EcoRadio

Category: Energy Matters

The twentieth century way of life has been made available, largely due to the miracle of cheap energy. The price of energy has been at record lows for the past century and a half.As oil becomes increasingly scarce, it is becoming obvious to everyone, that the rapid economic and industrial growth we have enjoyed for that time is not sustainable.Now, the hunt is on. For renewable sources of energy, for alternative sources of energy, for a way of life that is less dependent on cheap energy. 

  • Agribusiness calls for relief on fuel prices

    “And businesses will not thank governments for further complicating GST calculations by removing it from the excise component.

    Fuel excise was brought in originally to ensure that fuel was priced at a level which ensured that Australian motorists paid ‘world’ price and that proper conservation of the resource occurred.

    The tax was also intended to encourage more efficient fuel use and support the development of viable alternatives.

    “When the GST was introduced, excise was reduced, in part, to compensate for the new tax, and, in part, to replace the state fuel taxes,” he said.

    Mr Crosby said various Governments have rationalised the tax mix in many ways over the years, including making road-users pay their way.

    “The problem with this logic is the value of the excise has grown to some seven times the value of expenditure on our roads,” Mr Crosby said.

    “A reduction, or even elimination of the excise can be justified on the grounds that the world market for fuels has passed any reasonable level that may have previously required some Government intervention to check demand or encourage alternatives.”

  • Media misses the point with Fuel Watch fiasco

    “Fuel Watch at best could make a difference of one or two cents. If we can increase transparency and get rid of uncompetitive practices, reducing the price by one or two cents, then it is worth doing. The Greens are open to being convinced that it will do so.

    “But Fuel Watch, fuel excise and the Cabinet leaks are a major distraction. They are chicken feed compared with the underlying driver of the rise in oil prices.

    “People out in the real world realise that Brendan Nelson and the Prime Minister’s initiatives were both overtaken in a single day by the oil price rise last week. If oil goes to $150-$200 a barrel, one or two cents is not going to make an iota of difference to those struggling to pay fuel costs to get to work.

    “The only thing that will make a difference in the real world is providing alternatives to driving. Until other options are available, Australians will have to keep paying through the nose for polluting fuels to keep them stuck in traffic.

    “Mr Rudd, Dr Nelson and everyone else should be looking at investing serious funds in mass transit, fuel efficiency and alternative fuels, not just having a political brawl in Canberra.”

  • Sacramento proposes solar steam train

    Thermal solar energy collectors will be erected over portions of the site having deed restrictions for industrial use only, thus converting a toxic problem into a renewable energy production facility. This energy will be used to charge and recharge the fireless locomotive,which then has a very short distance to service on the popular tourist train.

    As part of a District Energy System , the PG&E steam plant on Jibboom Street can be re-used to support not only the Solar Train – it will also provide energy security for development of the River-front & Rail-yards area.

    We are approaching owners and stakeholders with this proposal. Upon approval from these, second round funding will be raised to purchase at least one fireless locomotive and for preparation of support facilities including construction of the Solar Steam Plant. With restoration of historic locomotive shops we will also be recycling a facility too long underused that at one time employed 7000 area residents and supported transportation to the entire region.

     

  • Ohio bets on corn based ethanol

    Jill Dewert in the Times Bulletin

    There’s no doubt that many Americans are looking for alternative energy sources in response to the rising cost of fuel. What isn’t clear – at least across the board – is what that answer is.

    “I think there’s a lot of discussion about using bio energy – whether that’s ethanol, biodiesel, etcetera,” said Van Wert County OSU Extension Agent Andy Kleinschmidt. “The upside is that we have the ability to use existing resources and we don’t have to import – we can grow it in our backyard.”

    Kleinschmidt added the other side of the debate is that products like ethanol are somehow raising the cost of food.

    “Some people say that ethanol is causing it, others say ethanol has little or nothing to do with it and the cost of oil is causing it. The sides go back and forth,” said Kleinschmidt.

    Mark Bateman and Nancy Kukay of Van Wert Energy, the company seeking to build an ethanol plant in Van Wert County, are campaigning to educate area citizens about ethanol and the value of agriculture to the community.

    “We want to start with agricultural statistics and work into some ethanol statistics and let everybody decide in their minds, in the next six to eight months when I go before the board of zoning, if they want us here or not,” said Bateman, who added that the company is currently in an offering with the Ohio SECC, which prohibits discussion of specific details regarding the proposed plant in Van Wert County at this time.

    In January of this year, Gov. Ted Strickland signed Executive Order 2007-02 that established an energy adviser to the governor to coordinate the state’s efforts to create jobs through becoming a leader in the production of next generation energy. In a press release at that time, Strickland said, “One of the core principles of my Turnaround Ohio plan is to invest in Ohio’s strengths. Clearly, energy production is one of those strengths. I am convinced that we can create thousands of good-paying jobs by encouraging next-generation energy production in Ohio including ethanol, clean coal, wind and solar.”

    Ohio is behind the rest of the states currently producing ethanol, but new plants are popping up, with one being as close as Lima. Bateman contended that a competitor, specifically E85 fuel, is the only thing that will hold down the price of the barrel of oil.

    “The price of corn is going up and it’s raised the price of food by four percent, but the cost of food has doubled,” said Bateman. “It’s total energy that’s the culprit. A barrel of oil has gone from $60 dollars to $135. That reflects through everything out there.”

    Kukay added, “In the broader sense, we’re all wrestling with how to address the energy needs.”

    Although Ohio isn’t the top producer of corn in the nation, it does rank sixth in grain production. Gas stations already use 10 percent ethanol in the gas blends, according to Bateman. That 10 percent alone has to come from somewhere. An ethanol plant in the county would provide a local market for corn.

    Although Kleinschmidt could not vouch for every side of the argument, good or bad, he did said a local market is a boon for local agriculture.

    “I think any industry that is using an agricultural product – an ethanol plant or new livestock operation, or something else – anything that is using that output of corn and soybeans is good for the agriculture economy by providing an agricultural market,” said Kleinschmidt.

    Agriculture alone does not provide a vast amount of jobs and ethanol plants historically do not provide as many jobs as some manufacturing facilities. However, Kukay said the benefits of both cannot be ignored. Farmers must buy expensive equipment, fuel, seed, homes and pay taxes.

    “We’ve tended, in Ohio and the country at large, to equate large numbers of jobs with prosperity and growth. The Honda plant would be a good example of bringing in 1,500 jobs. Because no one farm employees that many people, they don’t see that as having an economic benefit, but it sure does,” said Kukay. “Agriculture is manufacturing in a different sense and still bringing lots of money for the community. It just takes a different way of looking at things.”

    Kleinschmidt agreed that there is a “tremendous” amount of money wrapped up in agriculture. Looking at gross sales, there is around an $80 million dollar industry in Van Wert County alone. Not all of that goes back into Van Wert County, but a significant portion does.

    “When you have strength in agriculture, that tends to attract other agricultural-related businesses,” said Kukay. “It makes the farm implement stores, grain elevators and the local retail places prosperous. In Ohio, when we’re having so many economic problems, you have to be able to capitalize on what your strengths is. In Van Wert County, that strength is agriculture right now.”

  • Bats dying in wind turbines across US

    Dead bats are turning up beneath wind turbines all over the world. Bat fatalities have now been documented at nearly every wind facility in North America where adequate surveys for bats have been conducted, and several of these sites are estimated to cause the deaths of thousands of bats per year. This unanticipated and unprecedented problem for bats has moved to the forefront of conservation and management efforts directed toward this poorly understood group of mammals. The mystery of why bats die at turbine sites remains unsolved. Is it a simple case of flying in the wrong place at the wrong time? Are bats attracted to the spinning turbine blades? Why are so many bats colliding with turbines compared to their infrequent crashes with other tall, human-made structures?

    Although these questions remain unanswered, potential clues can be found in the patterns of fatalities. Foremost, the majority of bats killed by wind turbines are species that rely on trees as roosts throughout the year and migrate long distances; we call these species “migratory tree bats.” Currently, migratory tree bats compose more than three quarters of the bat fatalities observed at wind energy sites. The other striking pattern is that the vast majority of bat fatalities at wind turbines occur during late summer and autumn. This seasonal peak in fatalities coincides with periods of both autumn migration and mating behavior of tree bats. Seasonal involvement of species with shared behaviors indicates that behavior plays a key role in the susceptibility of bats to wind turbines, and that migratory tree bats might actually be attracted to wind turbines.

    Despite patterns indicating that bat fatalities at turbines are somehow associated with migration and mating behavior, and that attraction may occur, these hypotheses have not been tested. At present, it is unclear whether bats killed by turbines are local residents, migrants moving through the area, bats actively mating, or some combination of these things. Further complicating matters is the fact that some of the species that die in smaller numbers at wind turbines are not known to migrate, although migratory habits of many bat populations are unknown and some of these species may actually do so. Addressing these important topics is crucial to future efforts aimed at mitigating the impact of wind turbines on bat populations. Knowing whether most of the bats killed by wind turbines are actively migrating, mating, or attracted to turbines will make it easier to direct effective mitigation efforts and assess risk before turbines are built.

  • US aims for 20 percent wind power by 2030

    “DOE’s wind report is a thorough look at America’s wind resource, its industrial capabilities, and future energy prices, and confirms the viability and commercial maturity of wind as a major contributor to America’s energy needs, now and in the future,” DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the U.S. Department of Energy Andy Karsner,  said.  “To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security, clean power generation at the gigawatt-scale will be necessary, and will require us to take a comprehensive approach to scaling renewable wind power, streamlining siting and permitting processes, and expanding the domestic wind manufacturing base.”
     
    Included in the report are an examination of America’s technological and manufacturing capabilities, the future costs of energy sources, U.S. wind energy resources, and the environmental and economic impacts of wind development.  Under the 20% wind scenario, installations of new wind power capacity would increase to more than 16,000 megawatts per year by 2018, and continue at that rate through 2030.

    “The report shows that wind power can provide 20% of the nation’s electricity by 2030, and be a critical part of the solution to global warming,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher.  “This level of wind power is the equivalent of taking 140 million cars off the road,” he said.  “The report identifies the central constraints to achieving 20% – transmission, siting, manufacturing and technology – and demonstrates how each can be overcome.  As an inexhaustible domestic resource, wind strengthens our energy security, improves the quality of the air we breathe, slows climate change, and revitalizes rural communities.”

    The report finds that achieving a 20 percent wind contribution to U.S. electricity supply would:

    • Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation by 25 percent in 2030.
    • Reduce natural gas use by 11%;
    • Reduce water consumption associated with electricity generation by 4 trillion gallons by 2030;
    • Increase annual revenues to local communities to more than $1.5 billion by 2030; and
    • Support roughly 500,000 jobs in the U.S., with an average of more than 150,000 workers directly employed by the wind industry.

    At 20% of electric power generation, significant growth in the manufacturing supply chain would create jobs and remedy the current shortage in parts for wind turbines. 

    Reducing the use of natural gas could save money for consumers due to the resulting downward pressure on the price of natural gas, according to AWEA.
     
    “We must look at meeting future electric demands in a cost-effective way,” said Suedeen Kelly, FERC Commissioner.  “The 20% wind scenario would only cost 2 percent more than the cost of the baseline scenario without wind.  At 50 cents per month for the average ratepayer, that is a small price to pay for the climate, water, natural gas, and energy security benefits it would buy–and it does not even count the stability provided to consumers by eliminating fuel price risk.”

    “Though economic and other factors will ultimately determine our energy future, we believe the 20 percent wind scenario is feasible, but only with a major national transmission highway system.  Delivering power from the best windy regions to the growing urban supply requires a bigger, stronger transmission system. Strong regional and interregional planning as well as broad allocation of costs will allow the United States to rely on a broader diversity of generation resources,” said Mike Heyeck, Senior VP of AEP Transmission.

    The report comes at an important time in wind development.  In 2007, wind was one of the fastest growing sources of electricity in the nation, second only to natural gas for the third consecutive year.  According to an AWEA report released last week, the U.S. wind energy industry continued new installations at a breakneck pace in the first quarter of 2008, putting 1,400 megawatts (MW) or approximately $3 billion worth of new generating capacity in place–enough to serve the equivalent of 400,000 homes–coupled with investment in 17 new manufacturing facilities over the past year.

    “Wind is an important part of BP Alternative Energy’s business and of BP’s diverse energy portfolio. Siting and wildlife issues will be a challenge, but AWEA and industry leaders are committed to working with stakeholders to make wind the environmental electricity choice,” said Bob Lukefahr, President, Power Americas, BP Alternative Energy North America.  “This report underscores the benefits of diversifying our electricity sources.  Growing to 20% wind requires investment in new manufacturing and capital projects, an estimated 500,000 jobs, and brings rural economic development across the country.”

    Background

    In 2006, President Bush articulated a national imperative for greater energy efficiency and a more diversified energy portfolio. Citing wind energy as part of the solution, he noted that areas of the nation with good wind resources could satisfy up to 20 percent of America’s total electricity demand.

    Subsequently, government and industry came together to thoroughly explore the feasibility of generating 20 percent of U.S. electricity from wind by 2030 and produced this joint report to aid policy-makers and the public in better understanding the issues, investments, and likely outcomes associated with pursuing this objective.

    To download the full report, please go to www.20percentwind.org.