helping to mainstream alternative energy 2012-04-19T06:25:30+08:00 tallex http://www.alternate-energy.net aen@alternate-energy.net tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog AEN Copyright (c) 2012, Authors of Alt Energy Resource Network Blog 2011-07-16T06:07:00+08:00 2011-07-16T06:07:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.154

Raging wildfires: Climate changes to blame for record season? By Pete Spotts The images are stark: soot-grimed firefighters steering bulldozers or wielding shovels to clear underbrush; curtains of orange flame tracing the contours of summits; aircraft dumping chemicals to slow a fire's progress. Between Jan. 1 and early July of 2011, slightly more than 38,000 wildfires charred the landscape in the United States at a record pace. So far this year, wildfires have consumed just under 4.9 million acres of forest and grassland, a cumulative expanse the size of New Jersey. That's 1 million more acres than fires consumed during the same period in 2006, which saw a record 9.9 million acres burned for the entire year. Beyond the numbers, this year's fires may provide the first large-scale tests of the effectiveness of projects undertaken over the past decade to help forests survive wildfires, several specialists say. The West's forests are adapted to deal with certain types of wildfires, researchers note. But since the mid-1980s, they add, some of these forests have experienced an increasing number of fires to which they are not well adapted. Many researchers trace this shift in part to climate change.

By Pete Spotts


The images are stark: soot-grimed firefighters steering bulldozers or wielding shovels to clear underbrush; curtains of orange flame tracing the contours of summits; aircraft dumping chemicals to slow a fire's progress.

Between Jan. 1 and early July of 2011, slightly more than 38,000 wildfires charred the landscape in the United States at a record pace. So far this year, wildfires have consumed just under 4.9 million acres of forest and grassland, a cumulative expanse the size of New Jersey.

That's 1 million more acres than fires consumed during the same period in 2006, which saw a record 9.9 million acres burned for the entire year.

Beyond the numbers, this year's fires may provide the first large-scale tests of the effectiveness of projects undertaken over the past decade to help forests survive wildfires, several specialists say.

The West's forests are adapted to deal with certain types of wildfires, researchers note. But since the mid-1980s, they add, some of these forests have experienced an increasing number of fires to which they are not well adapted.

Many researchers trace this shift in part to climate change.Thus, restoration efforts focus not only on how to reestablish fire regimes that these forests can best endure, but also on how to do this in the face of an already-changing climate.

The alternative: large, intense fires likely to trigger long-term shifts in the makeup of vegetation, with as-yet-unknown effects on ecosystems and watersheds.

"This is the year we will be able to go in and complete the experiment," says Melissa Savage, professor emeritus of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a trustee of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, west of Santa Fe, N.M. "So much acreage burned, and it burned over so many restoration treatments, that we will get the answer this year" regarding which treatments worked, which didn't, and why, she says.

In 2000, for instance, the US began thinning forests where firefighting efforts over the preceding century had allowed smaller trees and shrubs to build up beyond normal levels. Called the National Fire Plan, the program targeted some 42,500 square miles of forest, especially where forests and communities meet.

Those efforts, and others, are indeed undergoing a big test this year. In Georgia, firefighters are battling a 295,000-acre blaze in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The fire began April 30. And Texas, which begins its tally each Nov. 15, has seen nearly 14,000 fires burn a record 3.2 million acres so far this season.

Meanwhile, firefighters in New Mexico are struggling to contain the Las Conchas fire, which began June 26 and has burned nearly 148,000 acres. In Arizona, the Wallow fire is more than 95 percent contained. That blaze began May 29 and has blackened 538,000 acres, including 15,000 acres in New Mexico. Both fires set state records.

The number of acres burned in 2011 could surpass the record set by wildfires in 2006, says Roberta D'Amico, an information specialist with the National Inter agency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. But, she cautions, much will depend on what happens in other parts of the West in July and August.

Although heavy snows this past winter as well as spring snow and rain in the Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains have triggered flooding along rivers, they also have kept forests moist, reducing the risk of large, intense wildfires.

"I'm sitting here in Idaho, and it's unusual for our mountains to be green this time of year," Ms. D'Amico says.

Several factors have contributed to this year's remarkable fire season, explains Laura McCarthy, senior policy adviser for fire and forest restoration at the Nature Conservancy office in Santa Fe, N.M.

Fire policies for most of the 20th century focused on snuffing out every blaze. This reduced the frequency of ground-hugging, low-intensity fires that would clear the forest floors of shrubs, small trees, and ground litter. Without those fires, forests became more densely populated with trees and shrubs of varying heights - ladders for flames to reach the pitch-rich crowns of mature trees.

Despite efforts to restore forests to more-natural fire regimes, "about 80 percent of our forests in the Lower 48 states ... are in either a moderately or severely degraded condition, which means they're experiencing too much, too little, or the wrong kind of fire," Ms. McCarthy says.

Moreover, the climate change that scientists have documented in the West has extended the fire season.

Shorter-term climate conditions also have contributed to this year's fires, according to Martin Hoerling, a researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific from late last summer through this spring pushed the average storm tracks across North America farther north than usual, he explains.

Thus, the southern tier - from Arizona through northern Florida and Georgia - has been experiencing droughts ranging from extreme to exceptional (see map).

The onset of the hurricane season in the Gulf and the North American monsoon season in the Southwest may ease things somewhat, Dr. Hoerling says.

Beyond climate issues are land-use practices, McCarthy adds. Where logging has occurred, smaller trees more vulnerable to fire are left behind. Where livestock have grazed, the ground is denuded of the grasses and "fine fuels" that could sustain useful low-level fires. And urban encroachment has put more people into contact with forests, increasing the likelihood of fires set directly or indirectly by humans.

In the Southwest, where ponderosa forests play a vital role economically and ecologically, intense crown fires such as the Wallow stand a fair chance of altering the landscape for decades, if not longer, researchers say.

This year's fires could also have greenhouse-gas implications. A wildfire destroyed 26,000 acres of ponderosa pine in the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Ariz., in 1996. Over the following decade, the burned area turned into a net source of carbon dioxide for the atmosphere, researchers from Northern Arizona University found.

With so much at stake, scientists are trying to figure out the right blend of techniques and the right treatment intervals for restoring more-natural fire regimes to ponderosa forests and beyond.

A team led by Northern Arizona University's Peter Fulé used data from a forest restoration site near the Grand Canyon to model the effects of potential treatments over the next 100 years.

Under a steady climate, the team found, forests could retain their resilience to wildfires if low-level fires were set every five years or so. With a warmer climate, they found that prescribed burns needed to take place only every 20 years, on average; vegetation's growth slows as the climate warms. ]]> tallex 2011-05-22T01:14:00+08:00 2011-05-22T01:14:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.153

Hybrid Moves Into Housing By Brenda Krueger Huffman (Chicago) – Recycling - Check. Conserving energy - Check. Hybrid car - Next car, check. Hybrid home system - What? Yes, it’s here. Hybrid has seamlessly, successfully moved into housing. Safety Power, Inc. was initially started to provide homes with back up power. The company quickly grew to include renewable energy options and advising commercial and industrial clients with electrical conservation. Recently the company has come full circle and began marketing a new more capable type of renewable energy system for homes. The award winning firm was voted one of the “Top 5 Sustainable Product Companies in Illinois” and continues to grow its residential client base in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Safety Power also serves larger firms on the national level. Robert Brazzale, President of Safety Power, a master electrician turned entrepreneur, began Safety Power in 2007. An avid member of Local First Chicago, Rob believes in assisting sustaining local economies with green collar jobs and belongs to many green orientated groups in Chicago and around the country.

By Brenda Krueger Huffman

(Chicago) – Recycling - Check. Conserving energy - Check. Hybrid car - Next car, check. Hybrid home system - What? Yes, it’s here. Hybrid has seamlessly, successfully moved into housing.

Safety Power, Inc. was initially started to provide homes with back up power. The company quickly grew to include renewable energy options and advising commercial and industrial clients with electrical conservation. Recently the company has come full circle and began marketing a new more capable type of renewable energy system for homes.

The award winning firm was voted one of the “Top 5 Sustainable Product Companies in Illinois” and continues to grow its residential client base in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Safety Power also serves larger firms on the national level.

Robert Brazzale, President of Safety Power, a master electrician turned entrepreneur, began Safety Power in 2007. An avid member of Local First Chicago, Rob believes in assisting sustaining local economies with green collar jobs and belongs to many green orientated groups in Chicago and around the country.Rob shares his expertise on the Hybrid Home concept and technology.

BKH: In simple terms, explain the concept of “Hybrid Homes.”
RB: To the public, the term “Hybrid” refers to “dual-sourced”, as in a hybrid car operating under either gas or electric. A Hybrid Home's electricity can also operate from multiple sources - on-grid, alternative energy, or stored power.

BKH: What are the green home products being offered by Safety Power, Inc?
RB: Safety Power offers a full range of alternative energy systems with back up power. All our systems are capable of receiving power from solar or wind options. We offer entry level efficiency systems to enhance filter and protect a home’s power.

Our systems can also stand alone and be used for grid back up now and allow the homeowner to expand the system with solar and wind options later; keeping initial costs low. This configuration is especially beneficial insuring power for homes with medical equipment needs and in places where a generator is not available, such as an apartment or condo.

BKH: How do these products allow a home to become “Hybrid” or more green?
RB: Any home investing in alternative energy options is “greener” due to the electricity produced on site and the use of less electricity from the grid cutting down the carbon footprint of that home and business.

Hybrid technology creates power savings, power security, and sell back capabilities at the same time. It's also possible to avoid on peak rates and take advantage of less expensive off peak rates later in the day to recharge the system.

BKH: Can these products be installed in new construction and in existing homes right now?
RB: Yes, all of our systems can be installed in both new and existing construction. Our power systems also make great upgrades to existing solar installations. All of our systems are capable of being installed anywhere in the home - basement, attic, and closet.

They operate instantly, silently and without fumes. It's this kind of flexibility and easy installation that makes our products available to everyone whether living in homes, apartments or condos.

BKH: Are there home electrical or mechanical specifications to utilize these products?
RB: No, any home is capable of integrating one of our power systems, and it will operate any electrical device in the home. The system is sized according to the load required for backup and solar or wind capabilities of the property.

BKH: What are the main benefits to the homeowner?
RB: Until now solar assisted homes were unable to actually operate a homes systems during a power outage. Security, communications, lighting, furnace, water pumps, and refrigeration simply did not work.

Recent advances in battery technology allow power to be stored and used in the home if needed while keeping sell back capabilities for excess power. This adds a new dimension to alternative energy options in today's homes. Avoiding property and food losses created during a power outage certainly add to cost savings. Perhaps the greatest benefit is the peace of mind knowing the home is protected against a power loss.

BKH: What are the main benefits to the environment?
RB: Any product that lessens the impact on the environment with less fossil fuel consumption to produce electricity helps the environment in both the long and short term. A common conversion is 1.2 pounds of CO2 reduction for every kWh produced.

An additional benefit is the reduced supply from the power grid which lessens the need for expanding our existing sources or building new ones. With a hybrid power system, the carbon footprint of any home or business can be reduced which helps the client and the earth.

BKH: Can the average middle class homeowner afford these products?
RB: Yes, absolutely. A large hybrid system, with 4 solar panels and everything needed to install it, is only about $16,000. This is about half the price of the average hybrid car.

We also have smaller “Plug and Play” systems, which require no installation, for about $1,700. A smaller price point than years past allows more homeowners to take advantage of alternative energy options now.

BKH: Is financing available for homeowners?
RB: Despite the global economic downturn, private investments in “green” sectors – in particular, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building, green business development – have remained steady or grown in recent years, totaling more than $1.6 trillion since 2007.

At Safety Power, we work with several sustainability minded lending institutions including The Delta Institute to provide homeowners and businesses with financing options from like minded sources. Recent years have seen a decrease in the cost of solar panels and micro-wind turbines which makes the overall cost fall dramatically.

BKH: What type of energy cost savings or return on investment can the average homeowner realize?
RB: We have had people inventory their use of electricity, and with some painless changes and installation of a hybrid system, they have reduced their electricity bill up to 17%. Direct cost savings of any alternative energy upgrade is of course dependent upon the size of the system installed and varies according to site attributes.

BKH: How is the customer able to monitor energy consumption over time?
RB: We feel this is an important aspect to any upgrade. Safety Power includes a home energy monitor with all of our installations to help the homeowner trend costs over time.

Capable of recording up to seven years of data, the homeowner is able to track historical usage. Downloaded into a PC, data can be displayed in easy to read graphs. The monitor helps the customer verify and quantify future energy efficiency updates in the home.

BKH: In addition to energy savings, is there any homeowner insurance savings or other savings?
RB: I'm not an insurance expert, but we always advise our customers to contact their insurance agent to inform them that a system was installed in the home to make sure it is fully insured and to investigate any discount that may be available at the same time.

BKH: Are there local or federal income tax credits for installing these products in your home?
RB: Yes, there is currently a 30% federal tax credit available to homeowners investing in this hybrid technology. The rebate considers all equipment and installation costs. This rebate also applies to expanding an existing solar installation with power back up capabilities.

Combined with falling prices on solar panels and the addition of power storage, the time for investing in an alternative energy system has never been better for the homeowner. We work with the customer to provide complete documentation of the project to assist with the rebates. Current local and state rebate information can be found at dsireusa.org.

BKH: How is the market responding to these new hybrid options for homes?
RB: The market is responding well. Rising electricity costs and an unsteady supply have forced homeowners to take another look at producing their own power. With medical equipment in the home becoming more common and the rising importance of security and communication equipment, we feel the additional benefit of back up power will draw many more homeowners into the alternative energy market.

Today's homeowners and homebuilders want to be smart about the upgrades they make in a home. A hybrid power system increases a home's value, decreases operating costs, and provides power security - all with renewable energy.

BKH: So many green products are manufactured in China or other countries. Are Safety Power products made in the United States?
RB: Yes, all of our power systems are proudly made here in the United States. Thank you for asking. Investment in U.S. made alternative energy products is a major factor for many homeowners and businesses. At Safety Power, we agree with homeowners that feel where and how we spend our money is a critical aspect to today’s recovering economy.

In addition, all of our systems are Vietnam Veteran SVDOB, HUBZONE Certified, CCR Registered, OCRA Certified, and NAFTA Certified. These certifications also help government entities insure that funds are spent in the proper manner - reinvested directly into American equipment and American jobs.

BKH: Can these products be used in commercial and industrial properties also?
RB: We do have systems designed to support large power draws and run times that businesses demand. With systems ranging from 3.6 kW to 6.0 kW continuous power output, they can support computers, servers, and phone lines as well as general lighting and security systems.

Business and industry are embracing renewable energy as a way to reduce their carbon footprint while cutting long-term electricity cost increases. It's the dual function of a hybrid system, protecting delicate computer systems and process control equipment from power losses, which adds value to the decision to invest in the technology.

BKH: Are government properties utilizing these products locally and nationally?
RB: Yes. These systems have been installed in government facilities nationally and internationally. A recent off grid project has just been completed in Caraz, Peru to assist in the power management of that area and its residents.

BKH: Safety Power was voted one of the “Top 5 Sustainable Product Companies in Illinois” in the Sustain Illinois Competition 2009. What made Safety Power a stand-out?
RB: One of the reasons we won was the exponential CO2 effect our product line carries. Not only is there immediate CO2 reduction with an installed system; but the CO2 reduction that is created by longer life and less replacement of equipment is immeasurable. ]]> tallex 2011-03-29T11:12:00+08:00 2011-03-29T11:12:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.152

Are electric car makers missing the trick? by Martin Ott I believe that electric car makers may be driving us all down the road that may result in the same sort of technology failures that we have seen in the past. I'm not referring to the Sinclair scooter here but cast your mind back to the débâcle of Betamax v VHS home recording systems. The eventual winner was the technically inferior VHS but the battle was not resolved until innumerable consumers had paid out for worthless Betamax systems. Back in the 70's a similar conflict occurred over audio systems when America fell in love with the 8 track tape system that moved magnetic tape in a loop over the player head at a high speed resulting in a better sound. The world market finally dictated that the audio cassette was the way to go but not until millions of consumers had been lumbered with home and in-car systems that went down the technological cul de sac.

by Martin Ott

I believe that electric car makers may be driving us all down the road that may result in the same sort of technology failures that we have seen in the past.
I'm not referring to the Sinclair scooter here but cast your mind back to the débâcle of Betamax v VHS home recording systems. The eventual winner was the technically inferior VHS but the battle was not resolved until innumerable consumers had paid out for worthless Betamax systems. Back in the 70's a similar conflict occurred over audio systems when America fell in love with the 8 track tape system that moved magnetic tape in a loop over the player head at a high speed resulting in a better sound. The world market finally dictated that the audio cassette was the way to go but not until millions of consumers had been lumbered with home and in-car systems that went down the technological cul de sac.Much wow and flutter ensued.
Every major (and several minor) car manufacturers know that they have to get electric vehicles into their product lists and seem to be asking their customers to risk paying many thousands for a technology that may not be future proof. Worse still, the cost and life expectancy of the electric cells means that buyers in the used electric car market may be in for some real shocks (sorry) to their pocket when the cells have to be replaced. Burying the battery deep within a vehicle has to be the worst idea when it comes to fitting a replacement.
At cab4one, (www.cab4one.me) we have been actively looking for a vehicle that addresses the range and flexibility that we need for day to day taxi or mini cab operations in both urban and rural environments. To date, our search has been thwarted due to lack of vehicle range and the lengthy time it takes to recharge the batteries. May I humbly offer a couple of solutions which may go some way to overcome customer resistance to this emerging technology and save a fortune in ill-conceived development costs?
Motorists are a pretty conservative group of consumers so like things to continue much as they have experienced in the past. The paradigm is that when a driver needs more fuel he simply arrives at a petrol station, replenishes his fuel, pays the bill and goes merrily on his way to the next traffic jam. In essence, this is the same system employed since the days of the horse – feed the beast and it keeps going. It's easy, predictable and everyone understands how it works.
As it stands now, battery technology is advancing quickly so an element of future-proofing electric cars has to be found. Rather than having competing types of battery cell why don't the manufacturers agree on a physical shape and commonality of connectors that will enable consumers to easily obtain new batteries rather than have to disassemble the car to reach and replace the worn down power source?
By all means allow the batteries to be home charged aboard the vehicle or at the small but expanding number of on street recharge points. However, consider the rural driver or those making extended trips who don't have either time or inclination to pre-plan journeys around available re-charge points.
Consider the ubiquitous AA or AAA battery. They are mass produced and therefore cheap, available world wide and can be used in a multitude of devices. If car batteries could be made in a uniform size and shape, then all electric car makers could ensure a decent life cycle for their vehicles and a fair re-sale value for the used market.
I would propose a battery cell that is easy to replace and convenient enough to handle without falling foul of health & safety rules. Make it attaché case sized and easily accessible for the outside of the vehicle. For now they would probably have to be used as multiple cells in order to achieve the required power output. As the technology advances, more power will inevitably become available within a smaller volume, perhaps reducing the number of battery cells required per vehicle. However, if agreement can be reached on the physical size of battery cells and electrical connectors, future users will be able to follow the time-tested refuelling method wherever they travel.
I can envisage the electric motorist pulling in to a “fuel” station, removing the attaché case sized cell (or cells), slotting in identical but fully charged replacements and continuing their journeys. Retailers would still find a way of making a profit and I'm sure the major supermarkets would be happy to compete on price and promoting the “greenest” way of recharging the replacement battery cells.

About the Author: Martin Ott is a director of cab4one Limited who provide an expanding fleet of environmentally friendly private hire vehicles that carry just one passenger and their luggage. Conventional taxis and mini cabs spend much of their time with only one passenger aboard, guzzling fuel, pumping out high levels of carbon dioxide and taking up too much space on our congested roads. cab4one can reduce your carbon footprint and equally important cost you less money on most journeys.

If it's just you and your luggage travelling, who needs a DIRTY great vehicle?
You can follow cab4one on Twitter, Face book and other social media sources ]]> tallex 2011-03-29T10:57:00+08:00 2011-03-29T10:57:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.151

by Suresh Varma The Theni Wind Farm project was developed by CLP India Pvt. Ltd., one of the major wind farm project developers in India. Located in the south western part of Tamilnadu, a southern state of the country, the facility consists of 60 Vestas V82 geared wind turbines. As recognition of its contribution towards the successful execution of this wind power project SGS received Vestas award. Each turbine at the wind farm has a capacity of 1.65 MW IEC Class IIB machine with a blade diameter of 82 m. After a six-month long completion period, the Theni Wind Farm was officially opened in May, 2010. Acting as contract engineer during project execution, SGS was responsible for ensuring that all activities were carried out at the site by the contractor in line with the final agreement. In doing so, SGS supervised the quality of construction works, the fulfillment of the technical parameters and kept the project within the scheduled time and contracted price.

The Theni Wind Farm project was developed by CLP India Pvt. Ltd., one of the major wind farm project developers in India. Located in the south western part of Tamilnadu, a southern state of the country, the facility consists of 60 Vestas V82 geared wind turbines. As recognition of its contribution towards the successful execution of this wind power project SGS received Vestas award.

Each turbine at the wind farm has a capacity of 1.65 MW IEC Class IIB machine with a blade diameter of 82 m. After a six-month long completion period, the Theni Wind Farm was officially opened in May, 2010.

Acting as contract engineer during project execution, SGS was responsible for ensuring that all activities were carried out at the site by the contractor in line with the final agreement. In doing so, SGS supervised the quality of construction works, the fulfillment of the technical parameters and kept the project within the scheduled time and contracted price.To minimize the client's risks, SGS provided dedicated project monitoring including milestone monitoring, soil investigation report review, document review, confirmation of incoming materials and equipment and final machine commissioning. SGS worked closely with the teams from Vestas and CLP and presented progress reports on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to ensure that 100% quality was maintained without accepting any quality or budget related compromises.

Throughout challenging conditions such as frequent rain during the initial part of the project, inadequate infrastructure to transport the equipment and laborious land clearance works, the project was completed on time and on budget. SGS assembled the appropriate team of experts and placed them permanently on site in order to implement and execute the project in accordance with the requirements of the client. During this process, SGS supervised all construction related activities from checking the location of foundations through to the review of excavation related activities until witnessing the concrete testing.

The project was rounded up with electrical related works. In this task, SGS was responsible for ensuring proper installation of the transformers, the fuse, the surge arrester, stringing work, grounding and generator. SGS verified that the protection systems, control panel, power panel, cable, internal and external line met the requirements set in the drawings and specifications.

In addition to Vestas' acknowledgement, the Theni Wind Farm project was also audited by the CLP Hong Kong team and named as CLP's best facility in terms of quality and safety standards.

About SGS Wind Energy Services

SGS Wind Energy Services works as an independent project surveyor and offers verification, inspection, supervision, testing and certification services worldwide for onshore and offshore wind farm projects. Through providing experienced staff and technical expertise in wind technology, SGS aims to improve trust in wind farm projects and secure the high quality of wind farms. ]]> tallex 2011-03-29T10:47:00+08:00 2011-03-29T10:37:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.150

E.ON uses PPC's Broadband Powerline technology in smart grid project by Power Plus Communications Mannheim - Power Plus Communications AG (PPC), the leading provider of Broadband Powerline Communication systems (BPL) for smart grids has taken on a key role within an E.ON smart grid project to facilitate an extension of Cisco's Connected Grid Solution. E.ON Westfalen Weser AG is currently trialing smart grid technology within its network of 1.3 million inhabitants and PPC's proven medium voltage BPL solution has connected substations in the project using the existing power grid. Using BPL technology, standard compliant and IP-based data transfer rates of 5-30 Mbit/s can easily be achieved via the medium voltage cable itself. Within E.ON’s smart grid project, PPC's medium voltage technology facilitated the extension of Cisco's Connected Grid Solution. The Cisco smart grid Router and Switches used in the project are highly compatible with BPL networks, providing a real cost advantage over fiber optic networks – which can be much more expensive where cables are not pre-existing. By combining their technology at Westfalen Weser, PPC and Cisco have ensured the evolution of fast and efficient smart grids which are controlled on an IP basis. This increases the reliability of the power grid, fulfills regulations and drives down costs. At the same time this modern smart grids communications technology makes it possible to effectively integrate renewable energy into the grid.

by Power Plus Communications

Mannheim - Power Plus Communications AG (PPC), the leading provider of Broadband Powerline Communication systems (BPL) for smart grids has taken on a key role within an E.ON smart grid project to facilitate an extension of Cisco's Connected Grid Solution.

E.ON Westfalen Weser AG is currently trialing smart grid technology within its network of 1.3 million inhabitants and PPC's proven medium voltage BPL solution has connected substations in the project using the existing power grid.

Using BPL technology, standard compliant and IP-based data transfer rates of 5-30 Mbit/s can easily be achieved via the medium voltage cable itself. Within E.ON’s smart grid project, PPC's medium voltage technology facilitated the extension of Cisco's Connected Grid Solution. The Cisco smart grid Router and Switches used in the project are highly compatible with BPL networks, providing a real cost advantage over fiber optic networks – which can be much more expensive where cables are not pre-existing.

By combining their technology at Westfalen Weser, PPC and Cisco have ensured the evolution of fast and efficient smart grids which are controlled on an IP basis. This increases the reliability of the power grid, fulfills regulations and drives down costs. At the same time this modern smart grids communications technology makes it possible to effectively integrate renewable energy into the grid.Henning Probst, CEO of E.ON Westfalen Weser AG, emphasised the use of Broadband Powerline technology for smart grids: “With the help of BPL technology we have had an outstanding opportunity to achieve a future-proof communications infrastructure in our medium voltage grid. With it, we have become technological forerunners and have become highly flexible in our application.”

The broadband transfer of any IP data takes place over the existing cables and is the ideal solution for setting up a communication infrastructure for smart grids. In the pilot project, E.ON Westfalen Weser has achieved an average bandwidth of more than 13 Mbps with 24 ms latency using BPL technology on the 20kV level. The BPL medium voltage solution from PPC, consisting of medium voltage modems and capacitive couplers, is currently of importance not only in the field of network automation and on-line grid monitoring, but also as a backbone in smart metering projects. It can be used for both overhead and underground cables. ]]> tallex 2011-02-19T09:28:00+08:00 2011-02-19T09:02:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.149

By Brenda Krueger Huffman Chicago – Perhaps moving to the center is where we all need to be politically on the environment and effective spending compatibility. Not all green technology is crazy, and not all business profit or government expenditure is evil. Even if you do not believe in man caused climate change, we can all agree leaving a cleaner planet and a more fiscally responsible government for the next generation is preferable to not doing so. Perhaps green technology can be cost effective, and government fiscal responsibility may realistically include affordable green initiatives. Honest “life cycle analysis” and “life cycle cost analysis” study considerations should be a political compromise starting point both the left and the right can embrace.

Chicago – Perhaps moving to the center is where we all need to be politically on the environment and effective spending compatibility. Not all green technology is crazy, and not all business profit or government expenditure is evil.

Even if you do not believe in man caused climate change, we can all agree leaving a cleaner planet and a more fiscally responsible government for the next generation is preferable to not doing so.

Perhaps green technology can be cost effective, and government fiscal responsibility may realistically include affordable green initiatives. Honest “life cycle analysis” and “life cycle cost analysis” study considerations should be a political compromise starting point both the left and the right can embrace.MIT’s ongoing work on measuring the life-cycle carbon emissions of materials is scheduled to be completed by August 2011. The environmental findings will then be supplemented by economic analysis in 2011 to provide the most accurate assessment of the economic and environmental impacts for buildings and pavements yet produced.

CEMEX is an example of a responsible and realistic corporation. They understand the balance needed for a business in providing rightful green benefit and rightful shareholder benefit. “Our role in creating a sustainable future begins with our philosophy of corporate responsibility - to run an efficient and profitable business while caring for our employees, our communities, and the environment.”

Continuing our interview with CEMEX USA is Executive Vice President, Commercial, Frank Craddock and Vice President, Commercial Strategy & Marketing, Francisco Uzcategui to speak to fiscally focused questions around LCA and LCCA.

BKH: What is the average life in years of a building, road, etc?
CEMEX: The average life in years is a moving target. With technology, design, materials and construction experience, we are constantly expanding the life of assets. Today, it is commonly accepted that a road can last between 30-50 years with limited maintenance. When it comes to buildings, it is usually for 60 years, but concrete structures can last longer than that.

BKH: What percentage of current project cost is actual construction and what percentage is life maintenance?
CEMEX: From our own experience and the use of statistical models such as The Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), in a typical Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), the initial costs for a concrete pavement accounts for 80 to 90% of the pavements life cycle costs. For new construction or reconstruction pavement costs are approximately 40% of the projects costs.

A concrete pavements first rehabilitation will occur somewhere around year 35, and it will require 1 or 2 rehabilitation activities to get to 50 years.

While for asphalt pavements, the initial cost is about 50-60 % of the pavement’s life cycle costs. The first rehabilitation will occur sometime between years 8-15, and the asphalt pavement will require 4-5 rehabilitation activities to get to 50 years. Maintenance is 40-50% of the life cycle costs.

However, once historical actual inflation rates for liquid bitumen are taken into account, the asphalt maintenance costs increase to between 50-60% of the life cycle costs. Liquid bitumen is the refined petroleum product which is used as the “glue” in asphalt pavements and asphalt overlays.

BKH: What would happen if government projects were covered by current receipts allowing for no deficit increase?
CEMEX: Reducing spending to current receipts would be counter productive with little, if any, contribution to deficit reduction. Every study shows that America is under investing in its transportation infrastructure.

The final 2009 report of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission submitted to Congress, led off with the opening statement: "The nation faces a crisis. Our surface transportation system has deteriorated to such a degree that our safety, economic competitiveness, and quality of life are at risk."

The current difference between federal transportation funding and user tax receipts is about 20% or $11B per year. One has to differentiate between spending on needed investments like transportation infrastructure, which are largely financed through user taxes, and other non-investment government spending which is driving the federal deficit to about $1.5 trillion.

Moreover, the current difference between tax receipts and spending doesn't factor in the job creation benefits that also produce substantial multiplier effects on the economy which contributes to lower deficits.

The nation should be increasing the funding for our transportation infrastructure. That can be done with innovative financing mechanisms to supplement and leverage existing revenues in a fiscally responsible manner.

BKH: How can we be more fiscally responsible in the construction bidding process?
CEMEX: The National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission reviewed numerous studies and determined that spending from all levels of government needs to more than double to just meet the nation's maintenance needs.

In view of this massive level of under-investment, Departments of Transportation (DOTs) need to get the most value out of every dollar spent. To do so, they need to evaluate alternative designs using alternative materials on a full life cycle basis and employ competitive bidding.

Reducing funding may force DOTs to do more with less, but they need to maximize investment returns to society regardless of the level of funding.

BKH: Why do government infrastructure projects routinely have such large overruns - double, triple or more?
CEMEX: We think it is two fold. First, the budgets for projects are set in the planning processes, which occur 3-5 years before construction, and are often based on construction cost data that is 3-4 years old. By the time a project goes to bid, the economic conditions have often changed, and if an agency fails to properly account for inflation in their budget analysis, there is a shortfall.

This can be further compounded when constraints on an agency’s budget delay a project by an additional 2-5 years past their original construction date.

Second, too much emphasis is placed on the initial construction cost rather than the full life cycle cost of projects. In many cases when life cycle is taken into consideration the lack of a comprehensive methodology and correct inputs leads to the wrong conclusion that tax payers have to ultimately pay for.

BKH: Which state or federal projects are already participating or looking to support life cycle cost analysis for existing, current, or near future projects?
CEMEX: Thirty-eight states use life cycle cost analysis in some form for pavement type selection. Of these 38 states, approximately 10 states have used Association of Development Agencies Alternate design alternate bid (ADAB) and life cycle costs analysis to try and lower their pavement costs. Of these states, the 2 most successful have been the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT).

Louisiana was the first state to use ADAB and LCCA starting in 2001. On the 32 Projects during 2001-2006 that have used ADAB, LA DOTD estimates they saved approximately $62.5M. The MODOT has combined the use of MEPDG and ADAB to successfully lower their pavement costs by over $1.6B.

A recent state to start using ADAB successfully is West Virginia. WV first used ADAB in 2007, and they have 9 projects as ADAB since then. Of these 9 projects, 8 have gone concrete, all based on the first cost. On the last 4 projects alone, WV Department of Housing estimates that they have saved $9.8M.

And the trend is continuing. Ohio has recently started using ADAB on projects with similar life cycle costs. Many other states such as North Carolina, Florida, and Texas are investigating how they may be able to implement ADAB and LCCA.

BKH: What do you anticipate being the most benefit to taxpayers by looking at projects with a life cycle analysis approach?
CEMEX: There are a few rating systems looking at both commercial and residential buildings, and in our opinion they represent a starting point in understanding the economic and environmental cost of constructing buildings.

Given the fact that the energy consume in buildings through their life is responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions in the US, it is imperative that all rating systems incorporate the effect of the use phase into their methodology.

Having a clear view of the full cost of a project not only initial construction cost will present authorities with the opportunity to make the right long term decision in the benefit of tax payers. We will move away from only caring about how much it cost us today to what is the right decision long term.

BKH: Thank you again gentlemen for sharing your expertise.

MIT concludes, “As policymakers and political leaders work to account for the environmental and economic costs of public building and paving projects, this type of comprehensive costing model of key materials may provide a roadmap to those who plan these major initiatives.”

Frank Craddock sums up the important balance needed for today’s responsible infrastructure considerations well. “The building decision making process must take into account our children’s future. We must take into account the financial cost impact as well as the environmental impact they will have to live with years from now. Both ultimately matter in the present and for the future.” ]]> tallex 2011-02-19T09:29:00+08:00 2011-02-19T08:45:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.148

MIT Infrastructure "Life Cycle" Study is Progress Both Left & Right Can Embrace - Part 1, Green Responsibility By Brenda Krueger Huffman Chicago - It’s not too often hot topics green technology and government fiscal responsibility are necessarily put together in the same sentence regarding infrastructure progress. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) formed the Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH) in 2009 as a research center for advancing technology transfer from concrete science into the engineering practice by translating the synergy of three fields of study - economic, engineering and architecture - into a hub for concrete sustainability studies relevant to industry and decision makers. In a December, 2010 press release, MIT announced the groundbreaking research will set a new standard for life cost analysis (LCA) with its ongoing studies producing the most comprehensive LCA model on record. According to MIT professor and research team leader John Ochsendorf, “The life-cycle model we are developing will combine the best data on the full range of costs – construction, maintenance, reconstruction, user, direct, and indirect – with a time frame that reflects the real world life of pavements and building materials.”

By Brenda Krueger Huffman

Chicago - It’s not too often hot topics green technology and government fiscal responsibility are necessarily put together in the same sentence regarding infrastructure progress.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) formed the Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH) in 2009 as a research center for advancing technology transfer from concrete science into the engineering practice by translating the synergy of three fields of study - economic, engineering and architecture - into a hub for concrete sustainability studies relevant to industry and decision makers.

In a December, 2010 press release, MIT announced the groundbreaking research will set a new standard for life cost analysis (LCA) with its ongoing studies producing the most comprehensive LCA model on record.

According to MIT professor and research team leader John Ochsendorf, “The life-cycle model we are developing will combine the best data on the full range of costs – construction, maintenance, reconstruction, user, direct, and indirect – with a time frame that reflects the real world life of pavements and building materials.”MIT notes, “The economic study will produce an equally comprehensive life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) model.” Ochsendorf adds, “Once both studies are completed, MIT will have provided the scientific community, industry leaders and policymakers with a framework to determine the economic and environmental life-cycle costs of selected infrastructure materials throughout the real life of projects.”

In the corporate world, CEMEX is a company heavily involved with MIT’s work and has been conducting their business with a social and environmental message for years.

CEMEX was founded in Mexico in 1906, and they have grown from a small, regional cement firm into a leading global building solutions company with over 50,000 employees worldwide.

CEMEX is an international building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Their operations network produces, distributes, and markets cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and related building materials in more than 50 countries. CEMEX maintains trade relationships with more than 100 nations.

Thinking and working green, CEMEX’s USA Houston based Frank Craddock, Executive Vice President, Commercial, offers: “Most LCA models make the mistake of only looking at the construction phase. There is a need to look at the operating phase of a working building and pavement. A cradle-to-grave analysis needs to be performed to know overall energy use, economic and environmental cost of a project. The life cycle analysis should also consider cost at the end life of the project and prospects for material recycling. When a building or road is to be demolished, can the material be recycled?”

CEMEX’s commitment to energy efficiency in their innovative practices, technology, and operating facilities with respect for communities was rewarded in 2010 with receipt of top environmental awards. Energy start partner of the year, Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) recognized CEMEX USA with two of the Council’s top national awards, including the William W. Howard C.E.O. Award for environmental stewardship achieved through educational initiatives by CEMEX’s Aggregate Division, in Florida.

This is the WHC’s highest award, as it recognizes a company which has a history of striving for excellence in Conservation, Education, and Outreach (C.E.O.). Along with receiving the C.E.O. Award, the CEMEX Center Hill Quarry, was awarded the Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) of the Year Award, which is designed to recognize a site for outstanding environmental education, stewardship and voluntary employee efforts.

Frank Craddock, along with fellow Houston based CEMEX USA colleague Francisco Uzcategui, Vice President Commercial Strategy & Marketing, answered questions on how all this works when academic scientific study plays out in the business and government realities.

BKH: Please give a short description of the MIT HUB group exactly.
CEMEX: The Concrete Sustainability Hub is a center for advancing technology transfer from concrete science into the engineering practice by translating the synergy of three fields of study - economic, engineering and architecture - into a hub for concrete sustainability studies relevant to industry and decision makers. The Hub was created in 2009 with the participation of MIT’s schools of Engineering, Architecture, and Business along with the support of the concrete industry.

BKH: In layman’s terms, what are “life-cycle analysis” and the measurements?
CEMEX: It is the process by which you evaluate a project from conception, to construction, to the use phase finalizing with the demolition phase. An environmental life cycle analysis is referred to as LCA and an economic life cycle cost analysis is referred to as LCCA.

In many instances the use phase of an asset is responsible for most of its life cycle impact. It is imperative to run a comprehensive analysis that incorporates all elements of a project’s life cycle. The inputs used in the analysis must be correct or the output of the analysis can be misleading.

BKH: Explain why concrete may be greener in construction, commercial performance, and more fuel efficient for both roads and the vehicles driving on concrete roads.
CEMEX: Concrete roads are more sustainable when it comes to construction because of its durability. These roads last longer than comparable materials with limited to no maintenance. This translates into significant CO2 emissions savings.

It is widely known that over 90% of CO2 emissions come from the use phase of a road. Research in Canada and Japan has shown that vehicles traveling over concrete pavements have higher fuel efficiency of 1-4% when compared to those riding over asphalt. MIT will be conducting studies to determine fuel efficiency differences of raiding over different pavement materials.

Finally, concrete can be recycled at the end of the life of a road. But this is a rare scenario, as most concrete roads are still in use long after their projected service life.

When we consider single family residential buildings, MIT has reported that the use phase represents 90% of CO2 emissions over the life of the asset. The advantages of higher R-value and lower thermal bridging enable concrete wall systems to deliver energy savings in heating, cooling, and ventilation that can represent 20% in energy savings and CO2 emissions compared to conventional construction.

BKH: Are current new building material and construction method advanced technologies cost effective?
CEMEX: National long term pavement performance data shows that concrete pavements have historically been over designed and have carried up to 10 times more loads than for which they were designed. While this over performance is good; it comes at an initial construction cost, which agencies have historically not been willing to accept despite lower usage cost.

A recently developed design procedure, called the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) removes this over design and lowers the cost of concrete pavements significantly, 10-20% or more.
In addition to the improvements in predictive modeling and comprehensive analysis of actual performance data, innovations in design features, material and mix designs, the use of supplementary cementing materials such as fly ash and other waste by-products, and construction techniques are making concrete pavements more durable, more environmentally sustainable, and extending their life well beyond their historical performance.

Concrete wall systems in residential construction can be 30–40% more expensive than conventional wall systems construction representing 2-3 % incremental construction cost. However, energy savings of 20% more than compensate the carrying cost of the additional initial investment.

For a significant change to take place, incentives need to be realigned. If potential home buyers were aware of the energy and other benefits of concrete wall systems, builder would respond by making the additional investment and home owner would reap the benefits over the life of the asset. Governmental bodies could also support more sustainable building practices through building code changes or appropriate incentives for energy efficient investments.

BKH: Are these newest technologies being bid for newest projects now?
CEMEX: Missouri DOT (MODOT) has fully adopted the MEPDG and is using it routinely on all their pavement designs. The Indiana DOT (INDOT) has used it on over 100 projects since December 2009. INDOT senior management also has performed a cost evaluation to quantify savings. On the 23 projects they reviewed, they estimate that Indiana has saved over $10M versus designs previously used.

MODOT has combined the use of MEPDG with another innovation called Alternate Design / Alternate Bid (ADAB). ADAB is a process in which both concrete and asphalt pavement designs are developed for the project and the contractor then chooses which material to submit for his bid. The bid that wins the project is the bid and pavement type that has the lowest life cycle costs.

The idea of ADAB is to increases competition and lower cost by bringing additional contractors to the bidding table. According the MODOT, the use of ADAB has lowered costs between 4.8-8.6%. MODOT estimates that the use of MEPDG and ADAB has saved the state approximately $1.6B as of the last reported data in July 2009. (MODOT Alternate Pavement Approach, Dave Ahlvers, Presentation to the 2009 AASHTO Subcommittee on Construction.)

Of the 124 Alternate Projects thru July 2009, concrete has won 83, and asphalt has won 41 of the projects. In all but 3 cases, the winner has been based solely on initial costs.

Many other state DOTS are using it experimentally alongside their current design procedures for comparison purposes. Overall, 80% of the states have plans to implement the MEPDG within the next 5 years.

BKH: What do you see for the future in building materials technology advancement type and benefit?
CEMEX: There are many trends in today’s market. There are two initiatives our industry is actively working on. First is to develop solutions that provide a higher efficiency in use phase by leveraging the attributes of products, such as creative design alternatives like using concrete’s thermal mass to reduce heat loss in water pipes.

Second is to significantly reduce production emissions through the use of nanotechnology. MIT scientists at the Concrete Sustainability Hub, have developed the first atomistic-scale computational model of concrete from which they are expected to predict new structures and improved properties that will reduce CO2 emissions in concrete.

BKH: Thank you gentlemen.

In reality, the combination of academic research study and business implementation will allow productive political compromise at its best. It satisfies the left looking for green accountability and the right looking for fiscal accountability. That’s a legitimate breakthrough everyone can embrace.

See Part 2, Fiscal Responsibility ]]> tallex 2011-01-27T11:05:00+08:00 2011-01-27T11:05:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.147

Global warming: Impact of receding snow and ice surprises scientists By Pete Spotts Washington - A long-term retreat in snow and ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere is weakening the ability of these seasonal cloaks of white to reflect sunlight back into space and cool global climate, according to a study published this week. Indeed, over the past 30 years, the cooling effect from this so-called cryosphere – essentially areas covered by snow and ice at least part of the year – appears to have weakened at more than twice the pace projected by global climate models, the research team conducting the work estimates. The study, which appeared online Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience, represents a first cut at trying to calculate from direct measurements the impact of climate change on the Northern Hemisphere's cryosphere. The study was conducted by a team of federal and university scientists who examined data gathered between 1979 and 2008.

By Pete Spotts


Washington - A long-term retreat in snow and ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere is weakening the ability of these seasonal cloaks of white to reflect sunlight back into space and cool global climate, according to a study published this week.

Indeed, over the past 30 years, the cooling effect from this so-called cryosphere – essentially areas covered by snow and ice at least part of the year – appears to have weakened at more than twice the pace projected by global climate models, the research team conducting the work estimates.

The study, which appeared online Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience, represents a first cut at trying to calculate from direct measurements the impact of climate change on the Northern Hemisphere's cryosphere. The study was conducted by a team of federal and university scientists who examined data gathered between 1979 and 2008.Of particular interest is a self-reinforcing process, or feedback, though which warming reduces snow and ice cover. Those reductions expose more ocean and landscape to sunlight during spring, summer and fall. After absorbing the sunlight, these exposed features radiate the heat back into the atmosphere. This accelerates the loss of snow and ice already triggered by global warming.

Pinning down the size of this effect – one of three major feedbacks in the global climate process – is important in understanding how much the global climate could warm in response to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases that human activities have pumped into the atmosphere, explains Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo.

Over the past decade or more, other teams have tracked the decline of snow and ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere, the northward march at high latitudes of vegetation typically found farther south, and other changes that suggest the feedback has kicked in.

This latest study says "yes, the feedback is working as we suspected it would be," says Dr. Serreze, who was not part of the team conducting the research. "But it also argues that maybe the feedback is stronger than we thought it would be."

That last point will likely be challenged, he adds, as part of the scientific process.

"Putting numbers to these feedbacks is a tough thing to do," he says. Still, "this is an important paper. I see this as a significant advance in climate science."

As one of the world's two deep-freeze thermostats, Antarctica is still chiller-in-chief. But because the Arctic is warmer than its southern counterpart, small changes in temperatures at the top of the world have a relatively larger effect on ice and snow cover, researchers say.

Reality check on climate models

Mark Flanner, a climate researcher at the University of Michigan who led the team, says the goal of the new study was to provide a reality check on global climate models' representations of the impact that declining snow and ice has on the Earth's so-called radiation budget. The radiation budget is a kind of bookkeeping process that tries to account for all the sunlight Earth receives and either reflects or converts into heat.

Using satellite measurements as well as field measurements of the extent of snow and ice cover, the team teased out details of seasonal patterns in the amount of solar radiation the Northern Hemisphere's snow and ice reflect.

Snow appears to have its maximum cooling effect – reflecting the most sunlight back into space – in late spring, as the light strengthens but snow cover is still near its maximum extent for the year. Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has its biggest effect in June, before its annual summer melt-back accelerates, explains Don Perovich, a researcher at the US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H., and a member of the team reporting the results.

That means "it becomes important when you melt snow and ice," he says. "If you start that melting earlier, you tend to have a lower albedo every day throughout the summer," he says. Albedo is a measure of a surface's ability to reflect light.

Research published by a different team in 2009 showed that at least for the Canadian Archipelago, the melt season grew at a rate of about seven days per decade during the 1979-2008 period. Most of that expansion has come at season's end, the team reported, but the onset of the melt season was coming earlier as well.

But the eyebrow-arching moment for Dr. Flanner and his colleagues came in comparing real-world measurements of the ice-snow feedback with those from models.

Twice the decline in cooling effect

According to the team, the measured decline in the cooling effect of the Northern Hemisphere's shrinking cryosphere associated with a 1-degree Celsius increase in in Northern Hemisphere temperatures was more than twice that predicted by climate models.

"The reduction was somewhat surprising," Flanner says.

The team acknowledges that the study has its limitations.

For instance, the 30-year period "is right on the edge of being long enough" to separate long-term trends from year-to-year changes in conditions that occur naturally, Flanner says.

But Dr. Perovich adds that many of the assumptions the team had to make as it analyzed the data are likely to prove conservative. ]]> tallex 2011-01-05T22:38:00+08:00 2011-01-05T22:38:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.146

By Mark Clayton Washington - Setting the stage for a New Year battle royal between Congress and the White House over greenhouse gas emissions, the US Environmental Protection Agency Thursday laid out a timetable for the nation's largest carbon emitters – power plants and refineries – to begin curbing those pollutants. Republicans have said all year that they plan to pull out all the stops to keep the EPA from phasing in greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations beginning in 2011, saying they would damage the energy industry, raise prices, and cost jobs. Rep. Fred Upton (R) of Michigan, the incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has said he opposes the regulations on greenhouse gases and indicated he would lead efforts to revoke EPA regulations in the next Congress. The new regulations, he says, will likely lead to the shut down of coal-fired power plants. "To protect jobs and fortify our energy security, we should be working to bring more power online, not shutting plants down," Mr. Upton said in a statement. "We are woefully unprepared to meet our nation's growing energy demands, yet this administration's 'none of the above' energy policy will do nothing but cost jobs, make energy more expensive, and increase our dependence on foreign sources of energy." Environmentalists lauded the EPA's move.

Washington - Setting the stage for a New Year battle royal between Congress and the White House over greenhouse gas emissions, the US Environmental Protection Agency Thursday laid out a timetable for the nation's largest carbon emitters – power plants and refineries – to begin curbing those pollutants.

Republicans have said all year that they plan to pull out all the stops to keep the EPA from phasing in greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations beginning in 2011, saying they would damage the energy industry, raise prices, and cost jobs.

Rep. Fred Upton (R) of Michigan, the incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has said he opposes the regulations on greenhouse gases and indicated he would lead efforts to revoke EPA regulations in the next Congress. The new regulations, he says, will likely lead to the shut down of coal-fired power plants.

"To protect jobs and fortify our energy security, we should be working to bring more power online, not shutting plants down," Mr. Upton said in a statement. "We are woefully unprepared to meet our nation's growing energy demands, yet this administration's 'none of the above' energy policy will do nothing but cost jobs, make energy more expensive, and increase our dependence on foreign sources of energy."

Environmentalists lauded the EPA's move."By setting timetables for issuing standards to cut dangerous carbon pollution from power plants and oil refineries, EPA is doing precisely what is needed to protect our health and welfare and provide businesses certainty at a time when some would prefer to roll back the clock," David Doniger, policy director in the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Climate Center, said in a statement.

Legal background to EPA move

The EPA’s coming standards will be "based on available and affordable measures" that would enable the two industries responsible for the lion's share of US greenhouse gas emissions to begin cleaning up, Mr. Doniger noted. Boosting pollution control standards would help the utility and petroleum industries plan their future investments and create jobs.

The EPA's move was part of a legal settlement between the federal government and a number of states, local governments, and environmental groups that had sued the EPA during the Bush administration over its failure to update pollution standards under the Clean Air Act. In its announcement Thursday, EPA says it will propose standards for power plants in July 2011, for refineries in December 2011, and will issue final standards in May 2012 and November 2012, respectively.

"We are following through on our commitment to proceed in a measured and careful way to reduce GHG pollution that threatens the health and welfare of Americans, and contributes to climate change,” Administrator Lisa Jackson said. "These standards will help American companies attract private investment to the clean energy upgrades that make our companies more competitive and create good jobs here at home.”

'Costs but no benefits'

But congressional opponents and business groups representing big business and fossil fuel interests slammed the timetable as anything but reasonable, declaring it to be damaging to jobs and the economy.

"EPA’s proposals would carry tremendous costs but no benefits for the American people – all pain and no gain," Charles T. Drevna, president of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, said in a statement. "Regulations can’t create technology that doesn’t exist or change the laws of physics and economics, so the only way to comply with EPA’s proposals would be to inflict massive increases in energy costs and massive increases in unemployment on families across our nation."

Momentum building earlier in the year in Congress to strip the EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gases – or at least pass restrictions on funding that might prevent implementation of such regulations – seemed to dissipate in the 111th Congress's waning days. But analysts say the EPA's move presages renewed battle early next year.

The March 4, 2011 expiration of the continuing resolution just passed by Congress to keep the government running "makes it likely that proposals to delay EPA could emerge early in 2011 and gather momentum for two months," writes Kevin Book, a senior energy analyst with ClearView Partners, an energy market research firm in an e-letter analysis.

A 'Christmas surprise'

Though the EPA announcement had been long expected, Representative Upton called it a "Christmas surprise [that] is nothing short of a backdoor attempt to implement their failed job-killing cap-and-trade scheme." He noted also that, "We will not allow the administration to regulate what they have been unable to legislate."

Despite such opposition, there were a number of small business groups whose spokesmen said they believed the EPA regulations would be good for their businesses. Richard Eidlin, director, business engagement, American Sustainable Business Council, said the standards were needed to "send a clear market signal to investors and entrepreneurs that innovation and investment in the clean energy sector is good business.

His group was among 14 small business groups representing about 60,000 small businesses nationwide that called for the EPA to proceed with regulations to limit greenhouse gas pollution.

"As owners, employees and investors in sustainable businesses, we urge Congress to uphold the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions as authorized by the Clean Air Act," Mr. Eidlin said in a statement. ]]> tallex 2010-12-13T03:21:00+08:00 2010-12-13T03:21:00+08:00 tag:aennetworknewsblog,2012:AltEnergyResourceNetworkBlog.145

By Warren Richey, Washington - The US Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine a major environmental lawsuit that seeks to force six electric power companies to cap and reduce their carbon-dioxide emissions to fight global warming. The lawsuit - filed in 2004 by eight states, the City of New York, and three land trusts - targets what it claims are the largest emitters of carbon dioxide in the United States and among the largest in the world. It seeks a judicial order declaring that the fossil-fueled power plants are a "public nuisance." It also seeks a judicial order capping the plants' greenhouse gas emissions and requiring the plants to adopt a schedule of reduced emissions in future years.

Washington - The US Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine a major environmental lawsuit that seeks to force six electric power companies to cap and reduce their carbon-dioxide emissions to fight global warming.

The lawsuit - filed in 2004 by eight states, the City of New York, and three land trusts - targets what it claims are the largest emitters of carbon dioxide in the United States and among the largest in the world.

It seeks a judicial order declaring that the fossil-fueled power plants are a "public nuisance." It also seeks a judicial order capping the plants' greenhouse gas emissions and requiring the plants to adopt a schedule of reduced emissions in future years.What makes the lawsuit unusual is that it is an attempt to fill a vacuum in US environmental policy on how best to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming. The issue is a source of substantial controversy and a political hot potato, particularly at a time of high unemployment and a sluggish economy.

A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit on grounds that it raised sensitive policy questions best left to the political branches. But a federal appeals court in New York reversed that decision, allowing the lawsuit to move forward.

The power companies are now asking the US Supreme Court to reverse the appeals court and dismiss the lawsuit.

"The ramifications of this [appeals court] holding, if it is allowed to stand, are staggering," wrote Peter Keisler in a brief on behalf of the six power companies. "This litigation seeks to transfer to the judiciary standardless authority for some of the most important and sensitive economic, energy, and social policy issues presently before the country."

The lawyer added: "Virtually every entity and industry in the world is responsible for some emissions of carbon dioxide and is thus a potential defendant in climate change nuisance actions under the theory of this case."

In a brief filed on behalf of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Obama administration said that Congress had empowered the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate emissions from power plants through the Clean Air Act. The brief said the EPA has taken "several actions" under the CAA to address greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA has adopted greenhouse gas emission standards for certain motor vehicles and is currently "evaluating whether and how to add greenhouse gases to the new source performance standards that apply to power plants," the brief said.

The states that filed the lawsuit are New York, Connecticut, California, Iowa, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. A similar suit was filed by the Open Space Institute, the Open Space Conservancy, and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. Both suits have been consolidated.

The complaint warns that continued unrestrained emission of greenhouse gases may cause "an abrupt and catastrophic change in the earth's climate." Among listed impacts are a reduction of California's mountain snowpack, the state's largest source of fresh water.

The suit also complains that within 100 years, global warming will cause billion-dollar adverse impacts to the environment, residents, and property. These include prolonged heat waves, increased smog, beach erosion, inundation of coastal land with sea level rise, more droughts and floods, increased wildfires, and reduced biodiversity.

Twelve states filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the high court to take up the case and dismiss the lawsuit. They include Indiana, Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming.

"The theory of liability being advanced here has no limiting principle," Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher wrote in the 12-state brief. “It would permit federal courts to impose CO2 emission limits on any entity in the country, and one might reasonably expect that the major economic actors of each state, not to mention state government entities themselves, would be on a list of potential defendants."

Mr. Fisher said that given widespread disagreement over the issue of greenhouse gas emissions, someone must make a policy determination. "That someone," he said, "should not be the federal judiciary."

The companies named in the suit include American Electric Power Co., American Electric Power Service Corp., Southern Company, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Xcel Energy, and Cinergy Corp.

The suit says the companies emit 650 tons per year of carbon dioxide, or roughly one-quarter of the US electric power sector's carbon-dioxide emissions. The companies operate in 21 states and provide electricity to millions of customers.

The appeals court panel that reinstated the lawsuit initially included Judge Sonia Sotomayor - who later was elevated to the Supreme Court. As a result, she has recused herself from the case.

The case is American Electric Power Company v. State of Connecticut. It will be heard in the spring, with a decision expected by late June. ]]> tallex