cofiring: A Transition to a Low-Carbon Future, March 2009, http://www.eesi.org/030409_cofiring. More recently, a study released in 2006 assessed the economic feasibility of bringing in biomass resources for bioenergy projects. 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]. We are grateful for USDAs investment, and we also know more must be done. http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview/elec-ovr-rps.pdf. The pulp and paper industry has another wood waste fuel source in "black liquor," a by-product of the pulping process. ( More than 20 projects, totaling $12.4 million, range from fisheries improvements to food security initiatives and are geared toward expanding the strategys goals and reach. 210 0 obj <>stream Infrastructure total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.5 million for five projects announced today. Sustainable management of forest resources is likely to be both a basic consideration and a possible constraint. Today, coal is the most widely used fuel for electric power generation in the United States. This is the type of community development that will bring real solutions and Tlingit & Haida is committed to being a partner in the locally driven collaborative work to help future generations.. "There have been at least three different proposals back and forth," Stupak said in a short interview yesterday. In the short time since the Secretarys announcement, over 270 investment proposals were received totaling more than $276 million. Renewable Portfolio Standards. Gasification technology holds promise for increased efficiency and usefulness of biomass combustion and waste-to-energy technologies. 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. 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. 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. The USDA intra-agency team continues to engage with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, municipal governments, local partners and communities, and the public to support economic development planning and implementation efforts. The .gov means its official. November 30 - December 2, 2022. . 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.. 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. 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 regions main renewable resource which could be used to meet a standard. This visit reinforces USDAs commitment to locally driven collaborative work towards shared outcomes in southeast Alaska communities. 709 W. 9th Street 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. Southeast Asia used construction equipment market is expected to reach a value of $1,470 billion in 2029 from $1,012 million in 2022, growing at a CAGR of approximately 5.48% The Earthmoving. Arguments against the need for a national RES have been made in the past that this is a matter for state or regional self-determination. Notably, in the Southeast where wind resources are often dismissed, local wind was found to be less expensive than 30% of all Southeast coal plants and regional wind was found to be less expensive than 84% of all Southeast coal plants. Many consider carbon dioxide emissions from biomass sources as practically neutral, because biomass sources take in carbon dioxide during their growing cycle and release it when burned.17 Renewable energy is seen as a way to reduce fossil fuel use, and with growing awareness of the potential impacts of climate change, the role of renewable energy in reducing carbon emissions has garnered increasing public support. This blog post examines the land use implications of various energy technologies -- particularly solar. The electricity industry in the region is still largely subject to traditional rate regulation, and power generation projects historically have been approved by state regulatory commissions which have endeavored to maintain a favorable, low cost business climate. [F|39$~0 #4 "It is very active." An official website of the May 2008. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/renew_energy_consump/table1.html. 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. Besides, hydro and wind power can be considered as potential renewable energy resources.