MORE NEWS, 1-7: NEW ENERGY PLAN GOOD FOR THE BIRDS; SOLAR GOOD FOR JERSEY; WIND GOOD FOR OKLAHOMA; WHO IS CCS GOOD FOR?

NEW ENERGY PLAN GOOD FOR THE BIRDS
A model for wildlife-friendly energy development
January 6, 2010 (Bird Life International)

"Newly announced changes to United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) leasing policies offer enhanced protection for Near Threatened Greater Sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus, and an innovative model for wildlife-friendly energy development. Other wildlife that shares the western sagebrush ecosystem will also benefit.

"The BLM's new policy follows protests by groups including Audubon (BirdLife in the USA) at the federal government's push to lease nearly 280,000 hectares of important habitat in Wyoming…Previous energy development was a major factor in reducing Greater Sage-Grouse populations to 10-20% of historic levels. Sage Thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus, Sage Sparrow Amphispiza belli, Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri and other sagebrush-dependent species have also declined."

The bird in question (the Greater Sage Grouse - click to enlarge)

"The new protocol embraces recommendations developed by a stakeholder task force convened by Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal. Audubon helped shape the group's science-based approach, by mapping Greater Sage-grouse habitat and contributing expertise on the species's natural history and life cycle. Wyoming is thought to hold 54% of the remaining global population.

"The rules limit energy development in the 20% of Wyoming land designated as 'sage-grouse core areas'. Oil or gas drilling will now be limited…Wind energy development will be effectively precluded inside core areas, due to the scale of habitat disruption. Audubon expects the new rules to redirect wind development to land outside core areas. This will reduce potential hurdles for much-needed renewable energy."

Wyoming has wind to spare. (click to enlarge)

"These new rules offer greater predictability in land use planning, and will help avoid an Endangered Species Act listing to save the iconic Greater Sage-grouse. Such a listing could dramatically curtail energy development and other economic activity across the state…

"Audubon urges the BLM to further the process through expansion of the new rules across the range of the sage-grouse, covering 11 western states and 24 million hectares of federal land. Montana and Colorado are already exploring stakeholder-crafted core-area approaches…Audubon works with Google Earth and the National Resources Defense Council to provide maps and web resources to help decision-makers make informed choices about sites for wind turbines and transmission lines…"


SOLAR GOOD FOR JERSEY
PSE&G Selects Sites and Developers for 4 NJ Solar Projects Totaling 12 MW; Would include the two largest solar projects in New Jersey…
January 6, 2010 (PR Newswire)

"PSE&G [announced] it has selected four sites and developers for over $50 million in investments in 12 megawatts of grid-connected solar energy…

"All four ground-mounted solar farms would be among the largest to be developed in New Jersey, with the Hamilton project being the largest in the state and the project in Linden the second largest…Approximately 150 jobs will be created when installation begins…"

click to enlarge

"The design and installation work will be completed by four different solar developers: J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, headquartered in Hackensack, NJ (Edison; 2 MW); American Capital Energy; headquartered in North Chelmsford, MA (Hamilton, 5.1 MW); Advanced Solar Products; headquartered in Flemington, NJ (Linden, 3.6 MW) and Sun Edison, headquartered in Beltsville, MD (Trenton, 1.3 MW). With permission from local zoning and permitting boards, construction will begin in the spring [and be completed this summer and fall]…All four sites will utilize crystalline solar panel technology and have monitoring and communications functionality.

"These four solar firms were chosen through a highly competitive and technical review process. By selecting multiple qualified solar firms, PSE&G is helping create jobs in New Jersey and grow the solar industry…"

click to enlarge

"Together, the four projects will produce enough energy to power about 1,300 homes and eliminate some 6,700 tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of removing nearly 1,200 cars from the road for one year.

"The projects are part of PSE&G's Solar 4 All program, which was approved by state
regulators in July. The program involves a total of $515 million investment in 80 megawatts of solar, creating green jobs and nearly doubling the size of New Jersey's installed solar capacity. The state has made significant inroads in the last few years, installing more than 100 MW of solar energy, making it second only to California in terms of the amount of solar capacity installed…"


WIND GOOD FOR OKLAHOMA
New jobs in wind energy
Adam Mertz, January 6, 2010 (KFOR)

"…[S]tart-up company, Integra Wind Services is looking to tap into wind energy. Over the next five years, Integra plans to hire 205 people from the greater Oklahoma City area. The average salary is $50,000 for qualified workers.

"Through Oklahoma City's Strategic Investment Program, Integra will receive economic development funds from the city…"

 

"If it fills all the 205 wind energy positions with local workers, the city would give Integra $820,000…For every job the new company receives $4,000.

"The investment program was passed by the voters in 2007…It encourages economic growth in Oklahoma City by providing incentives to businesses that bring in good paying jobs for local workers."

Where Oklahoma's wind is. (click to enlarge)

"The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber says the company met the strict requirements to qualify for the program.

"Integra only receives the money once it hires local workers…"


EMISSIONS TRADING GOOD FOR INVESTORS
Carbon Trading May Reach $395B in 2014
January 5, 2010 (Environmental Leader)

"The connection between carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and the carbon emissions trading market is growing, as carbon credits accrued from CCS plants will be traded at carbon exchanges, generating more revenue for CCS project developers, according to a new report from ABI Research.

"…[Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Emissions Trading: The Outlook for Global Carbon Markets] evaluates two leading market mechanisms — CCS and carbon emissions trading — for reducing carbon emissions…[It concludes that] CCS allows heavy industries responsible for the greatest amount of carbon emissions to use new technologies to capture the CO2 they generate and store it safely for long periods. The market research firm projects that $14.6 billion will be invested in 73 new CCS projects that will prevent 146 million tons of CO2 from 2009 to 2014."

CCS: Burying waste in a hole in the ground is what animals do and not worthy of the human ingenuity that can harness the powers of the sun, the wind and the waves. (click to enlarge)

"A recent audit of the world’s CCS projects, conducted by Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, indicates that carbon capture and storage could lower CO2 emissions by about 19 percent.

"In carbon emissions trading, governmental or regulatory bodies issue a limited number of allowances or offsets that allow companies to legally release carbon dioxide, but if the emissions exceed a company’s number of allowances, it must buy or trade for more, or face stiff penalties…"

Emissions trading does not necessarily have to impose higher energy costs. (click to enlarge)

"…[ABI] forecasts that the global carbon emissions trading market will reach $395 billion in 2014, more than three times the $118 billion in allowances traded in 2008…[and the author says] carbon emission credits need to reach the price of at least $40 per ton of CO2-equivalent for CCS projects to reach commercial status, together with effective policies and regulations and advances in both carbon capture and storage technologies.

"…[CO2 Regulations and Electricity Prices: Cost Estimates from Coal-Fired Power Plants] shows that the financial impact of regulating coal-fired power plants that produce carbon dioxide emissions under a cap-and-trade system is much less than previously projected, and a CCS option could keep the price of carbon credits low. This report finds that for coal-fired plants the break-even price for the adoption of CCS technology is just $25 to $30 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions."