Generating electricity from renewable resources emits far less of such pollutants. The Southeast has also mostly retained a vertically integrated utility model, and most utilities in the region have not joined a Regional Transmission Organization or Independent System Operator (collectively known as, RTO). Thanks for reading Scientific American. has suggested that increasing the penetration of renewable . Discover world-changing science. Solar Power & Energy Storage Mountain West. The Southeast already has a strong base of companies that can make and assemble the key components of wind turbines and other renewable energy equipment. 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. Federal funding from recent and proposed legislation, like the Great America Outdoors Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, and other agency appropriations, can likely fund many of the investment ideas that were not quite ready for short-term support. Podcast Texas Power Podcast Search Solar Energy Commercial and Industrial Community Solar Distributed Energy Resources Microgrids Together were making a lasting impact across the Southeast. Comparing a competitive regional Southeast market through 2040 to a business-as-usual scenario based on existing monopoly utility Integrated Resource Plans reveals remarkable findings. Our initial Economic Investment effort will commit up to $25 million in federal funding based on local priorities for short-term, project-based investments. At least 29 U.S. states have set renewable portfolio standardspolicies that mandate a certain percentage of energy from renewable sources, More than 100 cities worldwide now boast at least 70 . ) or https:// means you've safely Community Capacity total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.7 million for five projects announced today. See page 4 of presentation at http://files.eesi.org/cleaves_030409.pdf. For more information on Tradable Credits, see CRS Report RL34116, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS): Background and Debate Over a National Requirement, by [author name scrubbed]. It is concerned that competition for biomass resources from new power generation facilities and from transportation fuel uses could drive up prices to the economic detriment of forest product companies. 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. Combustion of fossil fuels also produces the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Climate change mitigation goals may have additional impacts on the value of renewable energy credits, and eventual impacts on biomass demand nationwide. Manufacturing, industry and services expanded across the region in recent decades. 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. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) called the RES a "moving target." 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. The pulp and paper industry dominates the cogeneration sector today fueled largely by biomass from wood wastes. Sustainable management of forest resources is a basic consideration. Reprinted from Greenwire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. Southeast Asia used construction equipment market is expected to reach a value of $1,470 billion in 2029 from $1,012 million in 2022, growing at a CAGR of approximately 5.48% The Earthmoving. Virginia and North Carolina are the only two southeastern states to have enacted RPS requirements, but at levels below current federal RPS proposals. research demonstrates how much a competitive regional electricity market would benefit the Southeast U.S. 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]. See http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/landfillgas/landfillgas.html. Official websites use .gov A .gov Georgia Power Company, Georgia Power Seeks Approval for Coal Plant Conversion to Biomass, August 22, 2008, http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-22-2008/0004871944&EDATE=. The production tax credit is an incentive to business developers of renewable energy projects producing electricity whereby a developer can apply for a credit against taxes for each kilowatt-hour of renewable energy produced. USDA plans to 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. We are a nonpartisan climate policy think tank helping policymakers make informed energy policy choices and accelerate clean energy by supporting the policies that most effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Confederation of European Paper Industries, Bio-energy and the European Pulp and Paper Industry. North Carolina has enacted a 12.5% requirement by 2021 for electric utilities and a 10% requirement for municipal and cooperative utilities. Biomass Resources Available per Square Kilometer in the United States, Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images). Closing the dirtiest sources of power and adding cheaper renewables would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions nearly 40% in the competitive RTO scenario compared to business-as-usual important for a region that faces up to $60 billion each year in 2050 and up to $99 billion in 2090 in costs from climate-change induced sea level rise and storm surge. Analysts from energy think tank Energy Innovation recently published a report showing that it is now more expensive to continue to run most coal plants than to replace them with renewable energy. Today, most wood used as fuel for thermal processes or power generation actually is waste from the harvesting and processing of trees by the forest products industry (i.e., tree bark, branches and stumps, wood chips, sawdust, and lignin). website belongs to an official government organization in the The team used a two-pronged approach to gather public input. Mike Ewall, Primer on Landfill Gas as "Green" Energy, Energy Justice Network, July 29, 1999, http://www.energyjustice.net/lfg/. Pictured left to right: Earl Stewart - Forest Supervisor Tongass National Forest, Chad VanOrmer - Deputy Regional Forester,Anthony Mallott - Sealaska CEO, Dr. Homer Wilkes -Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment,Richard Chalyee esh Peterson -Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska President, Dave Schmid - Regional Forester,Joe Kaaxxgu Nelson - Sealaska Board Chair, Jaeleen Kookesh - Sealaska Vice President, Policy & Legal Affairs, and Raymond Paddock - Environmental Manager for Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. "Right now we are depending on other regions of the country, and foreign countries like Columbia and Venezuela, to supply us with coal. Yes We Can: Southern Solutions for a National Renewable Energy Standard. The Alaska-based, USDA intra-agency team is co-led by Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Forest Service. Transportation costs associated with biomass will bear strongly on the decision to site a biomass power facility. Criticism has increased recently about the amount of land required for clean energy resources. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Energy Innovation has released updated analysis comparing the cost of continuing to operate coal plants to replacing them with solar, wind, or batteries. They are finishing up installing a solar panel array at the Aurora Apartments to help offset electrical demand in certain buildings. The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) released the Southeastern Region Report, the final portion of ACORE's 6th annual Renewable Energy in the 50 States report. Wave, tidal energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion could be tapped, to provide alternative sources of clean and dependable energy in the region. Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 at 16 U.S.C. A companion policy report to the Southeast modeling highlights successful state policies smoothing the clean energy transition for coal-dependent communities in Colorado and New Mexico, which could be a valuable model for the Southeast. In 1991, a study62of the availability of biomass in the Southeast identified 27 counties with high potential to generate power from woody biomass. Ibid. 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. The group aims to build renewable energy capacity of 5,000 megawatts across Southeast by 2025. Feb 27, 2023 - Mar 1, 2023. This modeling highlights how much seven Southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) could gain from a competitive wholesale electricity market and how much they could lose from business-as-usual. Abstract Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. Tribal and Indigenous Interests - $12.5 million, Community Capacity - $3.125 million (12.5%), Resilient Peoples & Place: When a time for peace is facilitated through partnership, Creating a Tribal Restoration Workforce - Fish Alaska Magazine, Forest Service to start improvements on Wrangell blueberry lands next spring - Wrangell Sentinel, Biden-Harris Administration Invests More Than $37 Million to Improve Recreational Sites and Cabins on National Forests and Grasslands | USDA, The SalmonState: Bringing the sockeye home | Juneau Empire, Local priorities and USDA funding strategies meet up in Southeast Alaska High Country News Know the West (hcn.org), Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategys webpage, Guiding Recommendations & Potential Long-Term Investments, Initial Investment and Recommendations Summary, Traditional Technical Knowledge and Cultural Use of Forest Products. CRS Report R40529, Biomass: Comparison of Definitions in Legislation, by Kelsi S. Bracmort and [author name scrubbed]. 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. Arguments against the need for a national RES have been made in the past that this is a matter for state or regional self-determination. This increased renewable generation plays a significant role in advancing sustainability goals and reducing carbon outputs. 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. I am pleased to have been able to highlight some of the first projects to receive funding, and I will be watching as the rest of the investments move forward in a demonstration of the difference we can make as a collaborative team working toward a common goal.. Approximately 16 mills have closed in the Southeast between 2004 and 2007. USAID and the Embassy have announced plans to continue these efforts through a new program called the Southeast Asia Smart Power Program that will promote utility modernization, energy efficiency, advanced technologies, and regional power trade, and will improve local air quality and mitigate global climate change. 4`SZLp4M6@iGvr&8Mj e{y/aMj:7&N~}Oqz3IsJP mDVa 2by@~pM~2G^ BghouDkm0B]m7>/S=x?? ]>x#-Gx[;O^UK[uNQjh%j$[H?OWl;n OoGn;4z^.nnL,Wis8iq ^_n70>{ 6c_,77nN 0 H`1 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. Discussion with Southern Company, March 31, 2009. 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. Renewable energy sources, such as biomass, geothermal resources, sunlight, water, and wind, are natural resources that can be converted into these types of clean, usable energy: Bioenergy Geothermal Energy Hydrogen Hydropower Marine Energy Solar Energy Wind Energy Benefits of Renewable Energy The agricultural resources of the Midwest and the forest-based resources of the Southeast feature prominently. Invest Trillions Today to Keep Climate Change at Bay: IEA, Impacts of Global Biofuel Boom Remain Murky, The Other Peak Oil: Demand from Developed World Falling. The Southeast is one of the country's fastest growing economic sectors and one of the only regions without a competitive wholesale electricity market. KINGSTON TN - MARCH 31: Kingston Fossil Plant, commonly known as Kingston Steam Plant, is a [+] 1.4-gigawatt coal-fired power plant located in Roane County, just outside Kingston, Tennessee. 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.. Relatively low electricity prices have thus resulted in the region.22 New, renewable energy technologies have not been adopted to the extent seen in other regions of the United States thus far, largely because of cost and operational variability.23 When considered from a regional perspective, the southeastern United States does not have the high quality wind and solar resources which exist in other regions of the country.24 Although offshore wind in the region may have promise for southeastern coastal states, there are no commercially operating offshore wind farms anywhere in the United States. Broken down by region, underperformance affected projects in the Pacific Northwest the most at 17% above the national average. Southeastern Region Report - American Council on Renewable Energy http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1975. Senator Bingaman discussion draft, Title VIII, Renewable Portfolio Standard, 111th Congress. AF&PA contends that additional income from trading in RECs by biopower companies could lead to increased demand and higher prices for biomass, thus forcing forest products companies nationwide to pay more for its raw materials. President Biden is placing climate change at the center of U.S. foreign policy, he said. corporations in a process that reflects the immediate and long-term needs and opportunities in the region. 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. Unless the utility can put its finger on the scale, this analysis indicates the portfolios where these coal plants are phased out should be less expensive than ones where these coal plants continue to operate. After the municipal solid waste is sorted and separated, much of the remaining material is biogenic and can be prepared for burning in a steam boiler. The sensitivity of the estimates with regard to truck fuel prices is unknown. November 30 - December 2, 2022. . The OneUSDA team employed a four-step assessment process to inform its recommendation for the initial investment of $25 million. Retrieved from Raysonho . Southeast Asia is a very attractive market for renewable energy, owing to its rich renewable resources and surging energy consumption. Approximately 53% of all domestic renewable energy comes from biomass sources3 represented by biofuels, landfill gas, biogenic4 municipal solid waste, wood and wood-derived fuels, and other biomass such as switchgrass. 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.