Showing posts with label climate change policy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label climate change policy. Show all posts
Friday, 22 August 2014
Australian Carbon Tax Shows The World A Way To A Cleaner Future
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Obama Against Clean Energy Solutions
Legislative body Democrats’ arrangement to scale opposite energy legislation downcast environmentalists, reliable utilities and the Obama administration, which took twig positive to guide the U.S. prudence off from fossil fuels
Then again, Legislative body Form Patronizing Keep on at Reid’s arrangement to taste a cap-and-trade mean, in which companies would buy and store dirt internship, was “welcome news” for companies that store coal to power flora and fauna, held Luke Popovich, narrator for the Home-grown Mining Business.
A cap-and-trade program to stop carbon dioxide and other glasshouse gases interconnected to season alter was a crucial time of the most basic market Come first Barack Obama sent to House last longer than year. Weather conditions legislation approved the Empire in June 2009, then took a opposite imprison to overhauls of the health-care system and banking portion.
“We are downcast that we do not yet transfer confirmation on perfect legislation,” Carol Browner, Obama’s better energy appraiser, held at a press seminar not later than Reid yesterday in Washington. She held the Pale Empire donate cuddle to function to get climate-change legislation approved, and Reid prepared a enjoy property.
Reid held he can’t rotation up enough bolster in the Legislative body this month for absolute energy provision for example a cap-and-trade program to except carbon dirt and a exact that utilities buy above electricity from renewable sources.
Pretty, the dimension better held he donate apply legislation to overhaul offshore drilling set of instructions in rejoinder to the BP Plc oil unexpected defeat, and soil board energy-efficiency programs and incentives for natural-gas-fueled vehicles. The unassailable is overcome for Legislative body controversy subsequently week.
$1 Billion on Lobbying
For utilities that consumed above than $1 billion enhanced the past decade lobbying House for new energy policies, yesterday’s contact donate “mean continued cynicism and lull,” held Ralph Izzo, first in command of the Government Refit Try Society Inc. bolster based in Newark, New Sport shirt.
Numerous bolster officials held it donate lagging the spending of billions of dollars on solar, wind and other types of renewable energy.
Productivity companies are unyielding to invest $1 trillion in new transportation “but extreme of that fifty pence piece cadaver on the sidelines” defective encouraging set of instructions for carbon dioxide emissions, held Howard Riefs, narrator for Exelon Corp., the prime U.S. nuclear-power producer.
The American Curl Push Business, a Washington furnish that represents companies such as Yacht Windpower PLC and Siemens AG, held it is “beyond comprehension” that the energy be in wouldn’t want utilities to buy above renewable electricity.
Jobs in Expose
As regards 85,000 open wind-industry jobs may be in threat and the breather to create above than 270,000 new jobs may be off beam, Denise Portend, the wind production organization’s leading approved, held in an transmit.
Numerous utilities are in beneath of get a move on for House to act. John Russell, first in command of Jackson, Michigan-based bolster incidence CMS Push Corp., held to the fore Reid’s contact that lawmakers must carry until “the prudence has rebounded” to cut down the climate-change typescript.
“We converge above rate request currently than we transfer in many time as of the get ready of the prudence,” Russell held.
Popovich held companies that own coal-burning power flora and fauna, with American Thrilling Productivity Co. and Southern Co., transfer been looking to House to pass legislation that supersedes greenhouse-gas regulations programmed for subsequently year by the Native Protection Say-so.
�Worse Than the Disease’
The cap-and-trade program hunted by Senators
John Kerry
, a Massachusetts Democrat, and
Joe Lieberman
, a Connecticut self-directed, “would transfer been a marinate that’s let fall than the stain,” Popovich held. The information isn’t all generous for the coal production as the EPA’s set of instructions are equal upcoming subsequently year, he held
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Carbon Markets Cut Emissions 17X Cheaper Than Subsidies
Cap And Consumers
PUBLISHED ON October 9th, 2013 "by Silvio Marcacci"The cornerstone attraction of carbon markets is their gamble to cut emissions equally creating clean energy investments ^a" but it turns out they may be far stuck-up cost-effective at the contract than everybody may perhaps plague perpetually imagined.
Carbon markets dampen music school gas emissions virtually 17 become old cheaper than paying power generators renewable energy subsidies, according to new appraise of 15 nations by the Administrative center for Economic Bracket and Augmentation (OECD).
OECD^as research once once again shows the power carbon markets can plague in clash toughen mix up and exclude clean energy, actually equally interrelated with a leg on each side of total systems, and is further example that cap-and-trade is far from polished.
CARBON MARKETS CUT CO2 17 Times CHEAPER
Emissions money off pains plague usually firm on decarbonizing the comprehensive power segment by boosting clean energy generation, but OECD^as end result recognize at a better way to throw away short-range adjustment reserves.
According to the keep, the invoice of cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) from electricity generation ended carbon markets is certain ^anot10/13.50 per metric ton on connote. Compared to connote feed-in tempo authority of^A ^anot169/228.40 and funds subsidies quotation ^anot176/237.80, the swear for speedy decarbonization is evident.
Via dismissing the OECD^as end result, consideration the list of countries analyzed in the report: Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ceramic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the Joined Utter, and the Joined States.
The appraise covers virtually the entire swear energy conduct ^a" from developed reduction to callow, from happiness renewables to fossil fuel party, and people furthermore elderly carbon markets to people just as of out or out cold consideration.
NO ^aCLIMATE BAILOUT OPTION^a IF WE Way in
Later the Den has 30 living at most until its carbon financial prudence is useless and the mud is self-assured wearing unsafe toughen mix up, ^aconsistent carbon pricing could do with be the cornerstone of adjustment appointments to topic toughen mix up,^a says OECD.
By combining policies that draw in pricing the entire ton of CO2 emitted, placing an leaning law on emissions, removing fossil fuels subsidies, and patently in action carbon conduct functions, OECD maintains whichever customers and investors donate be incentivized to dampen emissions equally offsetting power law increases.
^aCherry-picking a few playful campaign method is not enough^a and we don^at plague any intention to slay,^a assumed Angel Gurria, OECD Secretary-General. ^aUnlike the financial fork, we do not plague a toughen bailout top-notch up our sleeves.^a
But times of yore the world^as carbon financial prudence, OECD^as appraise each tackles the carbon lather ^a" the swear financial meltdown that may perhaps plight equally fossil fuel corporations and the investments that depend on their compare are brusquely devalued as a work of notorious resources opportunity off seek permission sheets as they^are awkward to maintain in the meadow as ^aunburnable finances.^a
By one OECD-cited worth alone, supervisor 55% of allowance hind portfolios is invested in high-carbon finances or sectors properly stripped to toughen change-related direction ^a" forcing a choice of ^aeither stranding people finances or stranding the mud.^a This give a price of doesn^at reliable consideration the 523 billion in fossil fuel subsides governments rewarded in 2011: How fountain would Big Oil move imperfect that support?
In addition, governments allow a ^acarbon entanglement^a where they keep up a central divide up in bringing fossil fuels to conduct and article rewarded their allotment of the profits ^a" nearly 200 billion annually from monarchs payments and assessment on oil and natural gas in OECD states alone.
Funding A FOSSIL-FREE Furthest
And that^as where wholehearted pay packet from the transition to a clean energy reduction comes in. Carbon markets are thug payoff wearing energy density, toughen lessening, and renewable energy projects with a leg on each side of the world. As well as certain 60 carbon pricing systems at this point in grade or out cold interchange, a sound lane interfering is simple ^a" if governments obtain to fashion the proper campaign decisions.
^aWe are on a thump tide furthermore life, and we need to steal doughty decisions to mix up that lane,^a great Gurria. ^a Near is separate one way interfering ^a" governments need to put equally the optimal campaign mix to disentangle yourself from emissions from fossil fuels.^a
TAGS: Angel Gurria, Australia, Brazil, cap and business, Carbon lather, Carbon financial prudence, Carbon mess, carbon conduct, Chile, Ceramic, Decarbonization, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, OECD, Administrative center for Economic Bracket and Augmentation, South Africa, Spain, ally state, Unites States
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Circumventing Carbon Rule Using Renewables To Save U S Coal Plants
VIA RTO Insider
"By Rich Heidorn Jr. and Suzanne Herel"
"
Some coal-fired power plants at risk of retirement under the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed carbon emission rule could survive thanks to unlikely saviors: energy efficiency and renewable energy.That is a surprising conclusion of a PJM economic and reliability analysis of the EPA's Clean Power Plan, which PJM officials outlined last week for the Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee.PJM had presented preliminary results on the study, which was requested by the Organization of PJM States Inc. (OPSI), in November. (See "PJM: Regional Approach the Cheapest Way to Comply with EPA Carbon Rule".")The analysis included eight compliance scenarios requested by OPSI and seven proposed by PJM. Among the issues it examined was the impact of the carbon rule on generation retirements.The study forecast 20,000 MW of steam generation retirement by 2029 under the four high renewable/energy efficiency scenarios, doubling to about 40,000 for the four low renewable/energy efficiency scenarios.
COUNTER-INTUITIVE RESULT
"Although this seems counter-intuitive, under the proposed Clean Power Plan, more energy efficiency and renewable energy means lower CO2 prices, which implies that the financial stress on higher emitting resources is reduced," PJM said. "In the extreme... it is possible to add enough energy efficiency and renewable energy so that re-dispatch is not needed since there will be sufficient zero-emitting resources to avoid re-dispatch."The EPA said last week that it will finalize the carbon rule for existing generators, along with companion rules for new and modified power plants, by mid-summer. (See related story,"EPA Delays Power Plant Carbon Rules.")The EPA's proposal for existing generators would set interim carbon emission goals beginning in 2020, with emissions rate targets declining over the following decade. During the 2020 and 2029 "glide path" to full compliance, states would be permitted to average emissions, allowing them to "bank" earlier emissions reductions to be used in later years or "borrow" reductions that must be repaid in later years.Retirements of less efficient, high-emitting generators early in the transition would provide an immediate cut in CO2 emissions, reducing the need for re-dispatch of more efficient, lower emitting sources. More efficient sources will face increasing pressure to retire as the emission limits decline and CO2 prices increase.
IDENTIFYING AT-RISK UNITS
PJM's study set a benchmark for retirement based on the net cost of new entry (net CONE) for a combustion turbine or natural gas combined-cycle plant, depending on which was cheaper under the scenario. (Due to the stricter emissions targets under the proposed EPA rule, PJM said combined-cycle plants are the cheapest supply source for meeting reliability targets in many of the simulations.)Generators were considered at-risk for retirement if their annual revenue requirements exceeded the net-CONE benchmark (either 0.5 or 0.6 of net CONE).The study found that although increased use of energy efficiency, renewables and nuclear power reduce energy market prices, they also reduce CO2 prices, which means less need for re-dispatching from coal to natural gas generators.
INCREASED OPERATIONS TRUMPS LOWER PRICES
"Being able to operate economically for more hours is more beneficial to coal unit revenues than the reduction in energy market prices," PJM said.Retirements of steam turbines - gas-, oil- and coal-fired resources whose prime mover is a steam turbine - would rise from less than 4,000 MW in 2020 to more than 20,000 in 2029 under the high renewable/energy efficiency scenarios.Under the low renewable/energy efficiency scenario, retirements would rise from about 6,100 MW in 2020 to almost 40,000 in 2029.The high renewable/energy efficiency scenarios assume achievement of at least 50% of the EPA's 23.3-GWh energy efficiency goal. The low renewable/energy efficiency scenarios project wind and solar power and energy efficiency based on historic growth rates, with energy efficiency of 9.2 GWh.PJM transmission planners will conduct reliability analyses on generators identified as "at-risk" in at least 50% of the scenarios evaluated to determine whether their closure would necessitate transmission upgrades or other actions. About 8,000 MW fell into that category in 2020, increasing to almost 40,000 in 2029."Through the course of January and early February we'll be trying to get a handle on what kinds of upgrades might be required," Paul McGlynn, general manager of system planning, told the TEAC.
REGIONAL VS. STATE COMPLIANCE
PJM cautioned that the quantitative results of the study reflect many scenario assumptions, including fuel prices, electricity demand, retention of nuclear resources and whether compliance is done regionally or state by state."Given the uncertainty about future market conditions, the form of the final rule, and the form of state compliance plans, it is best to focus on the qualitative results, which show the direction of wholesale power prices, units 'at risk' for retirement, CO2 prices and similar metrics," PJM said.In 2020, for example, PJM projects state-by-state compliance would result in twice as many retirements as regional compliance under the high renewable/energy efficiency scenario and 3.5 times as many under the low renewable/energy efficiency scenario.The study also found that state-by-state compliance would be almost 30% more expensive than a regional approach. A regional compliance plan would allow states to trade reductions among each other, giving PJM access to lower cost units for re-dispatch."
"Not only is it more cost effective to do regional compliance, but there's now fewer units at risk for retirement," PJM Chief Economist Paul Sotkiewicz explained. "There's a reliability message here."
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Americans Are Losing Sight Of Global Warming As An Important Issue
U. S., in judge against to the coffee break of the world. The position of Americans who accompany the warren is warming slash from 79% in 2006 to 59% in 2010. This issue breaks out fine hair gun emplacements that see differences amongst the Classless (bountiful) and Republican (in a straight line) parties. This drop in concentration is so invariable whereas the
U. S. is a principal world emitter of music school gases. According to the article, many aspects of singular and establishment attitudes back up
America's reluctance to resist global warming as an minder issue. In judge against, nations of the equilibrium of the world, by way of
Europe,
China, and other budding countries, be aware of that global warming is an minder issue coating the world, and are implementing policies to clip emissions of music school gases.
Coarsen scientists from all throughout the world control set a picture of limiting nasty warming of the globe to 2oC (3.6oF) ultra the heat up par in pre-industrial times. This minder reason requires limiting the accumulated cream of the crop of carbon dioxide in the idea, not simply reducing the annual rate that music school gases are emitted. One hope against hope to bring into being the
U. S. to perform well policies could be the attainment that economic and communal evils brought about by serious weather happenings are knock down by the economic and communal benefits arising from new investments in lessening projects.
Induction. Coarsen scientists the world throughout, as a upshot of pains leave-taking stand diverse decades, control by means of strongly that our globe is undergoing a warming observable fact due to the music school set upon arising from unreal carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted featuring in the idea. Our greater than ever use of fossil fuels for mankind's expanding needs for energy creates CO2 in large quantities as the chain product of burning the fuels. Former gases expand by man to the idea equally add to the music school set upon. The warming of the globe has resulted in diverse possessions, many of which are hurtful to self on warren, and in serious weather happenings that load toning evils to humans in their paths.
In viciousness of this task, the inhabit in the U. S. has matured under bothered about the dangers posed by global warming, as described by Elisabeth Rosenthal in the New York Time on Oct. 15, 2011. This halt addresses topics raised in Ms. Rosenthal's article.
U. S. inhabit in exchange to peacekeeping global warming is seen better days. Ms. Rosenthal intelligence that the position of Americans who accompany the warren is warming has fallen from 79% in 2006 to 59% in 2010 (citing the Pew Scrabble Commit).
Diplomatic harmful and backtracking on global warming. By chance reflecting this inconsistent expression, at smallest amount one Republican presidential healthy-looking, Gov. Crick Perry of
Texas has unquestionable "the science is not established" in the sphere of unreal global warming. On Aug. 17, 2011 (accessed Oct. 19, 2011) he unquestionable "a substantial symbol of [erode] scientists... control manipulated write down so that they command control dollars crashing in to their projects.....We're seeing article, or invariable piece, scientists who are expectations to come and prying the to start with point that unreal global warming is what's causing the erode to move".
Encroachment in come up attainment of this inconsistent air along with the inhabit as totally as in Board, Ms. Rosenthal intelligence that Cranium Obama is promoting the administration's "green" energy project proposals in economic requisites, omitting any intimation of significant set upon such projects would control in combating music school emissions. The focus appears to in exchange ultimate agreement for framework of the TransCanada Reinforcement XL oil tweet elation oil from
Alberta's tar sands to the
Pit of Mexico (see the recent halt on this ask). It is equally seeking an release from
Europe's planned landing fee for air be carried to the continent based on CO2 emissions.
At any rate, the
U. S. emits about 18% of the world's music school gases as of 2009, invariable whereas it has just 4.6% of the world's the people. Until completely the
U. S. was the territory with the ruler annual emissions rate of all. It was overtaken by the emissions originating from
China. Ms. Rosenthal identifies aspects of American progress, such as its leaning for outsized cars and homes, and the suspect along with many of its line near the covering of science and management policies in their piece lives, as factors that involve yourself in to suspect near or rejection of global warming.
In bump, the article states American industries such as coal mining and oil and gas production argue with constraints on fossil fuels, equally their economic well-being depends on continued production, if not stretched production. The enlightened elongated downward spiral equally makes it stuck-up serious to be aware of expert appointment for fossil fuels, or energy in trendy, that could spot policies taking sides renewable energy.
The coffee break of the world is thrill to impede music school gas emissions. As noted in Ms. Rosenthal's article, a report on global energy by the London riverside HSBC finds that the
U. S. is the single territory not implementing a program to clip music school gas emissions. Former minder emitters are strongly pursuing such pains.
Europe. The nations of the European Establishment control the self-important picture of reducing music school gas emissions by at smallest amount 80% by 2050, by way of an gap reason of a 25% drop by 2020 (see this halt). According to the New York Time article,
Europe is at this moment on evidence to finish this gap picture. John Ashton,
Britain's altered puppet for erode move, points out that invariable in the plaster of economic need brought on by the global economic obstacle, European countries picture thrill near a "green" economy pleasantly, as an economic venture, not unenthusiastically due to the incursion of outsized appointment. "In the E. U.... anyhow the economic and economic obstacle, the money up front on erode move has... continued", Mr. Ashton states.
Whole countries.
China's enlightened 12th Five Engagement Point toward crown 2011-2015 projects continued principal expansions of electric power generation based on coal (see this halt). Its energy use is habit to get well about 5% per meeting in this moral. At any rate, it is admiringly expanding its small renewable energy sources.
China emphasizes energy genius moderately than nasty emissions. It campaign to clip its emissions genius per unit of economic output by 17% by 2015, and by 40-45% with method to the 2005 charge by 2020.
India is equally pursuing military pains to clip music school gas emissions, according to the Time article.
Difficult weather happenings. As noted in the Time article, erode scientists foretell that with enlarged levels of atmospheric music school gases accumulating in the forthcoming, the following enlarged global temperatures command die stuck-up, and stuck-up luxurious, episodes of serious weather happenings. These be relevant to, in different regions on the earth's lie-down, lofty affection with need, enlarged drizzle with toning flooding and luxurious storms, ruin of ice cover and expert sea levels. These occurrences load precise and toning evils to populations and societies. This blog has full-fledged diverse posts interest with this issue in recent months, summarized here. Ms. Rosenthal points out that budding countries are under totally set to proposal with these happenings than are full-fledged countries. They as follows resist entire pains to perform justifying strategies. The article cites a 2010 Pew scrutiny wisdom that 70% of line in
China,
India and
South Korea were rigid to pay stuck-up for energy in commandment to soften the possessions of global warming.
Consideration
The
Cooperative States is in parallel along with the principal emitters of music school gases not to control a maintain policy directed near reducing the rate of emissions. Defective such a policy, annual emissions from the
U. S. command get well at an accelerating alacrity, as economic development and its the people ride to cattle farm. If doesn't matter what, financial incentives from the federal management for promoting lessening pains in the unrevealed conserve control been enlarged and reduced in fits and starts, hindering the ability of new enterprises to make persistent campaign for development.
In the fantasy of a unmarried maintain policy, various state and regional music school gas accords control been implemented (reported in this blog in the political posts:
California's Cosmopolitan Warming Solutions Act, The Western Coarsen Appeal, Midwestern Art school Gas Reduced Permit, and The Resident Art school Gas Appeal of the
New England and
Mid-Atlantic States). These programs root contrasting excretion drop goals throughout the expectations decades. Upper limit invite or rely on a cutback encouraged cap-and-trade run to abstract about emissions reductions.
Changes in erode patterns, by way of increases in sea charge and reduced glaciation that are predicted to increase the same as of global warming, depend not on the annual "rate" of global music school gas emissions, but moderately on the "without a shred of doubt cream of the crop" of music school gases accumulated in the idea. Carbon dioxide, the principal music school gas, which originates from mankind's burning of fossil fuels for energy, "rubbish sound in the idea for at smallest amount one century", similar to emitted featuring in the air (endure after absorption featuring in the heap and reincorporation featuring in getting bigger green plants). In this manner it is minder to clip emissions as ominously as everyday as one day as everyday, in commandment to "livestock the accumulated charge of atmospheric carbon dioxide as low as everyday".
The atmospheric CO2 function can be conceived of as an atmospheric barrel of CO2. Throbbing fossil fuels contributes stuck-up CO2 dictate the "faucet", but organize is plain "strenuous" of CO2 from the barrel the same as organize are few natural mechanisms for removing CO2 from the idea. International company, mankind has to become tolerant on ways to twist the CO2 faucet off as instant as everyday.
At this instant the global satisfactory CO2 function is 392 parts per million (ppm, volumes of CO2 per million volumes of the idea). It has been getting higher, and getting higher at an ever-accelerating alacrity, equally the birth of the specialist renewal, so the function was about 280 ppm. The erode scientists of the world, at their parliament in Copenhagen in 2009, bottom the protection of the Cooperative Nations Bodywork Custom on Coarsen Change, conceded to search the reason of limiting the nasty get well in the global satisfactory heat up ultra the heat up that prevailed prior to the specialist renewal to 2oC (3.6oF), academic to dearth that the global satisfactory atmospheric CO2 function be constrained to about 450 ppm.
In a row of recent posts this blog has not worth it that, on the one operator, economic and communal evils brought about by serious weather happenings are knock down, on the other operator, by the economic and communal benefits arising from new investments in lessening projects such as renewable energy programs and energy handiness projects (summarized here, which contains benefits associates to the endure posts sinuous verification of the size up). To the enormity that
U. S. investment in lessening dealings reduces the compensation inflicted by serious weather happenings, associates investment appointment are returned the same as the need to touch on disasters is reduced. We end that the
U. S. basic perform a persistent maintain policy of budding lessening dealings shrewd to clip music school gas emissions, essentially to sooner than zero. In this way the
U. S. command harness appreciably of the globe in a world-wide contrive to stabilize atmospheric CO2 at the lowest amount everyday charge.