/PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company has captured carbon dioxide from one of its power plants for the first time, a milestone that significantly advances the development of technology considered crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power generation.
The research accomplishment was achieved this month at subsidiary Georgia Power's Plant Yates near Newnan, Ga.
The pilot-scale project at Plant Yates, which uses a capture system developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), will provide additional process improvements before the technology is demonstrated next year at a much larger 25-megawatt scale at Plant Barry, which is owned and operated by Southern Company subsidiary Alabama Power near Mobile, Ala.
During the pilot at Plant Yates, a small amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) was captured, using a solvent that absorbs CO2, and then returned to the plant's flue gas. At Plant Barry, the carbon dioxide will be compressed and transported via pipeline to deep underground storage formations.
"Capturing CO2 from an operating power plant is an important step forward in our efforts to develop effective and cost-efficient technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while ensuring a continued reliable and affordable supply of electricity for our customers," said Chris Hobson, Southern Company chief environmental officer. "Along with our other carbon capture and storage research initiatives, our success here will help us move closer to the ultimate goal of commercial deployment."
Southern Company is a participant in several major research initiatives to advance the development of carbon capture and storage technology, a key component in the nation's effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to the projects at Yates and Barry, Southern Company operates the National Carbon Capture Center for the U.S. Department of Energy near Birmingham, Ala., and its subsidiary Mississippi Power is building an advanced commercial-scale coal gasification power plant in Kemper County, Miss., that will include carbon capture and re-use for enhanced oil recovery. Other carbon capture and storage projects are under way or completed at other Southern Company facilities.
The test at Plant Yates will help confirm MHI's emission-control design and provide other findings important to the much larger-scale work next year at the Plant Barry test, which represents one of the industry's largest demonstrations of a start-to-finish power plant carbon capture and storage system.
-----
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP
Showing posts with label co2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label co2. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Europe's ETS Failures Forecast Problems For US Cap-And-Trade
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, as the Senate contemplates whether now is the time to act on climate proposals, the U.S. Climate Task Force released a new analysis of how Europe's cap-and-trade program has worked in practice. The report, "Europe's Emissions Trading System," by Harvard economist and international trade expert Richard Cooper, details how this approach has produced substantial volatility in the price of carbon, proven to be vulnerable to significant abuses, and has failed to spur any meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
In order for a climate program to achieve significant, long-term effects, Dr. Cooper notes, "a steady, persistent price signal should be sent to all decision-making agents that they should reduce CO2 emissions at all times." Such a signal can be achieved through a revenue-neutral, carbon fee or tax.
"Dr. Cooper's in-depth analysis supports what many long speculated - carbon trading schemes are costly and ineffective," adds Dr. Elaine Kamarck, former senior policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore and current CTF Co-chair. "These failings may explain why a 2009 Hart Research survey found that only two percent of US voters hold very positive view of cap and trade - the system at the core of the current Senate bill. Using the trials and errors of Europe's ETS as guideposts, Washington lawmakers can make a much needed course correction on America's climate policy."
CTF Chair Dr. Robert Shapiro, former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce and senior advisor to Bill Clinton notes, "the myriad problems inherent in Europe's ETS will only be exacerbated in the US. While permit prices fluctuated from 30 Euros at its height to zero Euros at its five year low, the EU reduced GHG emissions by a mere two percent. If the US Congress truly aims to pass effective, long-term climate legislation - as it must -- a carbon-based tax of the type that been highly successful in Scandinanvia is the only sensible course."
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage
In order for a climate program to achieve significant, long-term effects, Dr. Cooper notes, "a steady, persistent price signal should be sent to all decision-making agents that they should reduce CO2 emissions at all times." Such a signal can be achieved through a revenue-neutral, carbon fee or tax.
"Dr. Cooper's in-depth analysis supports what many long speculated - carbon trading schemes are costly and ineffective," adds Dr. Elaine Kamarck, former senior policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore and current CTF Co-chair. "These failings may explain why a 2009 Hart Research survey found that only two percent of US voters hold very positive view of cap and trade - the system at the core of the current Senate bill. Using the trials and errors of Europe's ETS as guideposts, Washington lawmakers can make a much needed course correction on America's climate policy."
CTF Chair Dr. Robert Shapiro, former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce and senior advisor to Bill Clinton notes, "the myriad problems inherent in Europe's ETS will only be exacerbated in the US. While permit prices fluctuated from 30 Euros at its height to zero Euros at its five year low, the EU reduced GHG emissions by a mere two percent. If the US Congress truly aims to pass effective, long-term climate legislation - as it must -- a carbon-based tax of the type that been highly successful in Scandinanvia is the only sensible course."
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Politicians to Drive on Straw-Based Bioethanol at the Climate Change Conference
/PRNewswire/ -- When world political leaders are being transported all over Copenhagen during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2009, environmentally friendly fuel will power their vehicles. Members of the Partnership for Biofuels, a co-operation between Danisco's biotech division Genencor, Inbicon, Novozymes and Statoil, have joined forces to deliver 2nd generation bioethanol for 40 of the cars that the Danish Foreign Ministry will provide during the conference. The cars will be supplied by Volvo.
"As host nation, Denmark is working to create a green and climate friendly Conference in December," says Svend Olling, Head of Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We also plan to showcase to the conference delegates some of the new technologies that could contribute to solving the climate challenge. Second-generation bioethanol -- ethanol made from agricultural waste -- is one example of such a new technology. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is therefore happy that, in co-operation with the Partnership for Biofuels, it has succeeded in reserving some of the first litres of 2nd generation bioethanol produced in Denmark for the transportation of important guests within Copenhagen during the Conference."
Inbicon, the DONG Energy subsidiary that is commercializing its technology for converting straw into bioethanol, will produce the new fuel at its pilot plant in Denmark. With this technology, a car's emission of CO2 is reduced by 85% compared to that from conventional petrol. The fuel blend used at the Climate Change Conference will be E85, which is composed of 85% bioethanol and 15% petrol.
The Partnership's capabilities to produce 2nd generation bioethanol represents considerable potential in the climate debate, as conventional fuel such as petrol can be replaced. Second-generation bioethanol can be produced from residual products from forestry, agriculture and other industries.
Novozymes and Danisco will supply the enzymes for ethanol production and Statoil will provide the distribution facilities.
The development of the 2nd generation bioethanol technology represents an important business potential through the export of technological solutions and knowledge within the development and use of enzymes.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
"As host nation, Denmark is working to create a green and climate friendly Conference in December," says Svend Olling, Head of Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We also plan to showcase to the conference delegates some of the new technologies that could contribute to solving the climate challenge. Second-generation bioethanol -- ethanol made from agricultural waste -- is one example of such a new technology. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is therefore happy that, in co-operation with the Partnership for Biofuels, it has succeeded in reserving some of the first litres of 2nd generation bioethanol produced in Denmark for the transportation of important guests within Copenhagen during the Conference."
Inbicon, the DONG Energy subsidiary that is commercializing its technology for converting straw into bioethanol, will produce the new fuel at its pilot plant in Denmark. With this technology, a car's emission of CO2 is reduced by 85% compared to that from conventional petrol. The fuel blend used at the Climate Change Conference will be E85, which is composed of 85% bioethanol and 15% petrol.
The Partnership's capabilities to produce 2nd generation bioethanol represents considerable potential in the climate debate, as conventional fuel such as petrol can be replaced. Second-generation bioethanol can be produced from residual products from forestry, agriculture and other industries.
Novozymes and Danisco will supply the enzymes for ethanol production and Statoil will provide the distribution facilities.
The development of the 2nd generation bioethanol technology represents an important business potential through the export of technological solutions and knowledge within the development and use of enzymes.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Opinion: A Fuel-Efficient ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Model
With gas prices again on the rise and the summer travel season upon us, fuel efficiency is on the minds of many consumers. It is also being pondered by members of Congress, who are considering several "Cash for Clunkers" bills that would allow car owners to receive a voucher for trading an old, inefficient vehicle for a new, more efficient one.
The general idea is ingenious: simultaneously stimulate the economy (specifically Detroit and the United Auto Workers) and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by permanently reducing the miles driven by inefficient cars, which would be scrapped.
From an environmental perspective, what is the right miles per gallon (mpg) improvement to require? Is it better to trade a 16-mpg car for a 25-mpg model, or a 33-mpg for a 50-mpg? Actually, miles per gallon is the wrong measure to use when judging CO2 benefits. What really matters is consumption, how many gallons are burned.
Consumption and mileage may sound like the same thing, but they are not. A better way to measure actual consumption, and therefore CO2 production, is to look at the gallons it takes to drive 100 miles, a measure similar to that used in Canada and Europe.
Here's an example: A 16-mpg car consumes 6.25 gallons of gas to go 100 miles. Trade it in for a 25-mpg model, and you've dropped your consumption to 4 gallons per hundred miles (gphm) and avoided 45 pounds of CO2. So is the 33 to 50 trade even better, since the mpg improvement is so much larger? Not when you do the math on actual consumption. It saves only 1 gallon per 100 miles -- from 3 gphm to 2.
With this clearer picture of gas savings, it is easier to calculate the environmental benefits of increased fuel efficiency. Every gallon saved reduces CO2 emissions by 20 pounds, so a reduction of 1 gphm saves 1 ton of CO2 for every 10,000 miles of driving.
One strength of gphm for car buyers is that it directly reflects actual gas usage and savings in a way that mpg does not. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists efficiency in gphm on its fueleconomy.gov site.
Thinking in terms of gphm makes the environmental logic of Cash for Clunkers obvious. Even seemingly small mpg improvements on inefficient vehicles yield a big reduction in gas consumption and CO2 emissions. Trading in a 14-mpg car for a 25-mpg one (a 3.14 gphm reduction) cuts CO2 emissions more than any possible savings one could achieve by replacing a 33-mpg car that uses 3 gphm. When viewed this way, the urgent policy implication is to get people out of cars in the teens and into the mid- or high-20s.
There's one more tradeoff to consider, however. Manufacturing the new, more efficient car to replace the clunker releases an average of 7 tons of CO2, according to an estimate by Dean Bill Chameides of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. If the trade lowers gas consumption by 1 gphm, the new car will environmentally offset its own manufacture after 70,000 miles of driving. A trade that yields a 2-gphm decrease will offset the manufacturing in 35,000 miles of driving.
With an understanding of gphm and CO2 emissions, we can return to a sensible way of setting efficiency improvements in a Cash for Clunkers bill. Instead of having a confusing maze of multiple mpg increases, thresholds, minimums and maximums, as is the case in the current bills, gphm allows a simple rule: Award a $3,000 voucher for a trade in that saves 2 gallons per 100 miles, and then $1,000 more for each additional gallon saved, up to a limit of $6,000.
This way, there’s no maximum efficiency limit set for the old car and no minimum for the new car because all gphms are created equal. As long as we are moving people up the scale by amounts that more than offset the CO2 from manufacturing the new car, we are reducing CO2 emissions. Among the current bills being entertained in Congress, the May 19 Senate proposal is close to this tiered structure; the May 5 House compromise is not.
A responsible Cash for Clunkers bill should be based on a minimum improvement in gphm, not mpg, which plays tricks on our perceptions and masks the true benefit of small mpg improvements on the most inefficient vehicles.
By Richard Larrick
Duke University
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
The general idea is ingenious: simultaneously stimulate the economy (specifically Detroit and the United Auto Workers) and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by permanently reducing the miles driven by inefficient cars, which would be scrapped.
From an environmental perspective, what is the right miles per gallon (mpg) improvement to require? Is it better to trade a 16-mpg car for a 25-mpg model, or a 33-mpg for a 50-mpg? Actually, miles per gallon is the wrong measure to use when judging CO2 benefits. What really matters is consumption, how many gallons are burned.
Consumption and mileage may sound like the same thing, but they are not. A better way to measure actual consumption, and therefore CO2 production, is to look at the gallons it takes to drive 100 miles, a measure similar to that used in Canada and Europe.
Here's an example: A 16-mpg car consumes 6.25 gallons of gas to go 100 miles. Trade it in for a 25-mpg model, and you've dropped your consumption to 4 gallons per hundred miles (gphm) and avoided 45 pounds of CO2. So is the 33 to 50 trade even better, since the mpg improvement is so much larger? Not when you do the math on actual consumption. It saves only 1 gallon per 100 miles -- from 3 gphm to 2.
With this clearer picture of gas savings, it is easier to calculate the environmental benefits of increased fuel efficiency. Every gallon saved reduces CO2 emissions by 20 pounds, so a reduction of 1 gphm saves 1 ton of CO2 for every 10,000 miles of driving.
One strength of gphm for car buyers is that it directly reflects actual gas usage and savings in a way that mpg does not. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists efficiency in gphm on its fueleconomy.gov site.
Thinking in terms of gphm makes the environmental logic of Cash for Clunkers obvious. Even seemingly small mpg improvements on inefficient vehicles yield a big reduction in gas consumption and CO2 emissions. Trading in a 14-mpg car for a 25-mpg one (a 3.14 gphm reduction) cuts CO2 emissions more than any possible savings one could achieve by replacing a 33-mpg car that uses 3 gphm. When viewed this way, the urgent policy implication is to get people out of cars in the teens and into the mid- or high-20s.
There's one more tradeoff to consider, however. Manufacturing the new, more efficient car to replace the clunker releases an average of 7 tons of CO2, according to an estimate by Dean Bill Chameides of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. If the trade lowers gas consumption by 1 gphm, the new car will environmentally offset its own manufacture after 70,000 miles of driving. A trade that yields a 2-gphm decrease will offset the manufacturing in 35,000 miles of driving.
With an understanding of gphm and CO2 emissions, we can return to a sensible way of setting efficiency improvements in a Cash for Clunkers bill. Instead of having a confusing maze of multiple mpg increases, thresholds, minimums and maximums, as is the case in the current bills, gphm allows a simple rule: Award a $3,000 voucher for a trade in that saves 2 gallons per 100 miles, and then $1,000 more for each additional gallon saved, up to a limit of $6,000.
This way, there’s no maximum efficiency limit set for the old car and no minimum for the new car because all gphms are created equal. As long as we are moving people up the scale by amounts that more than offset the CO2 from manufacturing the new car, we are reducing CO2 emissions. Among the current bills being entertained in Congress, the May 19 Senate proposal is close to this tiered structure; the May 5 House compromise is not.
A responsible Cash for Clunkers bill should be based on a minimum improvement in gphm, not mpg, which plays tricks on our perceptions and masks the true benefit of small mpg improvements on the most inefficient vehicles.
By Richard Larrick
Duke University
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Boehner Challenges Administration’s Decision to Ignore OMB Warning on Economic Consequences of Regulating CO2
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today after Dow Jones reported that the White House ignored an internal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo warning that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant “is likely to have serious economic consequences:”
“The disclosure of this OMB memo suggests that a political decision was made to put special-interests ahead of middle-class families and small businesses struggling in this recession. This EPA decision was a backdoor attempt to enact a national energy tax that will have a crushing impact on consumers, jobs, and our economy. It is unacceptable that this critical information was withheld and the regulatory process was abused in this fashion. Republicans want to work with the Administration to promote clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment, but our primary responsibility must be to first do no harm to struggling families and small businesses.”
NOTE: Today, Dow Jones reported that an internal OMB memo stated, “U.S. regulation of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide ‘is likely to have serious economic consequences’ for businesses small and large across the economy.” The news report also states that “The nine-page document also undermines the EPA’s reasoning for a proposed finding that greenhouse gases are a danger to public health and welfare, a trigger for new rules.”
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.politicalpotluck.com
Political News You Can Use
“The disclosure of this OMB memo suggests that a political decision was made to put special-interests ahead of middle-class families and small businesses struggling in this recession. This EPA decision was a backdoor attempt to enact a national energy tax that will have a crushing impact on consumers, jobs, and our economy. It is unacceptable that this critical information was withheld and the regulatory process was abused in this fashion. Republicans want to work with the Administration to promote clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment, but our primary responsibility must be to first do no harm to struggling families and small businesses.”
NOTE: Today, Dow Jones reported that an internal OMB memo stated, “U.S. regulation of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide ‘is likely to have serious economic consequences’ for businesses small and large across the economy.” The news report also states that “The nine-page document also undermines the EPA’s reasoning for a proposed finding that greenhouse gases are a danger to public health and welfare, a trigger for new rules.”
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.politicalpotluck.com
Political News You Can Use
Monday, May 4, 2009
Energy Independence Not Attainable Until 2030 or Beyond, Says KPMG Survey of Oil and Gas Executives
/PRNewswire/ -- More than three-quarters of oil and gas executives surveyed by KPMG LLP's Global Energy Institute say that energy independence is not attainable until 2030 or beyond, despite the emphasis on alternative energy sources in current and proposed government energy policies. The executives also said mass production of alternative energy is not viable in the short term. While there is a marked shift upward in the number of executives who acknowledge that global warming is occurring, the vast majority still don't support proposed regulations to stem CO2 emissions.
The KPMG Global Energy Institute survey polled 382 financial executives from oil and gas companies in April 2009. A total of 63 percent of respondents believe energy independence will not be attainable until after 2030; sixteen percent say it can happen by 2030, while nine percent deem it possible before 2020.
"Despite the increased focus on domestic energy sources, energy infrastructure, and alternative energy sources, a realistic assessment of technology and investment in the industry suggests energy independence is not realistic for at least two decades," said Bill Kimble, executive director of the KPMG Global Energy Institute. "The executives' perceptions of energy independence mirror their views on the viability of alternatives in the near-term as well."
Executives expect alternative and renewable energy sources to receive the most focus in President Obama's energy policy, the KPMG survey found. However, 52 percent said it will not be viable to mass produce any alternative energy sources by 2015, compared to 54 percent last year and 60 percent two years ago.
Winners and Losers in the New Energy Policy
Although executives did not think alternative energy sources were immediately viable, they did have clear opinions on which ones would benefit most from the Obama administration's energy policy. Thirty-five percent of respondents said that wind energy would be the biggest winner as a result of Obama's policy, followed by 18 percent for natural gas and 17 percent for biofuels. Conversely, 42 percent of executives see coal as the biggest loser while 36 percent say oil.
"These results clearly show the momentum wind energy has gained as a clean energy solution," said Kimble. "But 93 percent of our respondents see wind generation growing to only six percent of our energy generation by 2015 and only 17 percent say wind energy is viable for mass production by that year."
Marked Shift: More than Half Now Acknowledge Human Impact on Global Warming
When asked which areas in the Obama administration's energy policy would receive the most focus after alternative energy, executives cited greenhouse gas emissions and cap-and-trade. And, though the EPA recently pointed to CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels as the main cause of global warming, nearly half (47 percent) of executives still believe that global warming, is a natural weather cycle, although this number is down from 62 percent in 2008.
"Our data shows a noted swing in executive perceptions on the issue of greenhouse gases and global warming," said Kimble, "but there is clear reluctance to support proposed actions and regulations to stem CO2 emissions."
In fact, when asked if they would support a cap-and-trade or carbon tax to reduce CO2 emissions, KPMG found that 59 percent do not support either, 23 percent would support carbon tax, and 18 percent would support a cap-and-trade system.
Spending and Business Challenges
When asked about capital spending and key business challenges in the coming year, KPMG found that executives have a subdued view. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed expect their company to decrease capital spending, including 47 percent who predict a drop of greater than 10 percent. Only 17 percent expect an increase over 2008 levels. These views are in stark contrast to those from KPMG's 2008 survey, when 70 percent expected an increase in capital spending and only five percent saw a decrease.
While oil prices have stabilized after extreme volatility in 2008, KPMG found that executives still rank commodity pricing the most significant challenge facing their companies in the coming year. Other key business challenges in order of significance include the economy, access to capital and regulatory concerns.
Also, 63 percent believe eliminating intangible drilling costs (IDC) will result in companies drilling outside the U.S. and unconventional wells not being drilled, a factor that may further slow the race toward energy independence
"There is no question that the economy has had an impact on U.S. energy companies, both in terms of pricing and capital," said Kimble. "However, with the current regulatory and legislative environment, oil and gas executives are also faced with the challenges of an evolving and dynamic industry pushing toward non-traditional energy sources."
KPMG will be discussing these survey results during its Seventh Annual Global Energy Conference, the event for financial executives in the energy industry on May 12th and 13th at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston. This year's keynote speakers will be Madeleine Albright, Former United States Secretary of State, and Marvin Odum, President, Shell Oil Company.
The KPMG Global Energy Institute (GEI) has been designed to provide an open forum where industry financial officers, risk officers, internal audit directors, and tax executives can share knowledge, gain insights, and access thought leadership about key oil and gas or power and utilities issues and emerging trends. It offers ideas and innovative tools that help organizations apply rigor to compelling, real-world business and energy issues. GEI interacts with their members through a variety of channels, including Web-based videocasts, podcasts, conferences, share forums, and a web portal, www.kpmgglobalenergyinstitute.com.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
The KPMG Global Energy Institute survey polled 382 financial executives from oil and gas companies in April 2009. A total of 63 percent of respondents believe energy independence will not be attainable until after 2030; sixteen percent say it can happen by 2030, while nine percent deem it possible before 2020.
"Despite the increased focus on domestic energy sources, energy infrastructure, and alternative energy sources, a realistic assessment of technology and investment in the industry suggests energy independence is not realistic for at least two decades," said Bill Kimble, executive director of the KPMG Global Energy Institute. "The executives' perceptions of energy independence mirror their views on the viability of alternatives in the near-term as well."
Executives expect alternative and renewable energy sources to receive the most focus in President Obama's energy policy, the KPMG survey found. However, 52 percent said it will not be viable to mass produce any alternative energy sources by 2015, compared to 54 percent last year and 60 percent two years ago.
Winners and Losers in the New Energy Policy
Although executives did not think alternative energy sources were immediately viable, they did have clear opinions on which ones would benefit most from the Obama administration's energy policy. Thirty-five percent of respondents said that wind energy would be the biggest winner as a result of Obama's policy, followed by 18 percent for natural gas and 17 percent for biofuels. Conversely, 42 percent of executives see coal as the biggest loser while 36 percent say oil.
"These results clearly show the momentum wind energy has gained as a clean energy solution," said Kimble. "But 93 percent of our respondents see wind generation growing to only six percent of our energy generation by 2015 and only 17 percent say wind energy is viable for mass production by that year."
Marked Shift: More than Half Now Acknowledge Human Impact on Global Warming
When asked which areas in the Obama administration's energy policy would receive the most focus after alternative energy, executives cited greenhouse gas emissions and cap-and-trade. And, though the EPA recently pointed to CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels as the main cause of global warming, nearly half (47 percent) of executives still believe that global warming, is a natural weather cycle, although this number is down from 62 percent in 2008.
"Our data shows a noted swing in executive perceptions on the issue of greenhouse gases and global warming," said Kimble, "but there is clear reluctance to support proposed actions and regulations to stem CO2 emissions."
In fact, when asked if they would support a cap-and-trade or carbon tax to reduce CO2 emissions, KPMG found that 59 percent do not support either, 23 percent would support carbon tax, and 18 percent would support a cap-and-trade system.
Spending and Business Challenges
When asked about capital spending and key business challenges in the coming year, KPMG found that executives have a subdued view. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed expect their company to decrease capital spending, including 47 percent who predict a drop of greater than 10 percent. Only 17 percent expect an increase over 2008 levels. These views are in stark contrast to those from KPMG's 2008 survey, when 70 percent expected an increase in capital spending and only five percent saw a decrease.
While oil prices have stabilized after extreme volatility in 2008, KPMG found that executives still rank commodity pricing the most significant challenge facing their companies in the coming year. Other key business challenges in order of significance include the economy, access to capital and regulatory concerns.
Also, 63 percent believe eliminating intangible drilling costs (IDC) will result in companies drilling outside the U.S. and unconventional wells not being drilled, a factor that may further slow the race toward energy independence
"There is no question that the economy has had an impact on U.S. energy companies, both in terms of pricing and capital," said Kimble. "However, with the current regulatory and legislative environment, oil and gas executives are also faced with the challenges of an evolving and dynamic industry pushing toward non-traditional energy sources."
KPMG will be discussing these survey results during its Seventh Annual Global Energy Conference, the event for financial executives in the energy industry on May 12th and 13th at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston. This year's keynote speakers will be Madeleine Albright, Former United States Secretary of State, and Marvin Odum, President, Shell Oil Company.
The KPMG Global Energy Institute (GEI) has been designed to provide an open forum where industry financial officers, risk officers, internal audit directors, and tax executives can share knowledge, gain insights, and access thought leadership about key oil and gas or power and utilities issues and emerging trends. It offers ideas and innovative tools that help organizations apply rigor to compelling, real-world business and energy issues. GEI interacts with their members through a variety of channels, including Web-based videocasts, podcasts, conferences, share forums, and a web portal, www.kpmgglobalenergyinstitute.com.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
Monday, April 6, 2009
Report: U.S. Power Plant Carbon Dioxide Emissions Eased Slightly in 2008, But Much More Progress Needed to Meet CO2 Reduction Goals
/PRNewswire / -- Due in part to the recent economic slowdown and milder-than-usual weather, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from U.S. power plants dropped 3.1 percent in 2008, tempering a steady increasing trend in the preceding years, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP).
EIP officials cautioned that the one-year dip is a departure from the recent trends in power plant carbon dioxide emissions, which have risen 0.9 percent since 2003, and 4.5 percent since 1998, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Despite the slight overall national improvement in CO2 emissions, six states had increases in power plant emissions of 1 million tons or more from 2007 to 2008: Oklahoma (3.1 million); Iowa (1.8 million); Texas (1.7 million); Nebraska (1.3 million); Illinois (1.1 million) and Washington (1.1 million).
Commenting on the new report, EIP Senior Attorney Ilan Levin said: "Unfortunately, one year of improved data does not mean that we are on the right path for carbon dioxide reduction from U.S. power plants. We clearly cannot afford a wave of conventional fossil-fired power plants that would only add tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year over the lifetimes of these new plants. If the United States is serious about curbing greenhouse gas pollution and meeting the goals that the scientific community says are needed, then many of the nation's dirtiest power plants will either need to be cleaned up or retired. We have no time to lose."
According to the EIP report: "The drop in CO2 emissions in 2008 is primarily attributable to a drop in electric generation -- gross electric output was down approximately 3.3 percent in 2008, as compared to 2007, according to the EPA data. The economy and the weather are two key factors that affect electric generation and CO2 emissions from year to year. Other factors, including the rising demand for electricity and the growth of generation by both existing and new fossil-fired power plants over the past decade, may make it increasingly difficult to make needed long-term reductions and reverse the rising emissions trend. The Department of Energy predicts that carbon dioxide emissions from power generation will increase 15 percent between 2009 and 2030, due to new or expanded coal plants. According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, an additional 1,392 megawatts of new coal-fired generating capacity was added in 2008, and another 26,131 megawatts have been permitted."
EIP released the report today against a backdrop in which leading scientists agree on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 percent over the next fifty years. The Obama Administration has proposed a plan to reduce emissions by 83 percent (from 2005 levels) by 2050, through cap-and-trade legislation. The Administration has proposed an interim short-term goal of a 14 percent reduction in emissions by 2020.
The 10 states that emitted the most CO2 in 2008, measured in total tons, are: Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and West Virginia.
The 10 states with the largest CO2 increases over the past 10 years (from 1998 to 2008) are: Texas (26.9 million tons); Arizona (22.6 million); California (18.8 million); Georgia (17.7 million); Illinois (17.7 million); Oklahoma (16.6 million); Alabama (8.9 million); South Carolina (7.5 million); Colorado (6.7 million); and Iowa (6 million).
According to the EIP report, Oklahoma's massive 2007-2008 increase in CO2 emissions is primarily attributable to ramped up generation at three power plants: Muskogee units 4 & 5 (coal), Sooner units 1 & 2 (coal) and Northeastern units 3314 (coal) & 3302 (natural gas) accounted for the vast majority of the CO2 increase. Combined, the units increased their CO2 emissions 4,286,131 tons from 2007 levels.
Reported C02 emissions were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "Clean Air Markets" webpage. The database is a publicly accessible repository for emissions and other operational data self-reported by the utility industry, and includes more than 1,000 power plants regulated under the federal Acid Rain Program. Additional information on these programs and the database can be found on EPA's Clean Air Markets web page at http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
EIP officials cautioned that the one-year dip is a departure from the recent trends in power plant carbon dioxide emissions, which have risen 0.9 percent since 2003, and 4.5 percent since 1998, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Despite the slight overall national improvement in CO2 emissions, six states had increases in power plant emissions of 1 million tons or more from 2007 to 2008: Oklahoma (3.1 million); Iowa (1.8 million); Texas (1.7 million); Nebraska (1.3 million); Illinois (1.1 million) and Washington (1.1 million).
Commenting on the new report, EIP Senior Attorney Ilan Levin said: "Unfortunately, one year of improved data does not mean that we are on the right path for carbon dioxide reduction from U.S. power plants. We clearly cannot afford a wave of conventional fossil-fired power plants that would only add tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year over the lifetimes of these new plants. If the United States is serious about curbing greenhouse gas pollution and meeting the goals that the scientific community says are needed, then many of the nation's dirtiest power plants will either need to be cleaned up or retired. We have no time to lose."
According to the EIP report: "The drop in CO2 emissions in 2008 is primarily attributable to a drop in electric generation -- gross electric output was down approximately 3.3 percent in 2008, as compared to 2007, according to the EPA data. The economy and the weather are two key factors that affect electric generation and CO2 emissions from year to year. Other factors, including the rising demand for electricity and the growth of generation by both existing and new fossil-fired power plants over the past decade, may make it increasingly difficult to make needed long-term reductions and reverse the rising emissions trend. The Department of Energy predicts that carbon dioxide emissions from power generation will increase 15 percent between 2009 and 2030, due to new or expanded coal plants. According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, an additional 1,392 megawatts of new coal-fired generating capacity was added in 2008, and another 26,131 megawatts have been permitted."
EIP released the report today against a backdrop in which leading scientists agree on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 percent over the next fifty years. The Obama Administration has proposed a plan to reduce emissions by 83 percent (from 2005 levels) by 2050, through cap-and-trade legislation. The Administration has proposed an interim short-term goal of a 14 percent reduction in emissions by 2020.
The 10 states that emitted the most CO2 in 2008, measured in total tons, are: Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and West Virginia.
The 10 states with the largest CO2 increases over the past 10 years (from 1998 to 2008) are: Texas (26.9 million tons); Arizona (22.6 million); California (18.8 million); Georgia (17.7 million); Illinois (17.7 million); Oklahoma (16.6 million); Alabama (8.9 million); South Carolina (7.5 million); Colorado (6.7 million); and Iowa (6 million).
According to the EIP report, Oklahoma's massive 2007-2008 increase in CO2 emissions is primarily attributable to ramped up generation at three power plants: Muskogee units 4 & 5 (coal), Sooner units 1 & 2 (coal) and Northeastern units 3314 (coal) & 3302 (natural gas) accounted for the vast majority of the CO2 increase. Combined, the units increased their CO2 emissions 4,286,131 tons from 2007 levels.
Reported C02 emissions were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "Clean Air Markets" webpage. The database is a publicly accessible repository for emissions and other operational data self-reported by the utility industry, and includes more than 1,000 power plants regulated under the federal Acid Rain Program. Additional information on these programs and the database can be found on EPA's Clean Air Markets web page at http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Southern Company COO Tom Fanning Details Greenhouse Gas Reduction Initiatives
Southern Company (NYSE:SO) Chief Operating Officer Tom Fanning yesterday offered a glimpse of the broad range of initiatives currently under way across Southern Company and its subsidiaries to develop and deploy the technologies needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to provide reliable, affordable electricity to the company's 4.4 million customers across the Southeast.
In remarks delivered to the Southern States Energy Board's Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership's 4th Annual Stakeholders' Briefing held here yesterday, Fanning noted that technology solutions to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will vary depending on geographic region.
"Southern Company believes that a diverse portfolio of solutions will be necessary to reduce CO2 emissions from power generation." Fanning continued, "As there is no single answer, we are pursuing a number of CO2 reduction strategies including increasing energy efficiency and conservation, bringing more renewables online, and deploying new nuclear and clean coal technologies."
Southern Company subsidiaries Georgia Power and Alabama Power are currently conducting pilot-scale, solar photovoltaic (PV) system demonstration projects to help determine the most promising PV technology for the hot, humid southeastern United States.
Fanning also noted that Georgia Power recently submitted an application to the Georgia Public Service Commission to convert the company's Plant Mitchell, near Albany, Ga., from coal to 100 percent biomass. A decision is expected March 17. If approved, the retooled plant would have 96 megawatts of capacity and be the largest biomass facility in the United States.
In addition, Fanning detailed Mississippi Power's request currently before that state's public service commission to build a state-of-the-art integrated gasification combined cycle power plant that would use technology developed by Southern Company in a joint effort with the U.S. Department of Energy. By providing carbon capture and sequestration, the facility will lead the way to lower-carbon electricity production.
Fanning noted that clean coal, including carbon capture and storage (CCS), increasingly appears to show promise for the future. "The Southeast has large capacity and very secure geologic sequestration potential," he said. "That's one of the reasons Southern Company employs such a robust research and development program related to CCS, including a CO2 pilot injection program at Mississippi Power's Plant Daniel."
Fanning emphasized, however, that existing barriers to commercial-scale operation of CCS such as uncertainty about the cost of carbon capture technology and outstanding regulatory and long-term storage liability issues have yet to be resolved fully. "If we are to continue to take the steps to widely deploy CCS, it is imperative that regulatory frameworks be consistent and fair to all industries."
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
In remarks delivered to the Southern States Energy Board's Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership's 4th Annual Stakeholders' Briefing held here yesterday, Fanning noted that technology solutions to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will vary depending on geographic region.
"Southern Company believes that a diverse portfolio of solutions will be necessary to reduce CO2 emissions from power generation." Fanning continued, "As there is no single answer, we are pursuing a number of CO2 reduction strategies including increasing energy efficiency and conservation, bringing more renewables online, and deploying new nuclear and clean coal technologies."
Southern Company subsidiaries Georgia Power and Alabama Power are currently conducting pilot-scale, solar photovoltaic (PV) system demonstration projects to help determine the most promising PV technology for the hot, humid southeastern United States.
Fanning also noted that Georgia Power recently submitted an application to the Georgia Public Service Commission to convert the company's Plant Mitchell, near Albany, Ga., from coal to 100 percent biomass. A decision is expected March 17. If approved, the retooled plant would have 96 megawatts of capacity and be the largest biomass facility in the United States.
In addition, Fanning detailed Mississippi Power's request currently before that state's public service commission to build a state-of-the-art integrated gasification combined cycle power plant that would use technology developed by Southern Company in a joint effort with the U.S. Department of Energy. By providing carbon capture and sequestration, the facility will lead the way to lower-carbon electricity production.
Fanning noted that clean coal, including carbon capture and storage (CCS), increasingly appears to show promise for the future. "The Southeast has large capacity and very secure geologic sequestration potential," he said. "That's one of the reasons Southern Company employs such a robust research and development program related to CCS, including a CO2 pilot injection program at Mississippi Power's Plant Daniel."
Fanning emphasized, however, that existing barriers to commercial-scale operation of CCS such as uncertainty about the cost of carbon capture technology and outstanding regulatory and long-term storage liability issues have yet to be resolved fully. "If we are to continue to take the steps to widely deploy CCS, it is imperative that regulatory frameworks be consistent and fair to all industries."
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Thursday, February 12, 2009
GT: Reducing CO2 Emissions Through Smart Growth and Technology
A Georgia Tech City and Regional Planning study on climate change, published February 10, 2009 online by Environmental Science and Technology, shows that “smart growth” combined with the use of hybrid vehicle technology could reduce cities’ carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – the principal driver of global warming – significantly by 2050.
According to Brian Stone, associate professor of City and Regional Planning, the research shows that expected levels of CO2 emissions from cars and trucks in 2050 could be reduced back to 2000 levels if the full vehicle fleet was converted to hybrid electric vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius or the soon-to-be released Chevy Volt. This research also found that a doubling of population density in large U.S. cities by 2050 would have a greater impact on CO2 reductions than full hybridization of the vehicle fleet.
Stone’s study looked at 11 major metropolitan regions of the Midwestern U.S. over a 50-year period and took into account three different scenarios: the use of hybrid vehicles and two different urban growth scenarios through which population density was increased over time, a central component of smart growth planning.
“In this study we looked at two general approaches on how to deal with the challenge of climate change,” said Stone. “One approach is to improve vehicle technology and become more efficient. We can use less gas and reduce tailpipe emissions of CO2. The second approach is to change behavior by changing the way we design cities. We can travel less and take more walking and transit trips.”
Stone says he believes it would be possible for virtually all cars on the roads by 2050 to be hybrid electric vehicles, assuming the costs of these vehicles become more competitive with conventional engine technologies. Today’s hybrid electric vehicles can achieve 40 miles to the gallon and higher.
However, even the full hybridization of the national vehicle fleet by 2050 would not meet the CO2 targets identified though the Kyoto Protocol, an international climate change agreement which the United States has signed but not yet ratified. To meet these global targets, CO2 emissions from all sectors on the U.S. would need to return to 1990 levels or lower. According to Stone’s work, meeting this goal in the transportation sector would require a combination of technological improvements and higher density land use patterns in cities.
“If we can help cities to grow in more compact ways, what we call smart growth, it will help reduce emissions even further by allowing people to travel less often, travel shorter distances when they do travel and take advantage of public transit,” said Stone.
The eleven metropolitan regions that were studied include Madison, Wisconsin, Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, Detroit, Michigan and Dayton, OH. In addition to Stone, Dr. Tracey Holloway, Scot Spak, and Adam Mednick also authored the study.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
According to Brian Stone, associate professor of City and Regional Planning, the research shows that expected levels of CO2 emissions from cars and trucks in 2050 could be reduced back to 2000 levels if the full vehicle fleet was converted to hybrid electric vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius or the soon-to-be released Chevy Volt. This research also found that a doubling of population density in large U.S. cities by 2050 would have a greater impact on CO2 reductions than full hybridization of the vehicle fleet.
Stone’s study looked at 11 major metropolitan regions of the Midwestern U.S. over a 50-year period and took into account three different scenarios: the use of hybrid vehicles and two different urban growth scenarios through which population density was increased over time, a central component of smart growth planning.
“In this study we looked at two general approaches on how to deal with the challenge of climate change,” said Stone. “One approach is to improve vehicle technology and become more efficient. We can use less gas and reduce tailpipe emissions of CO2. The second approach is to change behavior by changing the way we design cities. We can travel less and take more walking and transit trips.”
Stone says he believes it would be possible for virtually all cars on the roads by 2050 to be hybrid electric vehicles, assuming the costs of these vehicles become more competitive with conventional engine technologies. Today’s hybrid electric vehicles can achieve 40 miles to the gallon and higher.
However, even the full hybridization of the national vehicle fleet by 2050 would not meet the CO2 targets identified though the Kyoto Protocol, an international climate change agreement which the United States has signed but not yet ratified. To meet these global targets, CO2 emissions from all sectors on the U.S. would need to return to 1990 levels or lower. According to Stone’s work, meeting this goal in the transportation sector would require a combination of technological improvements and higher density land use patterns in cities.
“If we can help cities to grow in more compact ways, what we call smart growth, it will help reduce emissions even further by allowing people to travel less often, travel shorter distances when they do travel and take advantage of public transit,” said Stone.
The eleven metropolitan regions that were studied include Madison, Wisconsin, Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, Detroit, Michigan and Dayton, OH. In addition to Stone, Dr. Tracey Holloway, Scot Spak, and Adam Mednick also authored the study.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
