A National RES

Many states have had success in renewable energy development because of requirements set forth in their own renewable energy standards (RES) sometimes called renewable portfolio standards (RPS). Texas for example set a standard that they have had to go back and increase because of the overwhelming development seen recently. Texas' original RES called for 5880 MW of renewable energy to be produced by 2015; currently Texas has over 8000MW of renewable capacity.

This afternoon AWEA presented a Webinar looking at the benefits of a National RES, which would help to reach the nation's goal of 25% renewable electricity by 2025. You can find their recent publication Wind Energy for a New Era at www.newwindagenda.org. The document provides recommendations for political leaders concerning legislative priorities developed by the wind industry.

Some of those priorities have already been accomplished. Identified as an immediate impact priority, restructuring of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) can be checked off the do to list. Another priority that can be checked off is one the wind industry identified as a short term impact; legislation has been passed allowing a multi year PTC extension. Those priorities which have yet to be "checked off the list" are separated into two categories: mid-term and long-term impacts. A National RES and transmission legislation are listed under the mid-term impacts and effective carbon regulation is listed under long term.

So why is a National RES so important? Some of the benefits that were outlined in the Webinar included that it would: save consumers money and protect against fuel price spikes, spur economic development, and reduce carbon emissions. Looking more closely at each of these benefits, a National RES would save American consumers up to $100 billion in lower energy bills. In relation to economic development, 20% renewable energy by 2020 would support 500,000 direct and indirect jobs in the wind industry. And, CO2 emissions would be cut down by 12% by 2020 if the 25% by 2025 were met.

A National RES would also help to provide assurance to those looking to invest in renewables as this type of legislation would send a strong signal that as a nation we are committed to this endeavor. There is currently legislation in both the Senate and House that address renewables and their contribution to the future of energy production.

The general idea presented is that a National RES would keep our nation on track with meeting our current renewable energy goals.

Today's Wind Headlines

Recent headlines:
ITC Great Plains Receives Rate, Incentive Approvals

Energy regulator backs new wind power lines

Report: Alternative energy quest endangering birds

The article below is an interesting look at the industry; you have to get a ways into the article before it starts making many direct references to wind, but you will find them about halfway through:
The Rooftop Revolution

And if you have some free time and want a good refresher on whats going on in the renewable energy industry across the board check out this podcast: The Next Four Years for Renewable Energy. It's about an hour long, but is very informative.


WIND FACT

"Electricity generation is the nation's largest consumer of water, but wind power technology uses minimal amounts, making it a promising means of reducing water use. Every megawatt-hour of electricity generated by wind can save up to 600 gallons of water that would otherwise be used in operations at conventional power plants. By providing 20% of our electricity by 2030, wind power could avoid the consumption of 4 trillion gallons of water - a 40-year supply for the city of Phoenix - reducing electric sector water consumption by 17%. This water savings is especially significant in the Western U.S., where water is scarce."
-Fact source: AWEA 2009 Calendar

Today's Wind Headlines

Here's a recent headline worth reading:

Battle brewing over clean-energy delivery grids

And don't forget to check out AWEA's blog for daily updates. You can find it at: http://www.awea.org/blog/


Check back in the next couple of days for an overview of AWEA's latest Webinar, Renewable Electricity Standard: 25% Renewable Electricity by 2025.

Today's Wind Headlines

A couple of headlines worth checking out concerning transmission:

LPPC: Congress should clear transmission development obstacles

Reid's green power line proposal hits resistance

US Congress urged to overrule power line gripes

The 3 Ps

AWEA representatives outlined three major roadblocks (referred to as the three Ps) to building transmission during their March 9th Webinar entitled "Green Power Super Highways: Building a path to America's clean energy future."

It's no new discussion. Transmission is a problem, especially when you are involved in the renewable energy industry. During the Webinar, presenters stated that transmission is the largest obstacle to wind growth, but they are optimistic that President Obama's future plans for renewable energy will help to get around that obstacle. By improving our electricity grid we can essentially allow for more growth for renewable projects like wind.

Why are renewables being effected so heavily by the current grid? There are many reasons. First of all, many renewable energy projects can't connect to the grid because there just isn't enough capacity. Then there are curtailment issues; those projects that are connected to the grid are being forced to cut down on their production because the grid can handle it. To go along with all of that, there is geography issues as well. Most renewable energy projects are located far from major cities, therefore the energy produced can't be sent to where it is needed most. The best wind and solar resources are most often found where not many people live. Webinar presenters stated that there are currently some 280,000 MW in wind projects held up because of transmission interconnection backlog.

There are many scenarios out there about this new "Green Power Superhighway." Both Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, and Majority Leader Harry Reid have both submitted legislation concerning transmission.

So now to the three Ps...

AWEA representatives noted three issues that need to be address in order for the upgrade to the grid to be successful. Planning, paying and permitting were the issues they addressed.

• Planning

Basically, the planning issue has to do with the chicken and the egg issue (who goes first?). Without transmission developers don't want to build their projects and with no one wants to build transmission where energy isn't already being generated. So, what did AWEA suggest as a solution? Pro-active planning. Studies need to be done that identify areas that have renewable energy potential and transmission need to planned for that area. The Texas CREZ process was given as a example of how this could be done. One other topic that was discussed was the use of high voltage transmission lines. With proactive planning transmission lines could be more efficient and use less land. Not to mention that building higher voltage lines in the first place would essentially decrease the cost of construction in the long run.

• Paying

Once you get everything planned someone has to pay for all of this. The classic public goods issue often causes a problem because most are enticed to simply free-ride on lines. The solution that AWEA offers is "broad, regional cost allocation." The basis behind this plan is simple: everyone benefits from transmission so everyone should pay for transmission. Users throughout a broad region would be assigned the costs associated with transmission upgrades. It is important to note though that transmission costs account for less than 10% of your electric bill, therefore the increase wouldn't be much per individual. It was also noted that the consumer would eventually benefit from reduced electric costs which would make up the difference.

• Permitting

The final step after planning and paying for the upgrades to the grid would be building it. Several things come into play at this point. First you have the typical Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) mentality along with siting policies that can all hold up a project. Currently, one state could hold up an entire process if they aren't happy with the siting of the lines. The solution offered: coordinated and streamlined siting. Federal siting, similar to something like that of natural gas pipelines, would help to facilitate the process. Currently there is a lot going on in legislation to help make the permitting of lines easier.

In closing, it is important to note that the "Green Power Superhighway" is not the same as the "Smart Grid." AWEA representatives noted that they are separate efforts and while the "Smart Grid" efforts are going to help renewables to some extent, the real focus should be on getting the infrastructure built.

Click to read the "Green Power Superhighways" white paper in its entirety.

Today's Wind Headlines

Some news worth reading:

High-voltage lines wouldn't need state action under Senate plan

AWEA Welcomes Sen. Reid's Transmission Legislation

Getting Wind Energy to Consumers to Require Miles of Expensive New Power Lines

Also be sure to check out AWEA's "Into the Wind Blog" for their latest news.

Today's Wind Headlines

Check out these links for related wind news:

IN-DEPTH: Using meteorological info to select sites with best wind generating potential

Invisible, Underground HVDC Power Costs No More Than Ugly Towers

The following article was written by Stayton Bonner a graduate assistant at Texas Tech University. Stayton spent a day at the wind farm in Roscoe, Texas and wrote about his experience there. In addition to an inside look at just what goes on behind the scenes at wind farms, the article also gives a good background about the wind industry in our region. Check it out if you have a chance.

In search of a Panhandle Windfall