The dirty green line

[XemaSab]

With a boost of billions in the economic stimulus plan, the White House plans to double the nation's supply of renewable energy in the next three years. There's big talk in Congress of creating a national renewable-energy standard, which would mandate that utilities get a chunk of their power from green sources like solar, wind and geothermal. So long dirty energy, hello green future.

Yet as renewable energy finally takes its place as a national priority, a tripwire lurks in the rosy scenario: transmission lines. No less an authority than President Obama is promoting the goal of building thousands of miles of new transmission lines to move power from the Great Plains and Mojave Desert to the nation's energy-hungry cities and 'burbs. And he's got plenty of political might behind him.

The power companies lobbying for new lines compare the notion of a national grid to the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has brought legislation to help create what he calls a "electric superhighway." Large environmental groups, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society, have joined the wind and solar industries in championing the expansion of the transmission grid.

Not all environmentalists, though, are buzzing about the expansion. To critics, the U.S. is needlessly industrializing the remote American landscape at the expense of local residents. "Renewable energy is this great excuse to build transmission lines all over the place," says Lisa Linowes, executive director of Industrial Wind Action Group. "They want to crisscross the United States. It's enormous. People have no idea what the federal government is contemplating."


http://www.salon.com/env/feature/2009/03/23/power_lines/

[mike_c]

1. I guess it won't be decentralized renewable energy....

That's a lost opportunity, IMO.

[XemaSab]

2. You should have bathed by now

When are you going to go post some skipper pix on my site? :shrug:

[mike_c]

3. patience, grasshopper....

Actually I forgot. I'll do it *soon*. The delay was less about hygiene than about the need to consume the last of the vodka before the ice in the cooler melted. I have no qualms about posting while filthy.

[XemaSab]

7. .

:thumbsup:

[kristopher]

4. Renewables aren't portable.

And total reliance on distributed generation can't work without the benefits that economy of scale brings to harnessing the best wind, solar and geothermal sites.

It is an either/or choice - the power lines or continued reliance on coal while absorbing the huge costs (economic and external) of increasing nuclear fission.

Climate change is not waiting for "just around the corner" technologies; we have to proceed with the basket of resources and technologies we are NOW able to deploy.

Either/or - which do you want?

[mike_c]

5. good point....

I'd just like to see more decentralization, but as you say, many renewable energy sources currently tie generation to specific geographic locales and don't work elsewhere. Bummer.

[XemaSab]

8. The pisser is that there's no free lunch

Bear River Ridge?

Not a happening site.

Solar?

Not optimal in Humboldt's overcast climate.

Biomass?

Like at the old Palco site in Scotia? You need feedstock for that.

Offshore wind?

Please.

Nuclear?

You've got to be kidding.

Tidal might be feasible in Humboldt County, but most other forms of "green" and somewhat "green" electrical generation are virtual nonstarters.

[OKIsItJustMe]

10. Re: Solar? Not optimal in Humboldt's overcast climate.

http://www.redwoodenergy.org/ContentPage.asp?ContentID=502

…

What is the Humboldt Solar Neighbors Tour?

…

The Solar Neighbors Tour is a grassroots effort of local homeowners, businesses and organizations who are interested in developing a sustainable energy future for Humboldt County, and who believe that solar energy can play a part in achieving that vision.

Humboldt County is a leader in energy efficiency and the use of solar energy, and has a per-capita solar photovoltaic installation rate over three times that of the rest of northern California, with hundreds of successful installations so far!

The Humboldt Solar Neighbors Tour is a celebration of this accomplishment, and an opportunity for these early adopters of solar technology to share their experiences with their neighbors.

The Tour provides an opportunity for you to see the latest in solar technology, and talk to others about their first-hand experience using solar energy. This year 80 local homes, businesses and institutions are participating in the tour.

…

[XemaSab]

11. Not optimal =

Not as efficient as solar panels put up in a sunny area.

Of course a company that sells and installs solar panels is going to try to get people to buy them even in areas where they're less efficient.

[OKIsItJustMe]

12. HUMBOLDT COUNTY ENERGY ELEMENT BACKGROUND TECHNICAL REPORT

http://dscholar.humboldt.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/2148/62/1/TECH%20REPORT%20FINAL%207_12_05.pdf

HUMBOLDT COUNTY ENERGY ELEMENT BACKGROUND TECHNICAL REPORT

Prepared for:
Redwood Coast Energy Authority
Prepared by: Schatz Energy Research Center Humboldt State University

Principal Author: Jim Zoellick
July 2005

…

Humboldt County has a number of unique features with respect to energy. It is isolated at the end of the electricity and natural gas transmission lines, and the capacity of these lines is not great enough to import all of the county’s required energy. Related to these capacity constraints is the fact that the county currently produces a large portion of its electricity locally and also supplies some of its own natural gas needs. Add to this the fact that the county has a tremendous amount of potential local energy resources, in the form of wind, wave, biomass, hydroelectric and solar power. And finally, there is a lot of local interest and expertise and a strong desire to develop long-term energy sustainability for the region.

…

H. Solar Electric

…

The interest in PV in Humboldt County has been even greater than for the state as a whole. Since 1998 there have been about 150 grid-connected solar electric systems installed in Humboldt County with a total installed capacity of 380 kW (California Energy Commission, 2005a). On a per capita basis Humboldt County has installed grid-connected PV systems 3.5 times faster than the state as a whole, and this is for an area that receives less sun than the majority of the state and has less economic wealth than much of the state. What does this say about solar in Humboldt County? It shows that solar works here, and that people are interested in installing it. Humboldt County also features a strong solar installer/supplier network, one that has been built up over the last 25 years or more.

Humboldt County also has a tremendous number of off-grid solar electric systems, many of them in the southern part of the county. In the mid-1980’s one of the largest distributors of off-grid PV systems was Alternative Energy Engineering in Redway, and most of the systems they sold were installed right here in Humboldt County. It is estimated that well over 1000 off-grid PV systems are installed in the county, representing perhaps 1 MW or more of capacity (Katz, 2005).

Although it is not anticipated that there will be tremendous growth in this local off-grid market, off-grid PV certainly represents an important electricity supply option for the remote areas of the county.

In terms of the grid-connected market, continued vigorous growth is expected. Although the ongoing status of the current State rebate program is somewhat uncertain, the Governor has announced ambitious plans to promote PV in the state over the next 10 years with a new incentive plan modeled after Japan’s. The goal of the program is to install almost 3000 MW of new solar electric power. However, these efforts may focus on the more heavily populated areas in the warmer parts of California where summer cooling loads drive electricity use. Nonetheless, strong activity here on the North Coast will likely continue.

One effort to ensure that the solar energy market remains strong here in Humboldt County is participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs (MSR) program. The
Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) is sponsoring this local effort and is developing a strategic plan to ensure the installation of 1000 new solar energy systems (either solar electric or solar hot water) in Humboldt County by 2010. To provide guidance in this effort, RCEA assembled a strategic plan advisory committee comprised of local stakeholders. The objectives of this program are to:
• Improve outreach efforts to residents, businesses, financial institutions and schools;
• Create solar training opportunities for those in the building trades;
• Develop and facilitate solar financing options for local residents and businesses;
• Develop a regional public facilities solar installation plan;
• Generate recommendations for government and land use codes to ease installation barriers for solar energy systems.

[OKIsItJustMe]

13. Everything's relative

You may think your solar resources are poor, and they are compared to your desert South East. However, compare them to NY State:


(Even in NY State, http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/alternatives/resources_ny.cfm">solar is practical.)

[XemaSab]

14. That little green chunk in California?

That's Humboldt county.

[OKIsItJustMe]

15. Right

Now compare it to NY State (which is all blue.)

[XemaSab]

16. Okay, fine, you win

New York state is not optimal for solar energy either. :crazy:

[OKIsItJustMe]

17. It's not about winning or losing

You wrote:

"Tidal might be feasible in Humboldt County, but most other forms of 'green' and somewhat 'green' electrical generation are virtual nonstarters."

What I was trying to point out was that these "virtual nonstarters" actually have great potential. My example was solar power, which is already being used effectively in Humboldt County, and that the conditions in Humboldt County are actually more favorable than in NY State.

You don't like the idea of despoiling the desert with solar power plants—which I can appreciate—but solar panels on rooftops work well, even in Humboldt County!

You might want to skim the report I linked to above.
http://dscholar.humboldt.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/2148/62/1/TECH%20REPORT%20FINAL%207_12_05.pdf

[Massacure]

6. No, putting a wind turbine on every city block is just not going to happen.

They are going to be put several miles out to sea on both coast and along the Great Plains because that is were wind is abundant and power will be transmitted up to a thousand miles away from these wind farms.

[Javaman]

9. we will go green when there is not more black (oil). nt