Southeastern Region Report - American Council on Renewable Energy 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 need for agricultural chemicals is often lower for perennial biocrops which can mean less pollution from runoff into rivers and streams. After 2012, renewable fuel use is required to grow in volume as gasoline demand grows. The OneUSDA team employed a four-step assessment process to inform its recommendation for the initial investment of $25 million. This auction will not only offset polluting emissions, but also improve fair and transparent power project procurement and promote energy security and independence for Laos. 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.. Generators of existing renewable energy facilities (placed in service before January 1, 2006) would receive non-tradable credits for the power they generate under the proposal in Senator Bingaman's RPS discussion draft. This included virtual Open Houses, an online feedback tool, an information-filled website, and a dedicated email address for submitting input, letters, and/or existing plans or specific investment proposals. 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. Retrieved from Raysonho . Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. Thestrategy to be undertaken on the Tongass National Forest and in Southeast Alaska includes four primary components: As a part of the strategy, the Secretary of Agriculture made an initial commitment of $25 million to the region. 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. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_g.htm. Kung Ven has been hired as WSP USA's energy business line leader for the Southeast region, according to a company press release. Sustainable management of forest resources is a basic consideration. 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. The initial $25 million investment will be divided into four broad categories: USDAs initial commitment of $25 million to support investment efforts is a positive, near-term commitment in the regions long-term potential to support a diverse economy, conserve natural resources, and improve community resiliency. endstream
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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. If you wish to learn more the India inquiry, reach out to Saksham Nijhawan at S . Will Lithium Follow The Super-Cycle Of Mining? Chapter 4 highlights regional and national targets and examines the policy and institutional frameworks for scaling up renewables across the region. CRS Report RL34059, The Carbon Cycle: Implications for Climate Change and Congress, by [author name scrubbed]. 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. A "Renewable Electricity Deployment Fund," proposed in H.R. 709 W. 9th Street
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-Gb7m,Xd/>a)~yf}xw>y `6{R1gL+S!A!{c[=yH . 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. 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. Feb 27, 2023 - Mar 1, 2023. Biomass Power Association (BPA). The locations selected were bounded by a 280-mile radius to allow for a four-hour maximum one-way haul, and trucks offloading biomass every 15 minutes. Renewable Portfolio Standards. Out of the seven states included in the model, only North Carolina has a meaningful renewable portfolio standard. Electricity not used on-site to power equipment may be made available for sale on the grid. 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 definition of what constitutes biomass has varied over time with changes in law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and evolution of potential uses. 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. Since the USDAs initial announcement about the strategy, more than 289 investment proposals have been brought forward totaling more than $276 million, which indicates both a need and excitement for home-grown, local priorities that reflect the values and peoples of the region., Southeast Conference is excited to be a part of this game-changing shift in the One USDA approach to partnering in economic development throughout our Tongass communities, said Robert Venables, Executive Director for Southeast Conference. Sustainable management of southeastern woody biomass supplies could help to meet any RES target. The latter study used geographic information system (GIS) techniques to examine the theoretical effects of transportation infrastructure, distance, and biomass types on potential bioenergy projects in the 27 counties. 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. Sign up to receive clean energy updates in your inbox. 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. 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. 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. 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. 27 Thus, wood waste may be burned in biomass boilers specifically for "hog fuel" (basically wood waste other than lignin) to produce steam for process uses and electricity generation.28. The American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 "discussion draft" introduced by Representatives Waxman and Markey draws upon H.R. 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. In contrast, the current utility-led planning regime is an inefficient patchwork system. For more on Fischer-Tropsch technologies, see CRS Report RL34133, Fischer-Tropsch Fuels from Coal, Natural Gas, and Biomass: Background and Policy, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_b.htm. It calls for a range of policies, such as low-interest loans and strong state interconnection standards that enable new renewables to link to the grid. The Trend and Status of Energy Resources and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Malaysia Power Generation Mix. 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. U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source. To understand geography . Abstract Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. Access to the resource is critical to a facility's economic feasibility. Having a financially viable forest products sector producing wood wastes is important to the biomass power industry. Traditionally regulated electricity markets dominate most of the Southeast, Northwest and much of the West (excluding California). 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. 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. What are renewable resources in the Southeast? VCEs WIS:dom model also incorporates electricity distribution infrastructure savings from deploying distributed storage and solar resources. 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. 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. A dozen or so moderate and conservative committee Democrats want to lower the target. The Southeast is one of the country's fastest growing economic sectors and one of the only regions without a competitive wholesale electricity market. February 23, 2009. Nationwide, Black Americans are exposed to 1.5 times as much PM 2.5 compared to white Americans. Actual job growth may actually be even higher when factoring in better regional competitiveness. See http://wood.tennessee.edu/NR/rdonlyres/70B5D4FC-FAAB-4DF3-A291-45E39CA5C99A/1310/EconomicAvailabilityofWoodyBiomass.pdf. These recovery and biomass boilers are responsible for most of the energy generated by the forest products (biomass) sector, either as steam heat for process uses, or electricity generated for on-site use. In past years, much of this material was either plowed under to reconstitute the soil, left for livestock forage, or was gathered to make straw. In 1991, a study62of the availability of biomass in the Southeast identified 27 counties with high potential to generate power from woody biomass. 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. Map of pulp and paper mill closures. (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images), WECs Angela Wilkinson: A Voice Of Reason In The Energy And Climate Discussion. Let's dive in to see what this Coal Cost Crossover analysis can tell us about coal plants in the Southeast. 80% of contracts to add new renewables to the system by large energy buyers have been in organized competitive wholesale markets, said Bryn Baker, Director of Policy Innovation at the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance. Does this mean we can just turn off all of these coal plants tomorrow? Engaging in meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations. website belongs to an official government organization in the
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. This blog post examines the land use implications of various energy technologies -- particularly solar. It gives an overview of the ORE status of the region in terms of its potential and existing policies that support the utilization of ORE as an alternative source of energy. 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. SCCO Podcasts Factor This! 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. See http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090226/testimony_gruenspecht.pdf. The efficiency of boilers at these levels of biomass input is not affected and resulting overall air emissions are reduced.31 In the future, much of the biomass co-fired in coal plants may come from biocrops. 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]. 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 CO2 emissions from energy production has garnered increasing public support. 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. The paper is a survey of existing research and assessments by the federal government and other experts. 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. The Responsible Energy Initiative is seeking funding partners to deliver the outcomes across the Southeast Asia region. 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. 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. Manufacturing, industry and services expanded across the region in recent decades. The American Renewable Energy Act, H.R. The group aims to build renewable energy capacity of 5,000 megawatts across Southeast by 2025. Natural Resources total commitment of $6.25 million, which includes about $3 million for nine projects announced today. But this modest proposal appears to extend rather than limit utilities power to retain expensive coal generation, ignoring billions in annual savings. This increased renewable generation plays a significant role in advancing sustainability goals and reducing carbon outputs. 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. Coal-fired power plants are major sources of toxic air pollution, so phasing out uneconomic coal dramatically improves air quality. Lignin is the "glue-like" substance which holds woody plant fibers together. "Malaysia is endowed with vast renewable energy resources such as biomass and solar. 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. Join us for three days to advance your understanding of new policy and opportunities that will equip your business with the necessary skills to compete in the ever-developing industry. 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. 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. Much of the impetus for the contribution of biomass sources and technologies to the national energy picture originated in a federal law5 originally viewed as a natural gas conservation measure, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). Download Free PDF View PDF. 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. For more information, please visit www.usaidcleanpowerasia.org. Southeast State Resources. 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. 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. Wood wastes from saw mills is a primary source of energy used by the biopower industry in its power plants, but if sufficient numbers of these mills go out of business, then the economics of biopower operations could change.52 There is little doubt that logging operations leave behind considerable waste wood in the forests, but going into the forest specifically to collect wood wastes may not be cost effective for biopower companies.53. 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/. 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.. Renewable energy, particularly solar, is poised for significant growth in the southeastern United States. "The Economic Availability of Biomass in the Southeastern United States," by T. Young, D. Ostermeier, J. Thomas, R. Brooks. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) called the RES a "moving target." You may opt-out by. Incremental progress may be on the horizon. We are grateful for USDAs investment, and we also know more must be done. Creating hundreds of thousands of high-wage jobs in clean energy. 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. Today, coal is the most widely used fuel for electric power generation in the United States. http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview/elec-ovr-rps.pdf. 26 These definitions have varied over time with changes in the law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and technological change. 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. "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. Introduced by Senators Udall and Udall on February 12, 2009. 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. Confederation of European Paper Industries, Bio-energy and the European Pulp and Paper Industry. 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. They contend there is a lack of wind or solar resources that can be delivered economically.
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