Southeast State Resources. Click on a state or scroll down to access relevant conservation resources and state-specific climate change information. Proposing to restore the 2001 Roadless Rule protections. Billions of dollars in savings for customers. One portfolio would be to continue to operate these coal plants, and another would be to phase them out while replacement generation and capacity from solar, wind, and storage come online. 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. AMERICAN COUNCIL ON RENEWABLE ENERGY With high electricity prices, a reliance on imported energy, and ongoing retirements of fossil fuel power plants, the Northeast has a strong incentive to develop local, renewable sources of energy. In the southeast region especially, biomass may be the most readily available opportunity for meeting RES goals, but compliance may still be a challenge. When examined from a regional perspective, a number of questions have been raised as to the potential impacts on the supply and demand of biomass resources under a renewable energy standard. 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. 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. But this modest proposal appears to extend rather than limit utilities power to retain expensive coal generation, ignoring billions in annual savings. The total delivered cost of woody biomass can be calculated as the sum of the costs of procurement (i.e., the amount paid to gain ownership of a biomass resource), collection or harvest costs, and transportation costs. Of these plants included in the analysis, both local and regional solar resources are less expensive than all of the coal plants analyzed. See http://www.esri.com/library/fliers/pdfs/measuringbiofuel.pdf. First announced in July 2021, the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy aims to support a diverse economy, enhance community resilience, and conserve natural resources in Southeast Alaska. Pulp & Paperworkers Resource Council, Mill Closures Chart, 2007, http://www.pprc.info/html/millclosures.htm. Creating hundreds of thousands of high-wage jobs in clean energy. 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. The harvest of food and other crops often leaves behind a mass of stover (i.e., stalks, leaves and other plant remnants). 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. Discussion with Southern Company, March 31, 2009. Myanmar reported its access to energy as 50 per cent in 2019. Overview of the Quality and Completeness of Resource Assessment Data for the APEC Region. In addition to looking at replacing generation with wind or solar, Energy Innovation looked at pairing local solar resources with battery storage to replace some or all of the capacity of each coal plant without costing more than the continued operation of the plant. Under RES proposals, most producers of renewable electricity will receive renewable energy credits or certificates to prove that a certain amount of renewable electricity was produced (usually 1 Megawatt-hour). The latter study used geographic information system (GIS) techniques to examine the theoretical effects of transportation infrastructure, distance, and biomass types on potential bioenergy projects in the 27 counties. The Alaska-based, USDA intra-agency team is co-led by Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Forest Service. Senator Bingaman discussion draft, Title VIII, Renewable Portfolio Standard, 111th Congress. to support a diverse economy, enhancecommunity resilience, and conserve natural resources in Southeast Alaska. This team is locally based and will continue to consult with Tribal Nations and Alaska Native corporations and to engage with partners and municipal governments to continue to identify priorities and practical opportunities for investments of financial and technical assistance. Increased battery storage and system flexibility also reduces the need for seldom-used gas peaking resources, which are mostly eliminated in the RTO by 2040. Energy consumption in Southeast Asia nearly doubled between 1995 and 2015, growing at an average pace of 3.4% annually. 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 The efficiency of boilers at these levels of biomass input is not affected and resulting overall air emissions are reduced.31 In the future, much of the biomass co-fired in coal plants may come from biocrops. United States. It gives an overview of the ORE status of the region in terms of its potential and existing policies that support the utilization of ORE as an alternative source of energy. Juneau, AK 99802-1628 Incremental progress may be on the horizon. 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. The intra-agency team reached out to schedule tribal consultations and sessions to engage and inform participants about the strategy and engage in discussions about opportunities for economic investments. They are finishing up installing a solar panel array at the Aurora Apartments to help offset electrical demand in certain buildings. 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. In these states, most renewable energy projects are utility-owned. As a part of the strategy, the Secretary of Agriculture made. 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. Henning Steinfeld, Pierre Gerber, and Tom Wassenaar, et al., Livestock's Long Shadow - Environmental Issues and Options, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006, ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a0701e/a0701e03.pdf. The Southeast Asia renewable energy market installed 71.75 GW in 2020, and it is anticipated to reach by 117.17 GW by 2027, at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period of 2022-2027. . Access to the resource is critical to a facility's economic feasibility. Bhutan has achieved 100 per cent energy access through off-grid energy sources. Daniel Cusick, "Southern utilities led effort to squash Senate RPS proposal," Earth News, June 26, 2007. Different types of biomass have different procurement and collection costs, and transportation cost varies as a function of haul time and distance. Juneau, AK (September 6, 2022) Three Southeast Alaska entities today announced regional strengthening agreements supported through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy. LockA locked padlock ( National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Renewable Resource Data Center, http://www.nrel.gov/rredc/. USDA plans to leverage its resources to support these efforts including programs to strengthen small businesses, broadband, renewable energy production, local foods and agriculture production, water and sewer infrastructure, healthcare, housing, outdoor tourism, silviculture support and others as appropriate. But nowadays, possibilities for use include collection of a portion of this material for burning in a biomass boiler, producing steam for electricity, or processing into biofuels (see below) such as cellulosic ethanol, as technologies and new processes are developed. Demand for woody biomass could also be affected by requirements for biofuels production under the Renewable Fuel Standard60 specified by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, especially as cellulosic methods for ethanol production are improved. 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. It also eliminates all coal generation by 2040. Countries in Southeast Asia have abundant renewable energy resource potential. Burning approximately one million tons of biomass annually, Plant Mitchell would be one of the largest biomass power plants in the United States.51, Collection of waste wood for biomass power plants may require a coordinated effort with forestry companies. Renewable energy is seen as a way to reduce fossil fuel use and, with growing awareness of the potential impacts of climate change, the role of renewable energy in reducing CO2 emissions from energy production has garnered increasing public support. The Southeast has enough renewable resources to meet the 25 percent renewable-power mandate proposed by draft House energy and climate legislation, according to a new assessment [pdf] by environmental groups. Georgia Power estimates it will require 160 to 180 truckload deliveries per day to supply the 1 million tons of biomass needed for the 96 MW facility. Confederation of European Paper Industries, Bio-energy and the European Pulp and Paper Industry. Produced by biological processes of living organisms. (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images), WECs Angela Wilkinson: A Voice Of Reason In The Energy And Climate Discussion. But this result is indicative of what should be on the table for each utilitys next resource plan. Congress has been debating establishment of a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) to encourage increased use of all forms of renewable energy including generating electricity from biomass sources (H.R. Other technologies, such as "open-loop" biomass, incremental hydropower, small irrigation systems, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste (MSW), receive a lesser value tax credit. 796 (17)(E)]. 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. See http://methanetomarkets.org/ag/index.htm. This analysis compares a simple metric, the cost per megawatt-hour (MWh) of generation, from existing coal plants and new wind and solar plants. The report was released today as lawmakers negotiate over whether to scale back the renewable electricity standard in the bill sponsored by Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The intra-agency team collected diverse public input to inform opportunities for priority investments and in reducing administrative barriers that support a diverse economy, enhance community resilience, and conserve natural resources. Since the time of the first nomadic hunter-gatherer societies, wood has been collected for cooking fires and heating. Energies. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Monopoly utilities plan their electric grids independently from their neighbors and impose fees called wheeling charges to ship power across successive utility transmission systems. Nationwide, Black Americans are exposed to 1.5 times as much PM 2.5 compared to white Americans. 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 region's main renewable resource which could be used to meet a standard. Governments Across Southeast Asian Countries Are Accelerating Renewable Energy Investments With increasing global environmental concerns, governments across Southeast Asian countries plan. 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. A region with some of Americas highest poverty rates, which may suffer more economic loss from COVID-19 than any other area of the country cannot afford to miss out on the economic stimulus that comes from simply introducing competition. By 2025, the desired regional target is securing 23 percent of primary energy from renewable sources. Thus, owing to the above points, Vietnam is expected to dominate the renewable energy market in the region during the forecast period. 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. VCEs WIS:dom model also incorporates electricity distribution infrastructure savings from deploying distributed storage and solar resources. Making up some of this gap from market sources using procurement bids and new commercial solar or wind installations may be possible. Energy Innovation has released updated analysis comparing the cost of continuing to operate coal plants to replacing them with solar, wind, or batteries. Thanks for reading Scientific American. The definition of what constitutes biomass has varied over time with changes in law and regulations, reflecting policy goals and evolution of potential uses. 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 projects announced today have been allocated in the categories below: Tribal and Indigenous Interests total commitment of $12.5 million, which includes about $2.3 million for the six projects announced today. Renewable energy resources include biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean thermal, wave action, and tidal action. The region is committed to renewable energy and integrating sustainable practices into legacy industries. F^"jDq2)r3#%_uM5wnZf;A6i{mag2CHs.]tv;e|>un .naf`n_^q $X,J,nE}|2|9?-__6/I:U It doesnt even achieve the benefits of a true Energy Imbalance Market, such as the kind that serves the West including an independent operator, transparent pricing, or open transmission access. More than 20 projects, totaling $12.4 million, range from fisheries improvements to food security initiatives and are geared toward expanding the strategys goals and reach. North Carolina has enacted a 12.5% requirement by 2021 for electric utilities and a 10% requirement for municipal and cooperative utilities. The last in a four-part series, this portion focuses on the renewable energy sector in the 14 Southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South . Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 at 16 U.S.C. Nowhere is the debate on biomass resources more pronounced than in the southeastern United States where biomass has been described as the region's best hope to meet RES requirements.44. Southeastern lawmakers, who say their states could not meet the targets, say their districts would face higher costs because utilities would be forced to buy credits or make other payments. This is a BETA experience. Renewable energy, particularly solar, is poised for significant growth in the southeastern United States. In Alabama, for example, people of color are exposed to roughly twice as much PM 2.5 pollution as white people. The agricultural resources of the Midwest and the forest-based resources of the Southeast feature prominently. Leaders from USDAs Natural Resources and Environment, Rural Development, and Natural Resources Conservation Service are visiting southeast Alaska this week and meeting with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, regional and local partners, including recipients of the initial funding. See http://www.house.gov/jct/x-39-08.pdf. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), one of the panel's more liberal members, said there should be "flexibility" to address regional issues but warned against watering down either the bill's emissions or renewable energy targets. Competitive wholesale electricity markets, or Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs), are public-benefit corporations serving 70% of U.S. electricity customers that arose from electricity restructuring during the late 1990s-early 2000s to cut costs and encourage innovation. See http://www.nrel.gov/gis/images/map_biomass_sqkm.jpg, Biomass is possibly mankind's oldest source of energy. Southeast Asia used construction equipment market is expected to reach a value of $1,470 billion in 2029 from $1,012 million in 2022, growing at a CAGR of approximately 5.48% The Earthmoving. These factors will help determine whether further biomass development can help the region economically meet projected requirements of an RES. research demonstrates how much a competitive regional electricity market would benefit the Southeast U.S.   U.S. Energy Project in Southeast Asia Increased Renewable Energy Investments by $7 Billion, USAID and FHI 360 join PMAC to enhance data integration in decision-making at the climate-health nexus, United States Launches SERVIR-Southeast Asia, a USAID-NASA Initiative to Fight Climate Change, USAID Smart Infrastructure for the Mekong Program Restores Fish Passage Across the Mekong, USAID, DNP, and WildAid Launch Media Campaign to End Demand for Ivory Products. In fact, 82% of the total coal capacity in the region could be replaced with solar and storage for the cost of continued operation of those coal plants, and with a significant decrease in risks associated with fuel costs, outages from extreme weather, and potential future environmental regulations. 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. The development of solar and wind resources in the power sector was relatively slow as renewables were not cost-competitive over thermal power plants. EIA, Monthly Energy Review, September 2008. Gasification. More recently, a study released in 2006 assessed the economic feasibility of bringing in biomass resources for bioenergy projects. 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 $17.4 billion average yearly savings through 2040 - 23% lower electricity costs compared to today. Vietnam has a high potential for renewable energy, including hydro, solar, wind, biomass, and waste. Renewable energy project developer, operations manager and energy trading business BayWa re has been steadily establishing itself in the region. (907) 586-8806, https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=FSEPRD950023, What is the OneUSDA Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy, On July 15, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). % 2;|Q2C2hH;_2 AF&PA contends that additional income from trading in RECs by biopower companies could lead to increased demand and higher prices for biomass, thus forcing forest products companies nationwide to pay more for its raw materials. 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. 63 Based on a demand of 2 to 4 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) for a biomass power facility generating between 20 and 40 megawatts of electricity, the study concluded that sufficient biomass supplies potentially existed in the 27 counties. Georgia Power Company, Georgia Power Seeks Approval for Coal Plant Conversion to Biomass, August 22, 2008, http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-22-2008/0004871944&EDATE=. For the purposes of this discussion, southeastern states include Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The team used a two-pronged approach to gather public input. http://www.cepi.org/content/default.asp?pageid=10. Closing the dirtiest sources of power and adding cheaper renewables would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions nearly 40% in the competitive RTO scenario compared to business-as-usual important for a region that faces up to $60 billion each year in 2050 and up to $99 billion in 2090 in costs from climate-change induced sea level rise and storm surge. 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. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Having a financially viable forest products sector producing wood wastes is important to the biomass power industry. A USDA intra-agency team consulted with Tribal Nations and Alaska Native corporations, and engaged with municipal governments, local partners and communities, and the public to support an integrated approach to economic development planning and implementation. This buildout of wind, solar, and storage generates 285,000 new jobs in the Southeast through 2040 compared to business-as-usual good jobs in one of the countrys fastest growing economic sectors, offering higher than average wages. U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source. Climateworks saw, first-hand, leaders at the G20 and COP27 reaffirm the 1.5-degree Celsius Paris Agreement goal and . Virginia has a statewide program to convert coal plants to biomass, with several plants that converted during 2013.