Smart energy solutions

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Smart energy solutions
Power Production

• Toward a brighter future

Rick Epting, Smart Energy Solutions Committee,
October 19, 2008
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Smart energy solutions
Smart
Intelligent
Ignorant
Stupid
Smart is the capacity to make good choices with
the knowledge you have.
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Smart Energy Issues
Environment
Ecology
Economy
Global warming
Health and Habitat
Distribution of power
Atmosphere
Health Issues
Global dependency
Asthma
Unidirectional flow of money
Ocean
Cancer
Concentration of wealth
Land
Toxins
Individual cost
Greenhouse effect
Percentage of income
Natural
Habitat
Smog
Time model
Anthropogenic
Acid rain
Societal Cost
WHO PAYS?
Reduced biodiversity
Water resource pollution
Land form degradation
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Smart Energy Issues
Global warming
The more we
Mitigate
the less we will need to
Adapt
and the less we will
Suffer.
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Global Warming Patterns
Hominid Evolution
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100,000 Year Climate Pattern
Pre-sent
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Carbon Dioxide Correlation
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Humans in Glacial Times
Human Population under 20000
Europe
Australia
Homo Sapiens In Africa
Migration Out of Africa
West Asia
East Asia
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Humans in Warming Times
Human Population 1,000,000
Rise of Middle East Agriculture
1st Native American Migration
2nd Native American Migration
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Historic Climate Activity
Scandinavian Settlements Greenland - Iceland
Industrial RevolutionBegins
Low sunspot activity?
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(No Transcript)
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When the Earth cools plant life forms do not have
a happy environment. They die. Plant life
carbon is released into the atmosphere. Greenhous
e effect gradually warms the Earth.
Sunspot activity is down. Plant life should be
abundant. Shouldnt we be cooling down?
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For the first time on record, we are adding
significant amounts of fossil carbon to the
natural carbon cycle.
Continuation of pre-industrial CO2 increases.
At the same time, we engage in unprecedented
world wide deforestation.
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Stupid Energy Solutions
KEEP USING THE WORST POLLUTING FOSSIL FUELS TO
POWER ENERGY GENERATION.
MAINTAIN FUEL GUZZLING STANDARDS FOR INDIVIDUAL
TRANSPORTATION.
BUILD MASSIVE HIGHWAY PROJECTS AND DONT SUPPORT
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
INVEST IN OIL DRILLING EXPLORATION NOT
SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY.
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The Problem
Georgia , Texas and Arizona had the biggest CO2
pollution increases in the past year, five years
and ten years.
Georgia Power's Scherer plant -- the highest
emitting plant in the nation, emitted 27.2
million tons of CO2 in 2007, up roughly 2 million
tons since 2006.
Georgias electricity generation and consumption
are among the highest in the United States.
In Georgia, and coal typically supplies more than
three-fifths of electricity output.
There is no coal production in Georgia, and the
States coal-fired power plants burn coal
supplied mostly from Wyoming, Kentucky, and
Virginia.
Georgias two nuclear plants, both located in the
eastern part of the State, typically supply about
one-fourth of electricity generation.
Georgia is one of the top hydroelectric power
producers east of the Rocky Mountains but has
only minor production from other renewable energy
sources.
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NOW TWO COMPANIES WANT TO SPEW 16 MILLION MORE
TONS OF COAL CARBON DIOXIDE POLLUTION! THATS
18 MORE IN STATE THAT IS ALREADY A LEADING
POLLUTER!
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Coal is the primary fuel for electricity
generation in Georgia (60). 11 operational
power plants with 13,317 megawatts capacity
create nearly 90 million tons of CO2 pollution
annually.
Bowen 3,222 MW
Hammond 846 MW
McDonough 846 MW
Harilee Branch 1,295 MW
Wansley 1,778 MW
Yates 1,295 MW
Scherer 3,405 MW
Washington 850 MW
McIntosh 157 MW
The industrial sector is the largest
energy-consuming sector in the State, in part
because Georgia is a leader in the
energy-intensive wood and paper products
industry.
Kraft 201 MW
Intl Paper 154 MW
Mitchell 154 MW
Longleaf 1,200 MW
Georgias electricity generation and consumption
are among the highest in the nation.  
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We are not fighting against coal-fired power
plants.
We are fighting against minds with the audacity
to deny that these energy plants are dangerous
to our environment and future!
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DIRTY TRUTH ABOUT COAL
THE

• Why Yesterdays Technology Should Not Be Part of
  Tomorrows Energy Future

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Smart Energy Solutions
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Coal should be a part of our energy future ONLY
IF it

• Is mined responsibly
• Is burned cleanly
• Does not worsen global warming

Right now, coal meets NONE of these tests.
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Clean Coal False Advertising

• An empty promise
• Clean coal technologies to capture and
  sequester carbon are undeveloped and not proven
  to work on a commercial scale. The solutions only
  focus on cleaning up the coal burning process and
  do not consider the other stages of the coal life
  cycle.
• Basic solutions have been ignored
• The coal industry has failed to invest in even
  the most basic pollution control devices in older
  coal burning plants.
• Even dirtier proposals are on the table
• Coal advocates are behind efforts to jumpstart a
  new coal-to-liquids industry. Liquid coal
  creates double the carbon dioxide emissions per
  gallon as regular fuels.

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Coal Mining From
Ground to Train
Coal mining rips up landscapes, pollutes and
buries waterways, and causes air pollution. It
also leads to serious health problems among
miners and local communities.
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• Burning coal produces smog, soot, mercury and
  other toxic air pollutants, and greenhouse gases.
  This pollution harms public health, contaminates
  our waters and soils, and destroys forests and
  crops.

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Power4Georgians projects Plant
Washington will emit annually 654 tons PM10
(soot particles) including 374 tons PM2.5 (fine
soot particles) 3,272 tons sulfur dioxide (acid
rain stuff) 1,818 tons of nitrous oxides and
124 tons of volatile organic compounds
(combine into ground ozone smog) 10,906 tons
of carbon monoxide 182 tons of sulfuric acid
(kills trees) 1,220 pounds of lead and 120
pounds of toxic mercury
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The Medical Association of Georgia estimates that
pollution from power plants triggers 26,442
asthma attacks,
1,362 heart attacks
and 113 deaths in people with lung cancer in
Georgia each year.
It urged the state to adopt comprehensive
conservation and efficiency programs before
approving any new coal-fired power plants.
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Scientists say we need to reduce our greenhouse
emissions 80 by 2050 or about 2 a year to
avoid the worst consequences of global warming.
Coal-fired power plants have the highest carbon
intensity among all fossil fuels.
The Washington Power Plant will emit from 6 to 7
million tons of CO2 greenhouse gas which compares
to about 1 million cars.
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The Problem
Unpaid Costs
Pollution
Health
Global Warming
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What is the smart solution?
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WASTE NOT WANT NOT The easiest way to deal with
our energy needs is to reduce demand. Compact
fluorescent bulbs, energy efficient appliances
and conscious conservation can save enough energy
to reduce the need to build large power plants.
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SOLAR Our Mister Sun can easily provide us with
solar thermal energy to heat our home water and
save us on power bills. Photo-voltaic electric
panels can provide an energy supplement during
peak-load demand.
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LANDFILL GAS GENERATION
Georgia landfills produce methane (natural gas)
which needs to be captured so it does not add to
green house gases. This gas can fuel small
electric power generators as a green alternative.
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CHICKEN POWER In 2008, Georgias first chicken
litter powered electric generation plant will go
on line. The chicken droppings go through a
gasification process to produce clean burning
natural gas. This is one example of how
agricultural waste can be turned from a
environmental pollutant into green energy.
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BIOMASS FUEL
Georgia can produce up to two billion gallons of
cellulosic ethanol from wood waste and forest
agricultural products. This ethanol would not
compete with food sources and would support jobs
in the shrinking paper pulp wood industry.
Infrastructure for harvesting and transporting
trees already exists. Range Fuels from Colorado
has committed to the first pilot plant located
near Soperton, Georgia.
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WIND ENERGY
Georgias coast and continental shelf provide
more wind power potential than the combined
capacity of coal-fired and nuclear power plants
at a competitive cost and without significant
environmental impact.
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Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute Wind
Energy Study
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HYDROGEN
The most abundant element in the universe the
power of the stars - could replace all fuels.
And we could have Mom and Pop production almost
anywhere.
We could produce hydrogen at large bioreactor
plants.
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HYDROGEN
The most abundant element in the universe the
power of the stars - could replace all fuels.
And hydrogen can be combusted to power
traditional engines.
Hydrogen can be used to generate electricity in
fuel cell arrays.
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We have better energy technology, NOW.
Research and development will
provide better solutions.
We must develop better vision. We must require
better corporate policy. We must demand better
political leadership.
People with environmental and social
conscience must raise their voices and be heard.
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What is the solution?
You
and
I!
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What is the solution?
Join Georgia Sierra Clubs Smart Energy Solution
Campaign
STOP THE STUPID!
SUPPORT THE SMART!
We are not alone
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JOIN WITH OTHERS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
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Epilogue Georgias State Energy Strategy A ray
of hope?
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STATE ENERGY STRATEGY for GEORGIA December, 2006

• 1 Prioritize Energy Resource Development in the
  State
• Promote energy efficiency
• Develop renewable resources
• More efficient coal plants (IGCC)
• Advanced nuclear technology

• 2 Take a Leadership Role in the Development of
  Alternative Fuels
• Georgia should be a base for renewable bio-based
  fuels
• Attract businesses producing renewable
  transportation fuels and clean energy.
• Ensure availability of high quality alternative
  fuels
• Assess and enhance bio-fuels delivery
  infrastructure

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STATE ENERGY STRATEGY for GEORGIA December, 2006

• 3 Encourage State Government to Lead by Example
• Promote energy efficiency in state buildings and
  facilities
• Make fleet vehicles fuel efficient or natural gas
• 4 Educate the Public About Energy Issues and
  Provide Appropriate Incentives to Guide
  Individual Consumers and Market Participants
  Toward Wise Energy Choices
• Public awareness campaign on energy efficiency
• Develop a website portal for energy information
• Give support to a state curricula on energy

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STATE ENERGY STRATEGY for GEORGIA December, 2006

• 5 Continue Prudent Energy Planning for the State
• Formalize process for the periodic update and
  revision of the State Energy Strategy.
• Compile a statewide energy supply and demand
  assessment for all fuels.
• Prepare for carbon markets by developing a
  greenhouse gas inventory and registry.
• Promote more efficient energy generation.
• Analyze energy efficiency and renewable energy
  potential in Georgia.