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. 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. These proposals reflect the broad and deep need for economic stimulus in Southeast Alaska. 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 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.). 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. Click on a state or scroll down to access relevant conservation resources and state-specific climate change information. The terms RES and RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) are often used interchangeably as no material difference exists in program goals. Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand have achieved 100 per cent or near 100 per cent energy access. Much of the Southeast region's biomass electricity capacity comes from existing forest products cogeneration facilities which would not qualify for tradable RECs under the RPS proposal floated by Senator Bingaman.54 The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) is concerned that if this option is followed, a financial advantage could be given to new biomass energy generators at the expense of its member companies because of the added value of tradable RECs.55 Forest products companies are the primary users of biomass for manufacturing purposes. Thanks for reading Scientific American. 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. 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. USDA Forest Service photo. Historically, most electric power has come from base-load generation in large, central station plants using fossil fuels (principally coal) as the source of energy. Sign up to receive clean energy updates in your inbox. website belongs to an official government organization in the Juneau, AK (September 6, 2022) Three Southeast Alaska entities today announced regional strengthening agreements supported through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy. Bioenergy and Biomass Frequently Asked Questions. Virginia has a 12% RPS requirement by 2022. "It is very active." 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). Renewables were used to meet 5 percent of Southeast power sales in 2006, according to the paper, which defines the region as Alabama, the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and. 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. 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. 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%) These investments speak to the opportunities for partnershipthis isnt the first time USDA has invested in southeast Alaska, and it wont be the last, Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small said. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock 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. Recently, Duke and Southern confirmed they are considering a centralized, region-wide, intra-hour energy exchange called the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM). 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. USDA is focused on maximizing its collective resources to provide the highest level of support and service to Southeast Alaska. Electricity not used on-site to power equipment may be made available for sale on the grid. In these states, most renewable energy projects are utility-owned. Using them. 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. This exciting new partnership will allow us to bring even more conservation benefits to southeast communities that address food security and local agricultural production.. North Carolina and South Carolina policymakers have the right idea by requiring regulators to investigate the benefits of establishing organized markets in these states. Discover world-changing science. Arguments in favor of an RES usually involve impacts on the environment, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Community Capacity total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.7 million for five projects announced today. 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. AC Energy is optimistic on renewable energy potential in Southeast Asia: CEO SINGAPORE Southeast Asia is going through an energy transition and there's opportunity to scale up. Website by, SACE | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Analysis finds Renewables cheaper than all Southeast coal plants. 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. Sustainable management of southeastern woody biomass supplies could help to meet any RES target. 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. In the short time since the Secretarys announcement, over 270 investment proposals were received totaling more than $276 million. SCCO 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. If you wish to learn more the India inquiry, reach out to Saksham Nijhawan at S . 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. Waste-to-energy facilities in operation today are typically able to meet clean air standards and requirements.38. IRENA said, in the long term, average annual investment of $210 billion was needed on renewable energy, energy efficiency and to support technologies and infrastructure in the period to 2050 to . Chapter 4 highlights regional and national targets and examines the policy and institutional frameworks for scaling up renewables across the region. LockA locked padlock Billions of dollars in savings for customers. Gasification. Analysts from energy think tank Energy Innovation recently published a report showing that it is now more expensive to continue to run most coal plants than to replace them with renewable energy. This analysis compares a simple metric, the cost per megawatt-hour (MWh) of generation, from existing coal plants and new wind and solar plants. Governments Across Southeast Asian Countries Are Accelerating Renewable Energy Investments With increasing global environmental concerns, governments across Southeast Asian countries plan. http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/faqs/index.html#overview4. Meets USDA commitment to ecological, economic, and cultural sustainability. The pulp and paper industry has another wood waste fuel source in "black liquor," a by-product of the pulping process. We look to be part of an inclusive, responsive approach that complements existing efforts toward practical, common-sense solutions. Box 43165Olympia, WA 98504-3165(360) 956-2004sjodingd@energy.wsu.edu. 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. But this result is indicative of what should be on the table for each utilitys next resource plan. 890 (111th Congress) 101, the Federal Renewable Electricity Standard. (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images). Figure 1. 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. See page 4 of presentation at http://files.eesi.org/cleaves_030409.pdf. 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. Ending large-scale old-growth timber sales on the. The team used a two-pronged approach to gather public input. 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. Energy Information Administration, How is my electricity generated, delivered, and priced?, July 10, 2008, http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/electricity.cfm. Denver , CO , United States. Georgia Power estimates it will require 160 to 180 truckload deliveries per day to supply the 1 million tons of biomass needed for the 96 MW facility. RE-Source Southeast Hub is a regional platform for cooperation between renewable energy producers and energy consumers.. In fact, estimates are that livestock production may be responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions (as measured in carbon dioxide equivalents) including 37% of all anthropogenic methane, and up to 64% of ammonia in the environment which also contributes to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems. But despite the global decline in renewable energy prices, Southeast Asian countries have largely embraced fossil . Making up some of this gap from market sources using procurement bids and new commercial solar or wind installations may be possible. 709 W. 9th Street 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/. 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. A federal RES mandate and consistent, long-term financial incentives are also seen by supporters as necessary to increase renewable electricity generation to attain the goals of cleaner energy and greater energy security. Proponents of an RES assert that the Southeast has ample biomass resources to meet renewable energy requirements of an RES. The definition of what constitutes biomass has varied over time with changes in law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and evolution of potential uses. 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. 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. 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 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. When examined from a regional perspective, a number of questions have been raised as to the potential impacts on the supply and demand of biomass resources under a renewable energy standard. All renewable energy sources combined account for about 10% of the U.S. total energy production. http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview/elec-ovr-rps.pdf. 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. 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. corporations in a process that reflects the immediate and long-term needs and opportunities in the region. Thus, owing to the above points, Vietnam is expected to dominate the renewable energy market in the region during the forecast period. 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. As a result, developing a large green power project in a traditionally regulated state and claiming renewable energy use can often be challenging. This is a BETA experience. 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. hW]O[1+4v|H1MB4{x`p51 "m~'7Conn|$qL'$M&xeFgO)*KPb The Renewable Fuels Program requires increased use of renewable fuels every year through 2012. Forest Biomass and its Role in a National Renewable Electricity Standard. 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/. Download CCC Permissions 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. Virginia has a statewide program to convert coal plants to biomass, with several plants that converted during 2013. The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process, when done well, is the best tool the electricity sector has for comparing the utilitys overall system costs across different portfolio options. Work continues with southeast Alaska partners on additional projects to meet the strategys initial $25 million commitment. 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. F^"jDq2)r3#%_uM5wnZf;A6i{mag2CHs.]tv;e|>un .naf`n_^q $X,J,nE}|2|9?-__6/I:U 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. Mike Ewall, Primer on Landfill Gas as "Green" Energy, Energy Justice Network, July 29, 1999, http://www.energyjustice.net/lfg/. The needs of other, possibly competing, uses for biomass are considerations if biomass resources are to be sustained while meeting projected uses. 65. Policymakers can unleash the power of competition. 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. This team is locally based and will continue to consult with Tribal Nations and Alaska Native corporations and to engage with partners and municipal governments to continue to identify priorities and practical opportunities for investments of financial and technical assistance. Because China's solar and wind energy resources are rich in northwest region, and the electricity load center is concentrated in the southeast region, the imbalance between the resource and demand intensifies the contradiction of renewable energy generation and grid operation. Countries in Southeast Asia have abundant renewable energy resource potential. Climateworks saw, first-hand, leaders at the G20 and COP27 reaffirm the 1.5-degree Celsius Paris Agreement goal and . 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. 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. Our initial Economic Investment effort will commit up to $25 million in federal funding based on local priorities for short-term, project-based investments. 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. So basically using the savings from switching from coal to local solar to add storage to make the grid more resilient. 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. Joint Press Release - USDA, Sustainble Southeast Partnership, Spruce Root, Southeast Conference, and Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Located in a tropical climate and within the Ring of Fire, this region has great potential for a transition toward renewable energy utilization. The definition of biomass would be critical to determining which technologies and processes would be available to meet possible RES requirements. 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). (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). 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). 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. New financing instruments and tools have been employed to generate wider market participation. Methane is the primary component of natural gas which is used in cooking, heating, chemicals production, and electric power generation. Today, coal is the most widely used fuel for electric power generation in the United States. 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