Knowledge awaits. Diversity in biomass supplies will also be key if the resource is to meet competing demands. In a brief published by Indonesian non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Habibie Centre, financial access was deemed the most important factor for developing renewable energy projects due to their capital-intensive nature. From mobilizing over $7 billion in renewable energy investments to facilitating nearly 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity (enough to power roughly 8 million homes), the United States Governments Clean Power Asia program is making Southeast Asia cleaner and greener. The region is home to 44% of the nation's total energy from woody biomass and a significant portion of other biomass types.25 Not all biomass is recognized as "eligible" to meet federal RES requirements due to differences in federal legislation and tax provisions defining biomass. USDA is focused on maximizing its collective resources to provide the highest level of support and service to Southeast Alaska. Reprinted from Greenwire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. "Right now we are depending on other regions of the country, and foreign countries like Columbia and Venezuela, to supply us with coal. Today, biomass [electric power] generation is mainly associated with the use of mill and agricultural wastes. Our long-term strategy will include establishing an interagency lead for the Sustainability Strategy, establishing a team charter for the Alaska-based OneUSDA team, and empowering shared leadership within the region by aligning programs with locally developed strategies such as the Blueprint for Southeast Alaska, the Visitor Products Cluster Working Group, the 2025 Economic Development Plan, and the All Landowners Working Group, among others. For the purposes of this discussion, southeastern states include Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Southeast Agriculture & Forestry Energy Alliance, Southern Bioenergy Roadmap, 2009, p. 5, http://www.saferalliance.net/projects/bioenergy_roadmap.pdf. Today, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. But customers across the Southeast are still beholden to vertically-integrated utilities that own every aspect of electricity generation, transmission, and delivery. May 2008. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/renew_energy_consump/table1.html. Southeast Alaskas culture, people, and economy are interwoven with the Tongass National Forest. 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. Plasma-arc gasification is an incineration technology which uses an oxygen-starved environment to reduce the organic components in municipal solid waste (or other biomass) into its constituent elements. Further, biomass combustion typically does not produce nitrogen oxides.32, The intensive raising of livestock for food often results in significant amounts of manure and other wastes from the animals.33 Some livestock wastes may be bound up with sawdust or wood shavings used in animal stalls and thus (when prepared) can be used as fuel in a biomass power boiler. http://www.eia.doe.gov/glossary/glossary_c.htm. Countries in Southeast Asia have abundant renewable energy resource potential. Energy demand in Southeast Asia has increased on average by around 3% a year over the past two decades, and this trend continues to 2030 under today's policy settings in the STEPS. 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. Near-term potential for renewable energy resources: energy crops (22%); forest residues (18%); crop residues (11%); urban wood residues (6%); biogas (landfills2%; livestock manure1%). Download Free PDF View PDF. 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 the regional agreements, the entities are collaborating with USDA to promote economic diversification and workforce development projects for themselves and other smaller organizations in Southeast Alaska. These recovery and biomass boilers are responsible for most of the energy generated by the forest products (biomass) sector, either as steam heat for process uses, or electricity generated for on-site use. USDA Forest Service photo. February 23, 2009. Community Capacity total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.7 million for five projects announced today. While new jobs more than replace those lost in coal and gas, some communities will be disproportionately impacted by the transition. Retrieved from Raysonho . Wood wastes from saw mills is a primary source of energy used by the biopower industry in its power plants, but if sufficient numbers of these mills go out of business, then the economics of biopower operations could change.52 There is little doubt that logging operations leave behind considerable waste wood in the forests, but going into the forest specifically to collect wood wastes may not be cost effective for biopower companies.53. Biomass boiler greenhouse. 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. This open-ended engagement ensures that investments were paired with a forward-looking approach to plan for longer-term action that are home-grown and responsive to local priorities, complement ongoing partnerships, and are inclusive of the values and peoples in the region. See http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090226/testimony_gruenspecht.pdf. The analysis does not account for ripple effects of reduced electricity rates on consumer and business spending or the increased attractiveness of Southeastern states to the growing number of companies with 100% clean energy goals. Biomass has been characterized by advocates for an RES in the Southeast (i.e., Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) as the regions main renewable resource which could be used to meet a standard. The inorganic chemicals are recovered in a "recovery boiler" and reconstituted for reuse, while the organic lignin is burned, generating heat for steam production. The Southeast Asian renewable energy market is changing rapidly. hWn0P !u{QE< lJeS=gl^ xngr*X"k"2:BFeJ9*ePUQ_g8[TMvvzb|yYdSlX6-Q7 4!IG97k%9 &Xh%~0N$Y{'(/>0F{9bAmi #Q3zC`#] Q;`d\1GHF'uN"VRd"eqG -Gb7m,Xd/>a)~yf}xw>y `6{R1gL+S!A!{c[=yH . Representation of a priority economic sector. In the short time since the Secretarys announcement, over 270 investment proposals were received totaling more than $276 million. They contend there is a lack of wind or solar resources that can be delivered economically. An online data explorer allows users to compare scenarios and understand state-level impacts: By contrast, current utility plans add virtually no wind or storage, only 21 GW of additional solar by 2040, maintain existing coal, and drastically expand gas generation. Confederation of European Paper Industries, Bio-energy and the European Pulp and Paper Industry. Will Lithium Follow The Super-Cycle Of Mining? The pulp and paper industry has another wood waste fuel source in "black liquor," a by-product of the pulping process. The news was shared during a collaborative virtual, partner-led event hosted by the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida), Southeast Conference, Spruce Root, and USDA leaders. Through February 2009, RPS requirements or goals have been established in 29 states plus the District of Columbia.9, A major argument that has been advanced for a national renewable energy (or electricity) standard is that it would encourage increased use of renewable energy. The sensitivity of the estimates with regard to truck fuel prices is unknown. 4`SZLp4M6@iGvr&8Mj e{y/aMj:7&N~}Oqz3IsJP mDVa 2by@~pM~2G^ BghouDkm0B]m7>/S=x?? ]>x#-Gx[;O^UK[uNQjh%j$[H?OWl;n OoGn;4z^.nnL,Wis8iq ^_n70>{ 6c_,77nN 0 H`1 hXKk0+?F3SCwCL6{-+$B This cooperative agreement is truly an innovative approach taken by the USDA, said Richard Chalyee esh Peterson, President of Tlingit & Haida. Besides, hydro and wind power can be considered as potential renewable energy resources. Yes We Can: Southern Solutions for a National Renewable Energy Standard. 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. Juneau, AK 99802-1628 See http://www.house.gov/jct/x-39-08.pdf. Aggressive customer cost savings, significant employment gains, and cleaner air for the first time, research demonstrates how much a competitive regional electricity market would benefit the Southeast U.S. To deliver these benefits for the people they serve, policymakers and regulators should immediately ramp up efforts to bring competition to a region that has for too long been beholden to monopolies at the exclusion of low-cost clean energy. The .gov means its official. They have also been critical to integrating variable renewable energy wind and solar and capitalizing on resource diversity over larger geographical areas. 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. The locations selected were bounded by a 280-mile radius to allow for a four-hour maximum one-way haul, and trucks offloading biomass every 15 minutes. President Biden is placing climate change at the center of U.S. foreign policy, he said. The development of renewable energy projects in the region is an expensive bill for most Southeast Asian countries to foot. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) called the RES a "moving target." Monopoly utilities plan their electric grids independently from their neighbors and impose fees called wheeling charges to ship power across successive utility transmission systems. 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. The strategy prioritizes USDA resources and capacity to better serve the broader economy of Southeast Alaska. Without additional details, SEEM fails to address many of the efficiencies of full RTO integration modeled in this study like reserve sharing, transmission optimization, regional economic dispatch, independent system operation and market monitoring, and market access for independent power producers. 890 (111th Congress) 101, the Federal Renewable Electricity Standard. Climate change mitigation goals may have additional impacts on the value of renewable energy credits, and eventual impacts on biomass demand nationwide. Click on a state or scroll down to access relevant conservation resources and state-specific climate change information. See http://www.nrel.gov/gis/images/map_biomass_sqkm.jpg, Biomass is possibly mankind's oldest source of energy. Figure 1 shows various types of biomass resources in the United States by annual tonnage per square kilometer available in individual counties. Home Explore Markets North America Southeast 1,069 TWh Energy Demand 292.2 GW Installed Capacity 11 % Renewable Share Southeast The Southeast region is assumed to be comprised of all or parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Inorganic wastes are reduced to low volume, inert solids.41 The technology is being used commercially in several installations around the world, with the first U.S. facility scheduled to be operational in 2011.42, A potential national renewable electricity standard would rely on biomass as one of the nation's most widely available resources that could be used to meet requirements.43 With many states already moving forward on advancing renewable energy goals, the acceptability of an RES may come down to regional views on the availability and suitability of renewable energy resources for meeting RES requirements. Alaska Regional Office 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. Lets dive in to see what this Coal Cost Crossover analysis can tell us about coal plants in the Southeast. 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. CHARLOTTE NC - June 2, 2017: CREDIT: Mike Catanzaro, panel installer at Accelerate Solar, finishes [+] installed electrical wiring at a solar array he recently installed at a job site in East Charlotte. To learn more, visit the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategys webpage. Infrastructure total commitment of $3.125 million, which includes about $1.5 million for five projects announced today. The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process, when done well, is the best tool the electricity sector has for comparing the utilitys overall system costs across different portfolio options. With biomass representing the most widely used (and ostensibly the least expensive) renewable energy resource in the United States, its potential use in meeting RES requirements is key to the success of any RES that may be enacted. As we celebrate USAIDs achievements in energy in Thailand and across the region, we also look to the future and partnerships that will continue to strengthen energy investments in the region, facilitating the transition to a clean energy future and enhanced regional energy security, said ChargdAffairesHeath. 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 definition of what constitutes biomass has varied over time with changes in law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and evolution of potential uses. See http://methanetomarkets.org/ag/index.htm. PO Box 1842Knoxville, TN 37901865.637.6055, Maggie Shober works to speed the clean energy transformation in the Southeast through analysis and advocacy. 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. Since 2016, the USAID Clean Power Asia program has worked with governments and the private sector across Southeast Asia to encourage power sector investments in environmentally friendly, grid-connected renewable energy sources. 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 . 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. Historically, most electric power has come from base-load generation in large, central station plants using fossil fuels (principally coal) as the source of energy. Thus far, two bills have been introduced in the 111th Congress that would amend PURPA. 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. 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. Sustainable management of forest resources is likely to be both a basic consideration and a possible constraint.