Energy Information Administration, How is my electricity generated, delivered, and priced?, July 10, 2008, http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/electricity.cfm. 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. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Renewable Resource Data Center, http://www.nrel.gov/rredc/. The Trend and Status of Energy Resources and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Malaysia Power Generation Mix. Also called "combined heat and power." Bhutan has achieved 100 per cent energy access through off-grid energy sources. The projects announced today have been allocated in the categories below: Tribal and Indigenous Interests total commitment of $12.5 million, which includes about $2.3 million for the six projects announced today. Actual job growth may actually be even higher when factoring in better regional competitiveness. Pulp & Paperworkers Resource Council, Mill Closures Chart, 2007, http://www.pprc.info/html/millclosures.htm. Waxman had offered a lower renewable target of 17.5 percent, according to Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), a member of the committee. The investment tax credit is an incentive for domestic investment in renewable energy plant and equipment. The utility segment is by far the . Meanwhile, broad public engagement, in the form of a 30-day public outreach period, was held in mid-September through mid-October with several of platforms offered for additional engagement. Senator Bingaman discussion draft, Title VIII, Renewable Portfolio Standard, 111th Congress. 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. 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. Planning for biomass resources that fails to consider competing uses, may have unintended economic, ecological and environmental consequences. Transportation costs associated with biomass will bear strongly on the decision to site a biomass power facility. 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. Cogeneration is the production of electrical energy and another form of useful energy (such as heat or steam) through the sequential use of energy. North Carolina and South Carolina policymakers have the right idea by requiring regulators to investigate the benefits of establishing organized markets in these states. The need for agricultural chemicals is often lower for perennial biocrops which can mean less pollution from runoff into rivers and streams. 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. The terms RPS and RES (renewable electricity standard) are often used interchangeably, as no material difference exists in program goals. 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. Danielle Jackson, EPA Report Applauds Waste-to-Energy Plants, Waste Age magazine, June 25, 2002, http://wasteage.com/news/waste_epa_report_applauds/. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_c.htm. USDA is focused on maximizing its collective resources to provide the highest level of support and service to Southeast Alaska. These markets are far from perfect in practice, but have directly connected customers to least-cost renewable energy. See http://methanetomarkets.org/ag/index.htm. 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. Energy demand also grew an average of 6% per year, one of the fastest growth rates in the world. 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. All renewable energy sources combined account for about 10% of the U.S. total energy production. LockA locked padlock A clean electricity standard would ensure aspirational goals set by utilities are realized, while market reform would help ensure this happens at least cost. When burned, fossil fuels emit pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which are subject to environmental controls to limit their release to the air. Southeast Alaskas culture, people, and economy are interwoven with the Tongass National Forest. non renewable resources in the southeast regionan implied power is one that brainlyan implied power is one that brainly 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. "There have been at least three different proposals back and forth," Stupak said in a short interview yesterday. See Plasma Gasification at http://www.recoveredenergy.com/d_plasma.html. Southeast State Resources. Pulp & Paper Workers Resource Council. Work continues with southeast Alaska partners on additional projects to meet the strategys initial $25 million commitment. Bioenergy and Biomass Frequently Asked Questions. An official website of the United States government. 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. While new jobs more than replace those lost in coal and gas, some communities will be disproportionately impacted by the transition. 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. 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. 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]. This exciting new partnership will allow us to bring even more conservation benefits to southeast communities that address food security and local agricultural production.. 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. Diversity of biomass resources seems likely to be key to the economic production of biomass-fired power generation. The OneUSDA team employed a four-step assessment process to inform its recommendation for the initial investment of $25 million. With biomass representing the most widely used (and ostensibly the least expensive) renewable energy resource in the United States, its potential use in meeting RES requirements is key to the success of any RES that may be enacted. 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. In 1991, a study62of the availability of biomass in the Southeast identified 27 counties with high potential to generate power from woody biomass. Energies. Manufacturing, industry and services expanded across the region in recent decades. States and electricity suppliers in the southeastern United States have been most vocal in their concern that they may be unfairly burdened by an RES. ) or https:// means you've safely Renewable Energy in Southeast Asia by Courtney Weatherby December 17, 2020 This essay explores the current status and future role of renewable energy in Southeast Asia's power-generation system, reviews obstacles to energy diversification, and analyzes specific policy successes and failures in supporting rapid deployment. 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. See http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090226/testimony_gruenspecht.pdf. 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. 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. Billions of dollars in savings for customers. Renewable energy in Southeast Asia is a growing sector with a market size of $205 billion and capital investments totaling $11 billion between 2020 and 2022. 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 definition of biomass would be critical to determining which technologies and processes would be available to meet possible RES requirements. Sustainable management of forest resources is a basic consideration. 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. What are renewable resources in the Southeast? Creating hundreds of thousands of high-wage jobs in clean energy. 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. 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. 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.. 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. 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. The American Renewable Energy Act, H.R. Introducing a Southeast regional competitive market that optimizes regional transmission and shares resources (key features of other RTOs) would save $384 billion dollars with approximately. 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. By blending suitable biomass into coal boilers for steam generation, "co-firing" with biomass can reduce the amounts of coal used by as much as 20%. Reprinted from Greenwire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. We are grateful for USDAs investment, and we also know more must be done. 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. Near-term potential for renewable energy resources: energy crops (22%); forest residues (18%); crop residues (11%); urban wood residues (6%); biogas (landfills2%; livestock manure1%). See http://www.epa.gov/oms/renewablefuels/420f07062.htm. 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 people who live and work here have inspiring visions for the future, and USDA will continue to support them with investments that promote long-term economic sustainability and honor their values, communities and cultures., For years Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) has worked with private landowners in southeast Alaska to enhance the health and vigor of private forestlands and improve fish and wildlife habitat, said NRCS Alaska State Conservationist Alan D. McBee. Over the past decade, the most rapid growth came from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia and Viet Nam. This analysis compares a simple metric, the cost per megawatt-hour (MWh) of generation, from existing coal plants and new wind and solar plants. The Southeast Asian renewable energy market is changing rapidly. http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview/elec-ovr-rps.pdf. In contrast, the current utility-led planning regime is an inefficient patchwork system. E-mail from Southern Company, March 30, 2009. The needs of other, possibly competing, uses for biomass are considerations if biomass resources are to be sustained while meeting projected uses. In addition, methane34 can be captured from the livestock wastes and burned to produce steam for electricity. Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. Monopoly utilities plan their electric grids independently from their neighbors and impose fees called wheeling charges to ship power across successive utility transmission systems. 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. The pulp and paper industry has another wood waste fuel source in "black liquor," a by-product of the pulping process. 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. Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from the same types of biomass feedstock as could be used for biomass electric power generation. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from biomass sources are considered practically neutral, as biomass sources take in CO2 during their growing cycle and release it when burned. But renewable energy technologies (with the exception of basic biomass combustion) are relatively newly developed and costlier than fossil fuels to produce electricity. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Recently, Duke and Southern confirmed they are considering a centralized, region-wide, intra-hour energy exchange called the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM). 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. The next section discusses current and future possible sources of biomass and technologies for renewable energy. The region is home to 44% of the nation's total energy from woody biomass and a significant portion of other biomass types.25 Not all biomass is recognized as "eligible" to meet federal RES requirements due to differences in federal legislation and tax provisions defining biomass. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1975. Wave, tidal energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion could be tapped, to provide alternative sources of clean and dependable energy in the region. These factors will help determine whether further biomass development can help the region economically meet projected requirements of an RES. The Alaska-based, USDA intra-agency team is co-led by Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Forest Service.