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. It is an exciting step forward and an example of what we can do when we listen to the needs of our people and work together to bring sustainability projects to our Southeast Alaska communities. 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. The terms RPS and RES (renewable electricity standard) are often used interchangeably, as no material difference exists in program goals. Retrieved from Raysonho . 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). One portfolio would be to continue to operate these coal plants, and another would be to phase them out while replacement generation and capacity from solar, wind, and storage come online. endstream endobj 211 0 obj <>stream 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. The issue of whether there is enough biomass to meet both an RES and RFS is beyond the scope of this report. Recently, Duke and Southern confirmed they are considering a centralized, region-wide, intra-hour energy exchange called the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM). Energy Information Administration (EIA). This visit reinforces USDAs commitment to locally driven collaborative work towards shared outcomes in southeast Alaska communities. Renewable energy, particularly solar, is poised for significant growth in the southeastern United States. This qualitative assessment included review of the following elements: The depth of interest, and diversity of communities and partners that submitted investment ideas, indicates that USDA is well-positioned to support economic, cultural, and ecological resiliency in Southeast Alaska for the long-term. 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. The total delivered cost of woody biomass can be calculated as the sum of the costs of procurement (i.e., the amount paid to gain ownership of a biomass resource), collection or harvest costs, and transportation costs. "The Economic Availability of Biomass in the Southeastern United States," by T. Young, D. Ostermeier, J. Thomas, R. Brooks. Dave SjodingRenewable Resources Specialist925 Plum Street S.E., Bldg 3P.O. Community Capacity total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.7 million for five projects announced today. Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. Download CCC Permissions USDA applauds the success of the economic investment portion of the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy and credits the many partners who have come together in the spirit of community, culture, conservation, and commerce. A USDA intra-agency team consulted with Tribal Nations and Alaska Native corporations, and engaged with municipal governments, local partners and communities, and the public to support an integrated approach to economic development planning and implementation. Box 43165Olympia, WA 98504-3165(360) 956-2004sjodingd@energy.wsu.edu. Goals for biofuels production to meet a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) may also mean that increased amounts of biomass would be dedicated to that use. The effects of these new federal requirements added to existing uses on the price of woody biomass is uncertain, but increased demand without a commensurate increase in supply (or development of alternative supplies) usually leads to higher prices for a finite resource. Rn?Q&i( =ET/v,yb9j1xZiKM_at$qJ{Dgny? 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. A decision in the Georgia Power rate case last week failed to provide age-appropriate policy and will ensure Georgia remains a bottom-10 state for rooftop solar. For the purposes of this discussion, southeastern states include Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. This important step towards more battery deployments will increase the penetration of renewable energy, reduce pollution from fossil fuels, and help develop an electric vehicle infrastructure, supporting Thailands transition towards a carbon-neutral country. 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. Out of the seven states included in the model, only North Carolina has a meaningful renewable portfolio standard. In 2022, the global community held firm in its commitment to a net zero future, amidst a challenging year with continued impacts from the COVID pandemic, war in Ukraine, energy security concerns and rising living costs worldwide. After 2012, renewable fuel use is required to grow in volume as gasoline demand grows. Picking up where federal research and development dollars left off, states are using the concept of a Renewable Portfolio Standard8 (RPS) to create a market for renewable energy via mandatory goals. Burning approximately one million tons of biomass annually, Plant Mitchell would be one of the largest biomass power plants in the United States.51, Collection of waste wood for biomass power plants may require a coordinated effort with forestry companies. An official website of the United States government. 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. 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 $17.4 billion average yearly savings through 2040 - 23% lower electricity costs compared to today. 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 Virginia. Leaders from USDAs Natural Resources and Environment, Rural Development, and Natural Resources Conservation Service are visiting southeast Alaska this week and meeting with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, regional and local partners, including recipients of the initial funding. Not only are there immediate investments that will benefit the region, but there is also an eye toward the future with support for capacity building and technical assistance that will make these projects sustainable.. Under RES proposals, most producers of renewable electricity will receive renewable energy credits or certificates to prove that a certain amount of renewable electricity was produced (usually 1 Megawatt-hour). All renewable energy sources combined account for about 10% of the U.S. total energy production. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. Meanwhile, the coastal areas in the region have considerable potential to harness wind energy. have proposed the voluntary Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM). VCEs WIS:dom model also incorporates electricity distribution infrastructure savings from deploying distributed storage and solar resources. Tom Darin Liskey, Georgia Power seeks to convert coal plant to biomass, ReCharge News, February 3, 2009, http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/biofuels/article171226.ece. By 2025, the desired regional target is securing 23 percent of primary energy from renewable sources. To understand geography . However, the regions major user of woody biomass and producer of wood wastes is the forest products industry. Transportation costs associated with biomass will bear strongly on the decision to site a biomass power facility. 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. Another option may be to upgrade power production at some existing forest products industry mills solely for the purpose of power sales. In regions where the quality or availability of renewable resources may be in question, as for example, in the Southeast,19 some states are concerned that the current RES proposals would subject them to federal penalties. The USDA intra-agency team continues to engage with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, municipal governments, local partners and communities, and the public to support economic development planning and implementation efforts. Still new to solar, the markets in Southeast Asia are almost the inverse of Australia, Director of Solar Distribution Junrhey Castro tells pv magazine Australia. Gasification. As a result, developing a large green power project in a traditionally regulated state and claiming renewable energy use can often be challenging. USDA is focused on maximizing its collective resources to provide the highest level of support and service to Southeast Alaska. Over the past decade, the most rapid growth came from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia and Viet Nam. Worked with the Government of Laos to support the countrys first-ever solar auction, from auction design to submission of the final auction announcement package. DUK Justine Hunter, Forestry decline threatens B.C. A clean electricity standard would ensure aspirational goals set by utilities are realized, while market reform would help ensure this happens at least cost. As a part of the strategy, the Secretary of Agriculture made. ( has suggested that increasing the penetration of renewable . The Southeastern United States, one of the countrys only regions without a competitive wholesale electricity market, is dominated by monopoly utilities, which have favored expensive and polluting fossil fuel generation over cheap clean energy. They are finishing up installing a solar panel array at the Aurora Apartments to help offset electrical demand in certain buildings. Generating electricity from renewable resources emits far less of such pollutants. Tomorrow's opportunities for using biomass to generate electricity in the Southeast include a diverse assortment of options, particularly energy crops and wood resources. Harnessing these resources appears to be a promising solution for improving the life quality of rural villagers. Southern Company, a major electric utility in the Southeast, asserts it could not meet a 15% requirement by 2015, adding that it may be able to raise only 800 megawatts (MW) of an estimated 6,000 MW of new renewable energy capacity required for compliance.47 Southern Company doubts that currently discussed RES requirements of 20% or 25% (by the year 2025) can be achieved using biomass or other renewable energy sources, and the region may have to purchase renewable electricity credits48 (RECs) from other states.49 In the meantime, Southern Company's subsidiary, Georgia Power, has gained approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission to convert Plant Mitchell, a small coal-fired facility near Albany, Georgia, to woody biomass50 with work beginning in 2011 (and ending in 2012) resulting in 96 megawatts of renewable electricity. Infrastructure total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.5 million for five projects announced today. The terms RES and RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) are often used interchangeably as no material difference exists in program goals. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_c.htm. The OneUSDA team recommends distributing the initial $25 million investment into four broad categories: Tribal and Indigenous Interests - $12.5 million (50%) Natural Resources - $6.25 million (25%) Infrastructure - $3.125 million (12.5%) Discussions also focused on identifying administrative barriers to federal funding. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_g.htm. Many consider carbon dioxide emissions from biomass sources as practically neutral, because biomass sources take in carbon dioxide during their growing cycle and release it when burned.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 carbon emissions has garnered increasing public support. These states have ample forest resources, generally poor wind resources, and relatively unfavorable solar resources (compared to the Southwest), making biomass among the more readily available renewable energy resources in the region. Sign up to receive clean energy updates in your inbox. 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. This has fuelled economic growth and permitted higher living standards. In fact, 82% of the total coal capacity in the region could be replaced with solar and storage for the cost of continued operation of those coal plants, and with a significant decrease in risks associated with fuel costs, outages from extreme weather, and potential future environmental regulations. \+e|We8yx8!x=LO\50f%*H(\(I$ xB8 dg@JH5@fzI:zX&?}`s:9w&Z[FmP}NrLbaYX1s(]l]dhol LtE{ 6&$vu_ZcU5a*rvPmM5clTRI~Q1 Collaborated with Thailands Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission to develop regulations and technical standards to ensure the safety and performance of battery energy storage systems. Increasing electricity generated from biomass sources may be a viable route for compliance with RES requirements nationally, especially as biomass is already the largest source of renewable energy in the United States today. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), one of the panel's more liberal members, said there should be "flexibility" to address regional issues but warned against watering down either the bill's emissions or renewable energy targets.