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. Three regional utilities Tennessee Valley Authority (a federal entity), Southern Company renewable energy, also called alternative energy, usable energy derived from replenishable sources such as the Sun ( solar energy ), wind ( wind power ), rivers ( hydroelectric power ), hot springs ( geothermal energy ), tides ( tidal power ), and biomass ( biofuels ). 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. has suggested that increasing the penetration of renewable . All renewable energy sources combined account for about 10% of the U.S. total energy production. http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview/elec-ovr-rps.pdf. 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. 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. Gasification. Our USAID [United States Agency for International Development] Clean Power Asia program made huge investments in clean power and is projected to help the region avoid 30 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next 15 years, he continued. U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy , Overview of Biomass Technologies, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ba/pba/pdfs/bio_overview.pdf. Download CCC Permissions 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. United States. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) called the RES a "moving target." Creating a Southeast Renewable Energy Manufacturing Powerhouse With a national renewable standard, the Southeast will become a manufacturing leader in the U.S. renewable energy industry. 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. For example, all-source procurement, which requires monopoly utilities to conduct a competitive procurement process with robust bid evaluation, can add clean electricity and reduce customer costs. Dave SjodingRenewable Resources Specialist925 Plum Street S.E., Bldg 3P.O. 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. Virginia has a statewide program to convert coal plants to biomass, with several plants that converted during 2013. 29 Inorganic chemicals are used to dissolve the lignin holding together wood fibers, thus making the cellulosic fibers available for the manufacture of paper products. 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. 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. Targets for biofuels production from a Renewable Fuels Standard may mean that increased amounts of biomass would be dedicated to meet the needs of that program, if the trend away from corn-based ethanol persists and gasoline demand increases. The Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy is USDAs approach to support economic, cultural, and natural resources sustainability in the region. This included virtual Open Houses, an online feedback tool, an information-filled website, and a dedicated email address for submitting input, letters, and/or existing plans or specific investment proposals. But renewable energy technologies (with the exception of basic biomass combustion) are relatively newly developed and costlier than fossil fuels to produce electricity. See http://methanetomarkets.org/ag/index.htm. The harvest of food and other crops often leaves behind a mass of stover (i.e., stalks, leaves and other plant remnants). Southern Company is considering converting three additional small coal plants to biomass, similar to Plant Mitchell. Renewable energy in Southeast Asia: Policies and recommendations Recent technological developments are improving yields from cellulosic production and bringing down production costs61 which, when coupled with incentives for ethanol production, may further increase demand and possibly prices for biomass. Listening to the importance of the sustainability strategy to local communities, learning about southeast Alaska culture, and meeting Tribal members and partners is an honor for me, said Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Homer Wilkes. If biomass from forest residues and forest product industry wastes do not prove sufficient to meet RES goals, new resources such as dedicated bioenergy crops or other biomass resources, such as municipal solid waste, may need to be used. Abstract Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. What are renewable resources in the Southeast? Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from the same types of biomass feedstock as could be used for biomass electric power generation. A competitive RTO would add 149 total gigawatts of clean energy resources in the Southeast including 62 GW of solar, 41 GW of wind, and 46 GW of battery storage. 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. 26 These definitions have varied over time with changes in the law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and technological change. Coal-fired power plants are major sources of toxic air pollution, so phasing out uneconomic coal dramatically improves air quality. Proponents of an RES assert that the Southeast has ample biomass resources to meet renewable energy requirements of an RES. USDA is focused on maximizing its collective resources to provide the highest level of support and service to Southeast Alaska. Southeast Renewable Energy - Presented by Infocast For more information, please visit www.usaidcleanpowerasia.org. Below are lists of the states and territories in the Land Trust Alliance's Southeastern Region, which includes the Atlantic Islands and the Gulf Coast. While the rate of underperformance was least severe in the Southeast (reported at 17% below the U.S. average), that region is the most prone to anomalies driven by physical damage (such as cracking, delamination, or . 890, would establish a renewable electricity standard (RES).10 In the Senate, a renewable electricity standard was introduced in S. 433.11 Senator Bingaman had previously released a draft bill to discuss a federal renewable portfolio standard on February 11, 2009.12. This article contributes to the growing academic literature on ocean renewable energy (ORE) in SEA by improving understanding of the opportunities and challenges of ORE development in the region . Renewable tenders continue to grow across Southeast Asia, presenting Located in a tropical climate and within the Ring of Fire, this region has great potential for a transition toward renewable energy utilization. The use of cellulosic fiber from trees to make paper is a primary use of wood, rivaling other forest product uses such as lumber for buildings and furniture products. P Meets USDA commitment to ecological, economic, and cultural sustainability. RE-Source Southeast Hub is a regional platform for cooperation between renewable energy producers and energy consumers.. research demonstrates how much a competitive regional electricity market would benefit the Southeast U.S. Alabama. For the purposes of this discussion, southeastern states include Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. 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]. 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. IRENA said, in the long term, average annual investment of $210 billion was needed on renewable energy, energy efficiency and to support technologies and infrastructure in the period to 2050 to . 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. 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. This generally means that there could be only one large "industrial" user of biomass (whether forest product manufacturer or biomass power production) in a given geo-economic zone, and growth of renewable electricity from biomass to meet RES requirements will be bound by such zones. Approximately 53% of all renewable energy comes from biomass sources, represented by biofuels, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, wood and wood-derived fuels, and other biomass feedstocks. It calls for a range of policies, such as low-interest loans and strong state interconnection standards that enable new renewables to link to the grid. Increases in cost reductions from competitive scenario compared to business-as-usual from 2020-2040. decision-makers and leading utility executives and renewable energy players from the most dynamic states in the region providing definitive updates on the issues you'll need to understand to seize the very best opportunities across this dynamic region. 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. Review of the impact of renewable energy development on - SpringerLink Today, biomass [electric power] generation is mainly associated with the use of mill and agricultural wastes. November 30 - December 2, 2022. . 65. 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. Wind turbines have been called ugly and noisy, and the cooling needs of solar thermal facilities in desert locations may require the use of scarce water resources. Southwest States Make Large Strides on Renewable Energy Targets 890 (111th Congress) 101, the Federal Renewable Electricity Standard. Addresses historic and/or structural decisions that previously contributed to inequitable access to USDA programs. New report argues that even the Southeast can get a significant amount of electricity from renewable resources. hW]O[1+4v|H1MB4{x`p51 "m~'7Conn|$qL'$M&xeFgO)*KPb 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. 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 Waxman had offered a lower renewable target of 17.5 percent, according to Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), a member of the committee. DUK Renewable energy in Southeast Asia: Policies and recommendations 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. Will Lithium Follow The Super-Cycle Of Mining? Notably, in the Southeast where wind resources are often dismissed, local wind was found to be less expensive than 30% of all Southeast coal plants and regional wind was found to be less expensive than 84% of all Southeast coal plants. 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. Also called "combined heat and power." See page 4 of presentation at http://files.eesi.org/cleaves_030409.pdf. Since the USDAs initial announcement about the strategy, more than 289 investment proposals have been brought forward totaling more than $276 million, which indicates both a need and excitement for home-grown, local priorities that reflect the values and peoples of the region., Southeast Conference is excited to be a part of this game-changing shift in the One USDA approach to partnering in economic development throughout our Tongass communities, said Robert Venables, Executive Director for Southeast Conference. Southeast State Resources. The results for the Southeast make it abundantly clear that solar and storage is a cost-effective and resilient replacement for retiring coal plants across the region. RENEWABLE RESOURCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (SEA . The commitment identifies short investments that reflect diverse investment opportunities and needs in the Southeast Region. Presentation on behalf of CleanEnergy.org. 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]. These enormous savings come from cheaper wind, solar, and storage displacing more expensive-to-run coal, along with an RTO-led regional transmission planning scheme where all seven states share power resources and expand transmission to most efficiently meet regional electricity demand. Infrastructure total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.5 million for five projects announced today. Are regional transmission organizations the future for renewables in http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1975. An official website of the Measuring the Economics of Biofuel Availability. New financing instruments and tools have been employed to generate wider market participation. The pulp and paper industry has another wood waste fuel source in "black liquor," a by-product of the pulping process. 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.