Recently in Electricity Category

Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently announced it will replace its steam plant with a wood boiler and will take additional efficiency measures to cut energy and water consumption at the lab. ORNL anticipates the improvements will cut energy consumption by 50 percent and water usage by 23 percent. Wood for the boiler will be provided by suppliers within a 50 mile radius of the lab consisting primarily of waste wood from timber mills and pallet manufacturers. Completion of the project will occur in the next 2-3 years. More on this story can be found here.

Southern Company has released a report detailing a series of tests conducted on co-firing green wood chips from whole and from approximately needle free pine trees. The purpose of the project was to "determine what level of processing of whole trees is required to successfully co-fire the chips in a boiler, and to evaluate the benefits and costs of wood processing compared with the effect of the fuel on the power plant." The tests were performed at Plant Gadsden in Gadsden, Alabama. From the report, summary results are as follows:

• Green wood chips were successfully co-fired in blends with coal between 8% and 15%
  wood by weight. Of the input fuel energy, 2.8% and 5.5% was from wood, and represented about 2.0 MW to 3.8 MW biomass power.
  
• Sulfur emissions were reduced, and particulates were no higher with co-firing. At normal operating condition, carbon monoxide emissions were unchanged. The measured impact on NOx emissions was small.
  
• With 10% co-firing, boiler efficiency was about the same as coal alone, while there was a slight reduction in efficiency with 15% wood.
  
• Higher moisture losses due to high wood moisture were offset or nearly offset by reduced dry gas losses up the stack.
  
• High moisture of the wood coal mixtures resulted in low mill temperatures and high mill bowl under pressures. This caused a 5% load derate when co-firing 15%.
  
• The coal-wood mixtures had much lower fuel energy to volume ratio than the baseline coal. The issues appear to have been related to the installation of new automatic controls. Stability issues were corrected in subsequent tests by tuning the fuel-steam pressure automatic controls.

The project was initiated by Southern Company & Alabama Power, USDA Forest Service, Forest Based Economic Development Services, University of Alabama, and Auburn University.

The full report can be found here.

The Energy Information Administration has released the International Energy Outlook 2008. The Outlook projects 50 percent growth in energy use between 2003 and 2030. It also projects a 50 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions during the same period with current policy regulations. The EIA attributes this growth to "robust economic growth and expanding populations in the world's developing countries." While the report does project a 2 percent increase in hydroelectricity and renewable energy use, coal and natural gas consumption also increase by 2 and 1.7 percent. To learn more, read the press release and the full report.

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change offers users interactive maps describing energy and climate change policies in each of the U.S. states. Map topics include:

• Climate Action
• Energy Sector
• Transportation Sector
• Building Sector
  

Maps can be found at their website.

In May 2008, the Brookings Institute released their report Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America. The report quantifies transportation and residential carbon emissions in the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas in 2000 and 2005. According to the report, "Residential density and the availability of public transit are important to understanding carbon footprints, as were the carbon intensity of electricity generation, electricity prices, and weather." Metro areas east of the Mississippi were relatively worse in GHG emissions. And the South particularly, had the largest carbon footprints of any region in both 2000 and 2005. In addition to system-wide changes, such as pricing carbon, establishing and RFS, and increasing R&D, the report also offered more particular suggestions for reducing GHG emissions in metro areas. These policy options included:

• Promoting more transportation choices;
• Introducing more energy-efficient freight operations;
• Requiring home energy cost disclosure when selling and "on-bill" financing;
• Using federal housing policy to create incentives for energy and location efficient decisions; and
  
• Issuing a metropolitan challange to induce innovative solutions.

The full report can be found here.

At Southern Company's annual meeting this week, CEO David Radcliffe told shareholders that the company is looking toward biomass, nuclear, and natural gas options to meet the increasing power demands in the region. The company expects to invest around $14 billion on new poles, wires, and power plants, which may include the conversion of two plants coal-fired plants to biomass. Radcliffe said, "We think the most promising technology for us is biomass because it is something that we can grow and harvest." With climate change legislation filtering through Congress, the company is seeking new ways to meet future carbon emission standards. To read more visit the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Association of Manufacturers have signed a memorandum of understanding challenging manufacturers to reduce their energy consumption by 10 percent. The industrial sector comprises of one-third of U.S. energy consumption and one-third of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. To cut energy use by 10 percent would save manufacturers over $10 billion and enough power to service over 10 million American homes. Under the MOU, EPA will "support NAM members in developing and refining company-wide energy management programs, share best energy management practices, provide training, and recognize the energy efficiency achievements of NAM members." The full press release can be found here.

Stateline.org recently reviewed the reactions of U.S. coal mining states to the increased movement towards cleaner energy and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. While there is no federal mandate for clean electricity, permits for new coal power plants have received increasing resistance. Stateline.org reports that

"proposals for 59 coal plants were scrapped in 24 states, either by state regulators concerned about the effects of carbon-dioxide emissions or by power companies worried about the future costs of pollution."

With coal providing nearly 50 percent of the nation's electricity, it won't be going away any time soon. Governor Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the nation's second largest coal producing state, has called for an increase in federal funding for research and financing of clean coal technologies.

Read more at Stateline.org.

The Energy Information Administration recently added infrastructure information to their detailed maps for each state. Infrastructure details such as power plant capacity and coal mine production are available. To review your state visit the EIA State Energy Profile website.

Looking to teach your community about woody biomass' role in generating electricity? InterfaceSouth has developed a Biomass Ambassadors guide for educating your community and state on the potential of woody biomass as an energy feedstock. A joint project of the USDA Forest Service Centers for Urban and Interface Forestry, the Southern Group of State Foresters, the Southern States Energy Board, and the Southern Regional Extension Forestry Program, Biomass Ambassadors provide downloadable community organizing guides, fact sheets, and case studies.

The materials also include community specific profiles on a number of counties across the South. The community profiles quantify the supply of wood available , estimate the cost of that wood, and calculate the impact of 20 MW and 40 MW electricity generating facility.

All of these materials and more can be found on the InterfaceSouth website.