Sustainability - - A Focus On Carbon

Not exactly. Let me explain. Our lack of even the most basic understanding of how the elecricity system operates (explained below) allows us to mistakenly imagine we are taking actions that will shut down CO2 emitting generators. A number of headlines read something like "California Poised To Require All Its Electricity To Come From Renewables."  SB100  appears to be a bit more complicated, however.  Plus, electricity complies to the laws of physics, not the laws we mere mortals devise. Hoefully, this post will identify several important implications of these distinctions. Recognize that electrons (what electricity consists of) going over the wires thorughout California flow from all generators located everywhere within what’s called the Western Interconnect (WECC).  Electrons are already present throughout all the electric wires in every building in every community at every moment in time. When you flip a light switch on, more electricity gets generated ...

The often cited study by Mark Jacobson et. al. that asserts it's economic to replace every fossil fuel use with either electricity from wind, water, and sun (WWS-only) or hydrogen produced using WWS-only in 139 countries over the next 33 years implies a massive construction program the likes of which we may not have ever seen. I find it useful to compare the implied construction program to what we have experienced in the recent past. Click  here  to see his paper on the 50 U.S. states. Over the next 33 years, even under his extraordinary drop in total electric load, he envisions approximately 5.8 million MW of new generation are needed (plus an additional 600GW for peaking and system stability). He reports that as of 2013, 2.71% (of 5.8 million MW) is currently installed, or approximately1.6 million MW. Such quantities indicate an extraordinary construction program, especially since the U.S. installed capacity rose by only about 177,400MWs over the eight year pe...

Last Tuesday, the OPUC Commissioners held a regularly scheduled hearing. The main topic was Portland General Electric's (PGE) proposed acquisition of 175 aMW of wind. At the hearing, which I attended, renewable and environmental advocates were out in force. Dozens of citizens showed up wearing read t-shirts, some with 350.org, others from the Sierra Club. Others wore the color red in solidarity. Commissioner Bloom, the lone Republican on the three-member Commission, read prepared remarks that were extraordinary, being delivered from the Dias. He chastised PGE for an op-ed in the Oregonian the prior Friday in which the Company's head honchos essentially pleded with the public to come to help support their proposed acquisition before the Commission. I've seen the Commissioners take witnesses to task. What I hadn't seen was a thorough admonishment of a utility at the beginning of a hearing, reading from prepared remarks. Customer groups had filed testimony opposing P...

Mark Jacobson and his colleagues have performed analysis, and argued forcefully based on that analysis, that it’s economic for the U.S., and 138 other countries, to rely solely on water, wave, and sun (WWS- only) to meet all power needs by 2050. A paper published in 2015 (Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, 8, 2093) contains a table listing the number of new generators (and the size of each one) needed by type of generation if that goal is to met. The table below was contracted using Table 2 of that publication, Number of Units Needing Installation (rounded): On shore wind, 328,000; Off-shore wind, 156,000; Wave, 35,000; Geothermal, 10,000; Hydro, 3; Tidal, 9,000; Residential PV, 75,100,000; Commercial/Gov. PV, 2,747,000; Utility PV, 46,500; CSP, 2,300. Source: Jacobson, et. al., Energy Environ. Sci. (2015), Table 2, p. 2098 While only 3 new dams are needed, the analysis assumes that the installed capacity of one new dam is 1300MW. That means 3,900MW of new installed capacit...

That's a very good question.  We need to look closely. Q1: Has any existing fossil-fuel generation facility reduced its production in MWh as a direct result of  the utility, say PGE, purchasing RECs? If it can be shown that an existing fossil fuel generator has reduced its production such that it's clear that it  isn't (1) a scheduled outage, or (2) an unscheduled outage, or (3) due to any issue with the power system, then and only then can it be claimed that carbon emissions has declined as a direct result of replacing the output of a fossil fuel electricity generator with that of a renewable (wind, water, sum, etc) production.  Then and only then can it be claimed that carbon emissions have actually declined. Q2: Could the purchase of RECs replace a new fossil fuel generator? Yes, it could.  However, the electricity from the renewable generator must be bundled with the REC in order to claim the carbon reductions.  If the electricity from the renew...

Image courtesy of Portland ClipArt Festival The City of Portland and Multnomah County will soon jointly adtop a resolution to use 100% renewables by 2050.  A draft of that Resolution l apply to both city and county facilities and operations.  A version of the motion did appear on the City Council Agenda for thursday, April, 27th, but was removed prior to the Council meeting. In light of the limits on City authority, what the City can control is the use of carbon emitting fuels in CIty operations - trucks, cars, mowers and other gardening tools, any fossil fuel based generators under control of the City. Beyond the CIty's limited range of authority, the only tool available is promotion, promoting, and encouraging homeowners, landlords and business owners to shift out of the use of fossil fuels. Here is something you can do: As you go about your day examine what items you use that 1. Require fossil fuels to manufacture; 2. Contain fossil fuels; 3. Require fossil fue...