QUICK NEWS, 2-15: BETTER USES FOR BIG OIL’S $20 BIL; PROTECTIONS FOR THE BIRDS; 1ST SOLAR, SCE TO BUILD PV IN NV; CONNECTING OCEAN WIND

BETTER USES FOR BIG OIL’S $20 BIL
Top Dems call on House GOP to eliminate oil industry tax breaks
Adrew Restuccia, Fewberuary 8, 12011 (The Hill)

"Top Senate Democrats are calling on House Republicans to agree to a plan to eliminate oil industry tax breaks as a means of reducing the deficit…House Republicans have pledged to cut federal spending by billions…[in a] government funding measure that must be approved by Congress by early March.

"It’s unclear what spending Republicans hope to cut…But Republicans have been hesitant to endorse a proposal outlined by President Obama during his State of the Union address last month to eliminate oil industry tax breaks…"

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"…A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) quickly cast doubt…on the chances of such a proposal gaining support. He argued that the proposal -- put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other top Democrats -- would raise gas prices. He also raised questions about whether the plan could gain support among other Democrats, particularly those from drilling states…"

[Letter to Boehner from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and other senior Democrats:] “…[W]e urge you to consider ending a number of tax loopholes and other subsidies that benefit big oil and gas companies. Closing these loopholes would save the federal government more than $20 billion over 10 years.”

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[Letter to Boehner from Senate Democrats:] “The days of big oil companies making billions in record breaking profits while receiving billions in taxpayer-financed subsidies must end…It defies common sense to cut programs that are creating jobs, helping jumpstart our manufacturing sector and strengthening the middle class while protecting taxpayer-funded handouts to big oil companies that add little to our economic or energy security.”

"The oil industry has railed against the proposal, arguing that any effort to eliminate oil industry tax breaks would harm the economy…"


PROTECTIONS FOR THE BIRDS
Government unveils voluntary guidelines to avoid bird deaths at wind farms
Frederic J. Frommer, February 8, 2011 (AP via Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

"The Fish and Wildlife Service…[has] proposed voluntary guidelines for onshore wind energy developers to avoid bird deaths and other harm to wildlife as part of the Obama administration's big push for renewable and clean energy…President Barack Obama has called for the nation to get 80 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035, and renewable sources are expected to play a key role in that effort.

"The [Interior]department is seeking public comment for its proposed guidelines, which…call for wind developers to eliminate from consideration areas that would pose high risk to animals and habitat, and to take steps to mitigate harm by, for example, restoring habitat nearby…The agency is also proposing new voluntary guidance aimed at preventing deaths of bald and golden eagles."

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"The American Bird Conservancy said that the wind industry's goal of providing 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2030 would lead to a million bird deaths a year or more. The group took out print and online advertisements in political publications this eek…asking people to sign a petition calling for mandatory standards…[T]he bird group argues that the wind industry is in a unique position because it's at the beginning of a nationwide build-out and can still take steps to minimize bird impacts]…

"John M. Anderson, director of siting policy at the American Wind Energy Association, said that every form of energy, communication and transportation has an impact on wildlife…[T]he wind industry has a long history of collaborating with conservation groups to find ways to reduce bird deaths, and…wind energy displaces emissions of carbon dioxide blamed for global warming, which has been identified as a big threat to wildlife, including birds."

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"A 2005 Forest Service report estimated that 500 million to possibly more than 1 billion birds are killed in the U.S. every year in collisions with manmade structures such as vehicles, buildings, power lines, telecommunication towers and wind turbines. The report estimated that 550 million are killed by buildings and 130 million by power lines, while only 28,000 are killed by wind turbines; a 2009 report by Fish and Wildlife scientist put the figure at 440,000 annual bird deaths by wind turbines.

"Last year, a second 'State of the Birds' report from the Interior Department found that global climate change poses a significant threat to migratory bird populations. The previous year, the first such report, also released by the Interior secretary, found that all types of energy production — such as wind, ethanol and mountaintop coal mining — were contributing to steep drops in bird populations."


1ST SOLAR, SCE TO BUILD PV IN NV
First Solar, Southern California Edison Sign Contract for 250 Megawatts of Solar Photovoltaic Power
February 9, 2011 (Southern California Edison)

"Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed a power purchase agreement with First Solar for 250 megawatts AC of electricity to be generated with solar photovoltaic panels...

"...This emission-free power source is the equivalent, in greenhouse gas terms, of removing 30,000 cars from the road annually."

The SCE/First Solar Silver State South project will be 25 times as big as Sempra's huge El Dorado installation (click to enlarge)

"The solar panels will be ground-mounted on about 2,500 acres of public land near Primm, Nev. First Solar is developing the project, named Silver State South, which will interconnect with SCE’s proposed Eldorado-Ivanpah 220-kilovolt transmission line. The project is expected to begin producing electricity as early as 2014 and be fully operational by May 2017. It will create about 300 construction jobs, and the solar panels will be recycled after their useful lifespan…"

"This contract is subject to California Public Utilities Commission approval…

"Southern California Edison is the nation’s leading utility for renewables. In 2009, SCE delivered 13.6 billion kilowatt hours of renewable power to its customers, about 17 percent of its total power portfolio…"


CONNECTING OCEAN WIND
Going Deep for Wind; Building a Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind Industry
Markian Melynk, January/February 2011 (EnergyBiz Magazine)

"Strong networks are the foundation of a modern economy. Railroads, highways, communications, air traffic and electricity networks provide the capability to move people, goods, information and energy…Networks support a growing economy and save us money…

"The wide open spaces of the Mid-Atlantic outer continental shelf sit next to the New York-Washington megalopolis. The shallow waters and powerful winds of this region are capable of supporting tens of thousands of megawatts of offshore wind energy. States in this area need large new sources of renewable energy, and offshore wind offers the best, utility-scale renewable energy option…[Thew one problem]…is no existing offshore transmission infrastructure and the region's terrestrial grid is congested and generally weak along the coast."

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"The Atlantic Wind Connection…is an offshore transmission backbone that links multiple wind energy production areas that have been screened to minimize permitting conflicts. The project's high-capacity system, using advanced high-voltage direct-current technology, allows wind farms to be built larger, tapping into economies of scale…[T]he project provides an efficient pathway for wind energy to reach the load centers…[and makes] offshore wind energy delivered by the system less intermittent and more reliable. Controllable HVDC converters at project terminals…can accept conventional generation…[if winds fade]…

"The project's dual-use nature - delivering offshore wind and conventional power depending on the weather - is what makes it so valuable. Since offshore winds provide about a 40 percent capacity factor, investments in single-purpose transmission ties produce no benefit about 60 percent of the time. Also, building an offshore wind industry without a backbone will be an uphill struggle against a congested grid and weak coastal infrastructure…The first few offshore wind developers will occupy a handful of points on the coastal grid that have the greatest capacity and require the lowest upgrade expenditures. Developers that come along later will pay much more…[potentially causing] an upward-sloping cost curve…"

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"The backbone transmission project fixes this problem…As the phases progress, an offshore backbone takes shape that both connects wind energy and strengthens the existing grid. Adding an offshore transmission corridor running north and south reduces congestion that inflates prices, with the result that energy markets operate more efficiently and with improved reliability. These benefits save money for consumers and help the project to pay for itself. Predictability is another benefit…

"…America's westward expansion would not have happened without a plan to build a railroad network spanning the continent. Later, power authorities in the western states and the Tennessee valley built hydroelectric dams and transmission systems. These bold initiatives benefitted generations of Americans. They were doubtlessly criticized by some as folly, impractical, unaffordable and unneeded. Fortunately, past leaders saw the wisdom of investing for the long-term good…Let's build a foundation for energy independence and growth in the Mid-Atlantic region."