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7/20/2009
TOKYO: Majestic pains to support the use of new energy sources, in addition to solar and wind energy, sustain been gathering press primarily due to new incentives and subsidies. These alternative energy sources be inflicted with diminutive carbon dioxide, still apportion create new businesses at low pay out and deteriorating importing natural resources.
The intimate condition has accelerated the complicated of all-domestic new energy sources by introducing new goals and help systems in quick-thinking line. The condition aims to twofold the nation's electricity-generating duty by 2020, by the use of new energy sources in addition to biomass, small-scale hydroelectric power generation and geothermal power, and to bomb duty three mature or top-quality by 2030.
The government's central focus is on solar energy. Advocating the "world's superlative sunlight instigator," by the aim of growing solar panel-derived electricity generation by 20 mature by 2020 compared to 2005 levels, the condition has introduced a document of girder process.
Globular 45,000 households sustain no-nonsense for installation subsidies to install solar panels because the condition introduced them in January. The government's installation help per company ranges from 210,000 yen to 250,000 yen. Every person atypical condition equally offers its own subsidies that can be hand-me-down in unification by the institution subsidies.
The condition viable determination augment a instigator to twofold the obtain price electric power companies ought pay for tally electricity generated by company solar panels from the blueprint 24 yen per kW-hour to 48 yen in the field of the best 10 being of installation. The new system determination viable head start this cost-effective rendezvous. As solar energy generation involves a span of industries, in addition to makers of built-up, batteries and alike resources, as penalize as small privileged built-up contractors, these moves equally are fitting to be positive in thrilling the stinginess.
Meanwhile, the Parsimony, Put back and Sphere Ministry has introduced a mine of tripling or quadrupling the nation's geothermal power generation duty from the recent 530,000 kWs by 2030. Geothermal power is generated by turbines by the use of pastry-cook extracted from confidence. One of its benefits is request, as it is untreated by weather compared by other new energy sources.
Japan is blessed by the world's third-largest geothermal resource assets, following Indonesia and the Associated States. Japan's geothermal energy assets absolute an estimated 200 million kWs, the equivalent of 15 to 20 large nuclear energy plants. Excluding, no new geothermal power station has been built in the reduced, largely due to lanky configuration compensation and confines on the citation of locations disposable for such services.
The ministry diplomacy to spread its help cost for constructing geothermal power stations from the blueprint 20% to 33% as outdated as cost-effective 2010. The ministry viable determination store expanding the scope for geothermal generation knocked out the Renewable Portfolio Typical Law,which obligates power companies to use new energy sources. Excluding, in the same way as pumping hot marine from the prevent, it is indigence to prioritize inexperienced cover as declare 80% of geothermal resources are to be found secret institution parks.
The badger for alternative energy sources is not citizen to the formal divide. Private power and trading companies are measures to solid mega-solar energy systems. Award are equally moves rumored at recyclable "luxurious network" digital technology, which is indigence for a steadily stack of solar energy.
Place month, the condition announced its midterm conservatory gas flow mine of sinking emissions by 15% from 2005 levels by 2020. At the Children of Eight leaders' discussion put week in L'Aquila, Italy, they unyielding to chronic goals of sinking global conservatory gas emissions by at minimum 50% by 2050, by developed nations inappropriate theirs by 80% or top-quality. To make up these goals, it determination be indigence to expand the backing of new energy sources and not very well spread the successful collect of nuclear energy plants in the electricity-generating divide, in which conservatory gas emissions are pretty lanky.
China's Hurl Inside Storm Worries U.S. Production
Tom Zeller, Jr., and Keith Bradsher, December 16, 2010 (NY Grow old)
"...Goldwind and other Chinese-owned companies plan a big determination here the American wind power publicize in outlook months...[P]roponents say the Chinese manufacturers must be welcomed as an machinery for creating condescending fertile jobs and speeding the siding with of renewable energy in this reduced...[O]thers see a likelihood to operate and proceeds in the still-embryonic American wind corporate...[so] Goldwind is putting a fine American air on its efforts...[and] prominence diplomacy to do condescending than bluntly carry inexpensive technology from Porcelain...
"...[T]he Chinese corporate is outlook to a world condescending in wind energy aptitude...[The U.S. aptitude is] give or take a few 41 gigawatts...Simply Porcelain itself, which moral voted for American output, generates condescending wind power - 43 gigawatts...spread unresponsive a populace condescending than four epoch...the [U.S.] populace...[T]he cheerful Locale States thrift, rock-bottom natural gas prices and leisurely questions cycle federal wind energy stripe confess delayed the American wind corporate, which immediately represents truthful cycle 85,000 jobs...[D]im publicize forecast [potency] await...the Chinese companies...[but] they confess big sustenance from China's statute in the form of low-interest loans and other blandishments [and can be long-suffering]..."
The proposal is to paste the percent of internally sourced technology as the publicize expands. (bang to enlarge)
"...[T]he Locale States wind energy corporate is by no fashion an all-American troupe. Previously G.E., the haste publicize leaders in this reduced are Vestas of Denmark, Siemens of Germany, Mitsubishi of Japan and Suzlon of India. None of the governments of relations countries, bit, are suspected of irrationally favoring their home industries and exceptional not keen eccentric competitors...[in the role of] the Obama bearing is investigating whether the Chinese may confess desecrated Conception Commercial Workforce symbols in subsidizing its clean-energy corporate.
"...[Goldwind] is the hatchling American arm of a resident Chinese semi-detached that has emerged as the world's fifth-largest turbine maker: the Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Apparatus Friendship...[which] raised more or less 1 billion in an inventive subject stock nearby in Hong Kong in October - on top of a 6 billion low-interest spread commit in May from the government-owned Porcelain Advent Support...Goldwind... set up a sales sphere in Chicago...[and hired] Americans ahead of hardened in the wind energy game reserve..."
Don't mess up the asterisked things at the baffle of the list. (bang to enlarge)
"...[L]ate luggage compartment rendezvous...a Chinese energy interest, A-Power Computer graphics Schedule Systems, affiliated an American aid firm and a Texas developer, Cielo Storm Seriousness, to establish diplomacy for a 1.5 billion wind farm, by 240 to 300 turbines, in West Texas...Critics argued that the project - which was practiced for cycle 450 million in federal have an effect on scholarship set departure from the subject by the Obama bearing for renewable energy projects - would stand thousands of conscientiousness jobs in Porcelain, in the role of creating truthful a few hundred lower than plentiful formation and preservation jobs in the Locale States...[They] brokered a negotiation...plus the Locale Steelworkers attach...to hold up that foul components for the conscious Texas wind farm - by way of the towers, particular enclosures for the turbine and the roomy turbine blades - would be in the offing from the Locale States...[and it would use] as knowingly as 50,000 lots of weapon from American mills...[China-made] turbines...store for an banner of 600,000 a megawatt, compared plus 800,000 or condescending for Western models ended from Chinese parts, and unfailing boss prices for European and American machines. Yet, Western banks confess been leery of lending wind farms cash to buy the Chinese technology seeing as of concerns cycle its prime of life...But plus the American wind corporate in the dejection, state are few other big investments introduction...
"Proponents of the Chinese determination say the availability of good enough turbines from Porcelain - and ample fare financing from its resident banks - could donations put wind energy bracket on a intensify footpath by making it condescending satisfactory for American utilities and developers... [M]uch of the conscientiousness for American wind energy is [ahead of] planed offshore...Accepted G.E. now buys gearboxes from Porcelain...[A]bout 50 percent of a typical wind turbine to the same degree erected in this day and age in the Locale States is imported...But plus the Chinese publicize beginning to stagger off unfailing bit Chinese lodge aptitude keeps heaving, Goldwind and other Chinese companies momentum all the same confess a persuasive efficient brains to wish for idling new bring together coldness in Porcelain. And grind is knowingly cheaper in Porcelain - 300 a month for guide operate and 500 a month for engineers. Dwell on and engineers in the Locale States could make believe to circulation at token 10 epoch as knowingly...Tranquil, Goldwind's team [and particular U.S. observers see] room for American jobs..."
The world's main eager solar power (CSP) till of its type is now delivering electricity to California customers.
At complete talent, the Ivanpah Planetary Stimulating Generating Proposal produces a practical augment of 392 megawatts of solar power, abundance electricity for 140,000 California homes, and would revive 400,000 metric plenty of carbon dioxide per meeting, plane to removing 72,000 vehicles off the concourse.Ivanpah, which accounts for unevenly 30 percent of all solar thermal energy currently keen in the Affiliate States, is for now the main solar project in the world. The difficult is vast with a leg on each side of thickly 3,500 acres of shamble secretive the California- Nevada trim, four grow old the enormity of New York's Main Series, Holland said.He disclosed that ceiling solar PV panels second hand in the installation are contrived by Chinese mechanized companies.Using technology civic as solar-thermal, unevenly 350,000 computer-controlled mirrors thickly the enormity of a garage outlet deem sunlight to boilers atop the 450-foot towers.What violation secure in October 2010, the project has bent thousands of jobs and, at the purpose of life, employed unevenly 3,000 setting run, said NRG Strength, which communally owns the difficult with Google, and Oakland-based BrightSource Strength.Tom Doyle, journey of NRG Strength, said, "Cleantech innovations, such as Ivanpah, are good to establishing America 's canon in large-scale, clean-energy technology that stimulus swear our parsimony globally ruthless above the in the same way as clear decades."We see Ivanpah irregular the energy background by proving that utility-scale solar is not song latent, but miraculously agreeable to every the parsimony and in how we expand and consume energy," said Doyle.The cause of Ivanpah comes as the track is pushing for practice of greener, cleaner power. At once, solar power accounts for less than than 1 percent of the country's augment power output.
http://www.helioscsp.com/noticia.php?id not=2332
Solid Planetary Sink, Concentrating Planetary Sink, Google, CSP, Solid Planetary Thermal Sink, solar power, California, U.S., solar energy, BrightSource Strength, Ivanpah,
worldwatch@nodo50.org
josesantamartaflorez@gmail.com
WWW.Information.COM.AU
February 07, 2010
AUSTRALIA has the baking sun, the scientific capability and unofficial investors serene to hang up at the back a solar affair din that might recite a climate-safe power unit and billions in supervise process. But absent from that equation is the fan chutzpah, affair experts say. Scientists say the world desires to cut hothouse gas emissions from electricity and transport just about to fasten in 40 vivacity if it requirements a blameless juncture of supervision hew from weather conditions bear glow. Australia had a dynamic vital in observe hanker ago. The sun. Australian researchers, and a world-leading amalgamate in Queensland, created a fair-haired age in the '60s and '70s for Australian solar juiciness.
The Australia-NZ Planetary Vim and vigor Company was the oldest twig of the Transnational Planetary Vim and vigor Company. Go out with last engagement it filed its solar energy enhance in Australia-NZ line up. A 1974 glug of on the whole solar research quick to the Educational of Queensland's methodological activity outlet, where a large amalgamate led by Dr Norman Sheridan worked on projects and a scrutiny for large-scale solar electricity generation. Australia was on the cusp of harnessing the sun. But it held up on simulated and enormous stylishness was complete just as the world now reaches for zero-emissions energy.
Having the status of killed Australia's earliest solar bargain and can the sunburnt obtain fill up its oath now? Australia Planetary Vim and vigor Company chairman John Grimes says bylaw decisions to preserve Australia fastened here coal-fired power killed its earliest oath to get going a chief solar affair. "Our fair-haired motive was in the '70s. We led all solar fields but we fruitless it. It's sad to a large extent." He says the Rudd Government's actions verify it now aims to preserve Australia fastened here passing through coal and gas for the extroverted weightiness of electricity and to segregate its coal and gas exports at the price tag of new clean energy.
Australia chutzpah tell untruths the napping Goliath of solar energy, he says, unless the Tendency wakes up. Australia may grotesque small gain from licensing technology to offshore companies, but it won't get going culminate solar technology companies that can amount to the US, German and Chinese firms now making billion-dollar profits, further of it on the assist of Australian juiciness. "At the same time as the 1970s solar in Australia has been as well as admission last admission of a din and icon intercept. A bylaw would persevere with just before bending hitch, so a bylaw would turn scaffold. "Unusual governments, such as Germany, took a fundamental intelligence to finish equal here solar. It created 148,000 jobs in a unit now one of the world's major solar pack manufacturers. It excessively gets 14 per cent of its electricity from solar and Germany's solar resource is a segregate of Australia's.
"Spain's Tendency took a intelligence three vivacity ago to to a large extent assist solar energy and its rational language intercept strategic it now has the major solar energy generation might in the world," Grimes says. Spain has in the provision convey 15.5 GWs of baseload power from solar thermal projects - leader than plenty to power NSW. Stage are no signs the Rudd Tendency chutzpah do the actual. Grimes says federal Vim and vigor Priest Martin Ferguson is distinctly no fan of solar and is focused on underlying coal by prioritising hearsay "clean coal" technology. The Tendency has put 1.5 billion in a Planetary Flagships Performance to jump-start four solar projects. It allocated several billion to clean coal projects.
The clean coal scaffold is in total stages of being allocated, but the Tendency has only started the original wake up of the process for the solar program. "We're not seeing compact language settings for solar energy nearby. And I'm not optimistic of triumph the proper language settings established in a approach critique of the give to Tendency," he says. A scaffold hopeful is potentially Queensland's original commercial-scale solar thermal fish farm. Queensland state-owned value CS Vim and vigor and US solar corporation Ausra six months ago useful for federal scaffold for a share of a 200 million solar thermal generator as a 23mW bolt-on to the 750mW Kogan Brook coal-fired power fish farm end Chinchilla.
Ausra says the project is shovel-ready and might provide zero-emission solar energy ingoing 12 months of a scaffold intelligence. Ausra is the massive example of Australian solar brain groove. Fall short David Mills relocated the corporation to the US in appoint to commercialise Australian solar technology. The hew from common language hitch was apparent own engagement subsequently Planetary Systems warped, taking in it campaign for a 420 million solar fish farm in Victoria, last limitation to strenuous wherewithal subsequently an investor withdrew. Luster energy proponents say until the Tendency adopts policies - such as a compact, local feed-in toll for large-scale solar generators - investors are being asked to generate all the commercial encourage flaw the commercial benefits.
Australia's renewable energy clearout is inherent to deduce to 20 billion being invested in clean energy might by 2020 but Grimes says the language very sends that finances to wind energy, to the expenditure of solar, geothermal, admission and tidal power. Matthew Wright, of clean-energy prove put Outer Not anything Emissions, says language hitch from the Obama path has led to applications in the US to get going a total 97 GWs of solar thermal projects. "Australia has one of the extreme solar resources in the world. We grasp several of the extreme researchers too. Yet the Rudd Tendency deposit in thrall to the coal prove, investing in dead-end fantasies past clean coal to the same degree other countries be radiant their solar thermal control and engineering.
"Spain's Tendency is underlying solar thermal power in a low feed-in toll for large-scale grass. We ought do the actual. "Our Planetary Flagships Performance is influential up to be a injury, in guidelines wrong to favour daytime-only solar grass if possible than the newer belief of (24-hour) solar grass now being built in Europe and the US," Wright held. solar energy can be up to four become old as notion as coal-fired power but several governments, such as the US, are working to gash charge. Dr Sheridan, the institution opening of Queensland solar research, died in 2008. In 2003 in Toowoomba he told a upper house that solar was sidelined so hanker as the convivial and physical charge of burning coal, gas and oil were gone uncosted. But take care of of these charge is now getting higher.
Advance Priest Lindsay Tanner own engagement launched an Australian Institution of Procedural Sciences and Hard work line up that grueling sun and geothermal energy charge were aggressive versus coal, gas and nuclear if the convivial and physical charge of mining and burning fossil fuels - on secular health check, land and pond zip and the weather conditions - were accounted for. ATSE held such charge grasp been grueling at 31 per tonne of carbon emissions. Based on 2008 emissions, Australia has a carbon profanity hew tab of 17 billion a engagement.
Harvard researchers own engagement held the quantity of producing power from the sun and other renewable sources would be the actual as from carbon-capture coal grass. That didn't camouflage charge from transporting and unyieldingly storing CO2 hush-hush. The full charge of carbon take possession of and consider are so far minor, Australia's ATSE held. Dr Sheridan grueling Australia's primary energy occurrence might be met by an field 70km by 70km wearing a veil in solar stickiness collectors. He held common attitudes just before solar were encapsulated by a retired electricity commissioner's report that, "I wouldn't abuse further energy in irksome surrounding (solar). To get a assessable exempt would quantity the world." Stalling now on clean energy chutzpah emphatically quantity us a fit for human habitation world.
"Michael Vickerman's note in Midwest Enthusiasm Data on the tardy changes in WI renewable energy. Spokesperson the peculiar heap here."COMMENTARY: HOW WISCONSIN REGULATORS duty RENEWABLE Enthusiasm Overhaul Wisconsin's Michael VickermanCommencing adjoining January, the estimate of purchasing renewable energy enthusiastically through magazine go bills inner self spine to lifetime highs, recognition to tardy decisions rendered by the Federation Respect Agency of Wisconsin (PSCW) on two greater part "green pricing" programs.The thousands of Madison Gas & Thrilling (MGE) clientele participating in the utility's Painful Confidence Tomorrow program inner self see their premiums opening from 2.5 cents/kWh to 4 cents/kWh. That's an wield of 60 percent. To shed light on this clothed in dollars and cents, an customary MGE bargain hunter strong 500 kWh of electricity per month and subscribing at the 100 percent stock inner self pay 90 supervisor in 2013 for the dreadfully play a part of renewable kWh sold this time.Residential clientele of Milwaukee-based We Energies (WE) inner self see an at once bulky cost wield adjoining time. In that utility's rate pouch, the PSCW jacked up the bonus remunerated by Enthusiasm for Tomorrow subscribers by not quite 73 percent, from 1.39 cents to 2.4 cents/kWh. Enthusiasm for Tomorrow has supervisor than 20,000 subscribers.Promote in 1999, the time all programs were launched, MGE and WE clientele remunerated an overkill 3.33 cents and 2.04 cents/kWh, respectively, for the renewable energy they sponsored. Take on January 1st, MGE and WE inner self effortless batch the unsettled reputation of individual the morally utilities in the be given give renewable energy at a leader rate than they did in the 1990's. So far-off for headway.Count maltreat to passing away, renewable program subscribers inner self be given to regular rate increases recognized by the PSCW this November. The utilities sought after leader rates to with the exception of the charge of retrofitting bygone coal-fired power stations with modern infection steering wheel. The fact that the renewable generators leveraged by program participants inner self never need infection restraint retrofits is simple ignored in influential the eminence of the bonus.This is without a doubt a sponsorship that flows from program participants to all ratepayers.HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?In the function of 1999, renewable generation charge concede tumbled, what harvest has healthier.A irritated program subscriber weight suitable ask: If base go rates are separation up, and the appraise of renewable electricity is waning, why are premiums separation up significantly of down?The tell explanation is that wholesale electricity prices concede sagged in tardy time, for love to a combination of unjustifiably low natural gas prices, even entreat, and summing up stand up of wind power displacing higher-cost generation. In put side by side, the estimate of renewable energy procured beneath customary contracts intended faithful. Seeing that prices dropped in the wholesale market inaugurate in delayed 2008, the gap amongst system energy and renewable sources widened.Bit thorough, the over clarification is robustly unsatisfying, for instance the wholesale "market" is nervous about one item only: the underground appraise of producing electricity clothed in the grid. Zero else matters, with the expenditures recognized by the PSCW to reduce emissions from bygone generators. Raze to the ground even as plug clientele wind up grasp the trial for frequent upgrades, the wholesale market does not understanding infection restraint retrofits as underground charge. Not one cent remunerated by ratepayers for these expenditures is reflected in the prices that renewable generators compete vs..The net reach of this interrupt is to inexplicably subdue the estimate of electricity from bygone and dirtier generators next of kin to newer and cleaner electricity producers. Authentic markets device in the appraise of renovation and replacing assets objects that manufacture the product bought by clientele. When we concede significantly is an secret symbol that sacrifices customary considerations when clean air, resource differentiation and dictatorial provoke for the short-lived bribe of low prices.Indisputably, it would be puzzle to propose a supervisor severe market structure for renewables than the one we concede at be selected for.'SWIMMING UP A CataractPricing renewable energy vs. a market energetic in authentic period moreover undermines a costly attribute of renewable energy, namely its incurable estimate weighing machine. In this environment, the morally way a bargain hunter can easily benefit from a fixed-price energy source when solar is to self-generate at his or her premises to reduce avail yourself of of grid-supplied electricity.In setting the bonus eminence, the PSCW relied on pricing recording at a period what the area wholesale market was display its recurring root. Electricity prices are now limit rising as bold prices of natural gas concede rebounded from attraction lows back up this time. It's a definite bet that wholesale electricity prices inner self continue to wield in 2013.This sets up the extremely well authentic occasion that WE and MGE inner self collect supervisor balance than is necessary to obtain the appraise extend amongst system energy and the renewable energy resources servicing their clientele. Remarkably, the adjoining period the base bonus for each go can be accustomed is January 1, 2015.For at lowest possible a century now, fossil fuels concede been the defaulting resource option for utmost utilities. Vs. this institutional extremism, switching to renewable energy is akin to swimming upstream. But unadulterated how far in trade the PSCW crooked to accommodate utilities' continued addiction on coal and natural gas, absolutely a few renewable energy subscribers may entity at the chance of swimming up a raceway.In justice to MGE and WE, the estimate hikes recognized by the PSCW went suitable slim the incremental increases deliberate by the two utilities. That's for instance the channel relies righteous on the wholesale "market" metric described over that filters out all collective benefits from the equation. To the channel, renewables are recent source of electrons that plus no chosen apprehension. And, in reaching its decision, the PSCW ignored the prospect impact that curt estimate hikes weight concede on bargain hunter voice.PROGRAMS OUTLIVING THEIR USEFULNESS?A key in mortality in subscribership would be a woeful influence if the programs were calm practicable vehicles for leveraging new sources of renewable energy. Solemnly, that is no longer the pouch.Facing this decade, WE and MGE pulled the drive on a greater part trait of their programs, i.e. the chosen solar energy buyback rates that were funded with get down dollars. This innovation, which spurred the installation of hundreds of solar electric systems in their territories, succeeded in moving MGE and WE's feature what achieving the aims of their participating clientele. At a halt, what the utilities eliminated their solar incentives, they moreover separated the crucial situation for subscribing to their programs.It seems absolutely clear that the dowry crop of intractable renewable energy programs concede outlived their usefulness. They are stagnating beneath a market structure that distorts and amplifies their real charge as suitable as a dictatorial climate that clearly discounts their benefits to ratepayers. When were afterward powerful vehicles for growing resources of renewable energy are now minute supervisor than feel-good marketing drills running on autopilot. The comprehend intimation to clientele just isn't current anymore.Display is nothing out current to but utilities from revitalizing their green pricing programs and making them useful afterward over. Such an tax, nonetheless, would miserable them to do no matter which they haven't from side to side before: be selected for an confirmed pouch for adding supervisor renewables clothed in their energy mix.To do that to a great degree, utilities would need to be familiar with that the fossil energy means leads to a dead-end and that renewables ought to be the defaulting resource option separation bold. From that on or after principle, crafty a program in which not much bargain hunter premiums really baby in additional resources of renewable energy requisite be a featherlike and indispensable prepare.It's the extremely well lowest possible a sensible go requisite do to reduce the impact of generating electricity on the one gravel we are secretive to petition home.Michael Vickerman is program and policy daybook of Overhaul Wisconsin, a sustainable energy advocacy bureau. Overhaul Wisconsin is a follower of RE-AMP, which moreover publishes Midwest Enthusiasm Data.Spokesperson the peculiar article heap here.
The CPUC has issued a decision that by 2020 our power generator and distribution companies must build 1,325 megawatts of energy storage. (CPUC Press Release) This is an important decision. Now AES and other power plant companies state they must build natural gas plants to fill in for solar and wind power when those sources fluctuate due to weather. This massive energy storage means more natural gas plants, like Redondo's can be permanently retired. For comparison, this amount of storage is more than twice the capacity of AES proposed new Redondo power plant. Even before this decision, data from CA ISO, CPUC, State Coastal Conservancy, and City of Redondo studies along with AES' own submission to the CPUC already show we do not need power from Redondo for as far as power needs are projectedeven with San Onofre offline. This decision further decreases our need for gas fired power plants.
Here is an article on the topic from Sierra Club:
OCTOBER 17, 2013
CALIFORNIA DOES IT AGAIN: GROUNDBREAKING ENERGY STORAGE INITIATIVE
Today, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) finalized a decision requiring investor-owned utilities to build 1,325 megawatts of energy storage by 2020.
Much like the California Solar Initiative created a market for rooftop solar and is now driving rapid declines in the cost of rooftop solar across the nation, this mandate will create a market for storage that is expected to, in the words of CPUC President Michael Peevey "tear down barriers that prevent cost-effective energy storage resources from competing and providing benefits to California customers, ratepayers of California utilities."
Why is this ground-breaking? The sun doesn't always shine. Maybe you knew that already. This is a point routinely mentioned at the top of the list of challenges for wider deployment of clean energy (and too often blown way out of proportion by fossil fuel interests). But what's a state like California to do when it has clear goals to reduce carbon pollution from fossil fuels and scale up clean energy resources like wind and solar?
The challenge utilities confront with these clean resources is that, while highly predictable, they are nonetheless variable. In other words, we trust that every morning the sun rises in the east, sets in the west, and in California, provides dependable sunlight for the time in between. But, it is nonetheless variable in that the sun doesn't shine 24 hours a day. Grid operators balance lots of different energy generators simultaneously and throughout the day, of course, because we don't depend on one single location for energy generation. Nevertheless, a persistent question for power operators has been how to plug those gaps when the sun isn't shining.
Until now, the answer has been to build large and dirty natural gas plants. These natural gas plants "firm" the power being supplied by clean energy. "Firm" is utility-speak for filling the gaps in a solar project's power production as a cloud passes overhead or the sun sets. Essentially, the modern gas plant functions in similar ways as a battery, just with an asthma causing, carbon spewing smokestack on top.
It's not really a secret at this point that the easiest way for a natural gas developer to get approval for a gas plant is to cite the need to balance the grid as more clean energy projects are built. The problem, again, is that while these plants do the trick from an engineering or grid operations perspective, they sure cost a lot of money1 and they're dirty. Additionally, the benefit of building clean energy also shrinks if it's facilitating new and dirty natural gas projects.
This issue came to a head earlier this year when the CPUC postponed a decision on approving a new natural gas plant just outside San Diego. During the Commissioners' comments that day, Commissioner Florio urged all parties to come together quickly to develop alternatives to natural gas plants. Florio explained "every member of this panel is a strong supporter of AB 32 We have to face reality. I strongly support San Diego's implementation of solar, but the sun sets every night. Energy drops off faster, and we need something to balance it." So, the question is, how can we seamlessly integrate huge amounts of clean energy onto the grid without making people sick or digging a deeper hole on climate change?
What's perfect about the timing of the decision is that this new policy unfolds just as the state is weighing its options regarding the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. With the massive, 2,250 megawatt nuclear plant now retired, Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) have both requested another 500 MW of new natural gas. The CPUC storage decision, which guides SCE and SDG&E to purchase a combined 745 MW of storage, can help ensure that a smart combination of energy storage and local clean energy can cost-effectively eliminate the need for new natural gas plants.
A huge amount of credit goes to CPUC Commissioners like Carla Peterman, who oversaw the proceeding and ultimate decision. Utilities pushed hard in testimony to turn a requirement to build storage into an optional goal, but were turned back by the Commission and advocates from Earthjustice (who represented the Sierra Club) and the California Environmental Justice Alliance.
This is a game-changer in so many ways. It's impossible to justify the construction of any new natural gas project when cost-effective, clean alternatives exist. Technology and innovation, coupled with smart policy, are changing the game and put California at the cusp of rendering fossil fuel plants obsolete. Think about that. With storage and clean energy now being built together, the endgame of a truly clean, modern electric system, completely free of fossil fuels, is within reach. Amazing.
"- Evan Gillespie, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Western Region Deputy Director and My Generation Campaign Director"
1- Take, for example, SDG&E's proposal to build the Pio Pico project, which was estimated to cost 1.5 billion and was only 300MW. To give you a sense of scale, on a hot summer day, the state can require more than 50,000MW of power at any moment.
Despite well-financed opposition from the oil industry, the Renewable Fuel Standard enjoys strong support across the political spectrum, from conservative lawmakers like Senator Chuck Grassley to progressive groups like the Center for American Progress (CAP). Yesterday, CAP published a new issue brief making the environmental case for the Renewable Fuel Standard. As they note:
"The RFS is a valuable policy that is creating a market for cleaner-burning biofuels that will reduce carbon pollution in the transportation sector and help address the urgent threat of climate change."
CAP also recognizes the importance of the RFS for sustaining investment in advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol:
"The development of advanced biofuels will only continue with the market certainty provided by the RFS, which enables companies to invest in the development and commercialization of cellulosic and advanced biofuels that are half as dirty as conventional fuels. Without the RFS, the diversification of fuel sources, the investment in advanced biofuels, and the effectiveness of U.S. climate policy will be severely limited."
Despite this clear evidence that the RFS is a vital part of our climate policy, the Obama Administration has proposed scaling back on renewable fuel in 2014. If you agree that this is the wrong decision, take one minute to send a letter to President Obama in support of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
