Your Questions About Green Living

George asks…

Is a renewable electricity standard better than nothing?

In the wake of the US Congress’ failure to pass a carbon cap and trade system, there are discussions to basically settle for a renewable electricity standard. A renewable electricity standard would mandate that a given share of an electric company’s production come from renewable source, and would involve the trading of renewable energy credits.

There are two main problems with this approach – namely that it focuses only on the energy sector (about 40% of US GHG emissions), and it’s a much more expensive way to reduce CO2 emissions than a cap and trade system.

Some have argued that a renewable electricity standard is better than nothing, because at least it represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Others have argued that if such a standard is implemented, Congress will view it as their response to climate change, and so it will take even longer to get a carbon pricing mechanism in place. But apparently even though it’s more expensive and less effective than a carbon cap and trade system, a renewable electricity standard is less objectionable to Republicans.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-stavins/renewable-irony_b_788046.html

What do you think – is a renewable electricity standard better than nothing, or would it do more harm than good by delaying real comprehensive climate legislation?
Eric – I believe electricity is one of the more expensive areas to reduce GHG emissions because coal is so (artificially) cheap. Since cap and trade reduces GHG emissions in other sectors as well as electricity, overall it’s cheaper.

The Expert answers:

I guess I’m in the “as much as possible as soon as possible” camp. Though I doubt either will happen in any case, with this congress.

One question; why is a renewable standard more expensive than cap & trade? Isn’t the end result the same – movement toward renewables?

Tigg – I pay extra for renewable energy today. I also looked around and eliminate waste. My bill went -down- not up.

Facts matter – we already burn food – see Ethanol.

Jenny asks…

I need to prepare report on carbon credits. Can anyone recommend me to a study/link that I can access online?

Specifically, I need information on how to calculate carbon credits for the oil and gas, power, and transportation industries. For example, how much energy do we need to generate from a renewable energy-based power plant (geothermal, solar, hydro, etc.) to offset the GHG emissions of a coal-fired power plant? Or how many trees do we need to offset the GHG emissions from a oil and gas field? Are there global standards to quantify carbon credits? Appreciate any help.

The Expert answers:

This website might help

http://www.bestfootforward.com/carbonacc.html

Lisa asks…

John MC Cain filibustered wind energy in 2007, how can he now say he will support it?

2007: McCain Opposed Legislation Extending The Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit; Recent Study Concluded More than 116,000 Jobs Could be Lost If the Tax Credit is Not Extended. John McCain supported the filibuster of the 2007 energy bill that included an extension of the production tax credit to 2011. While McCain missed the vote to on the bill, according to his staff he did, in fact, support the continuing the filibuster, which eventually killed the bill. In its place, Congress passed another version of the legislation that did not include an extension of the tax credit. A 2008 economic study by Navigant Consulting found that “over 116,000 U.S. jobs and nearly $19 billion in U.S. investment could be lost in just one year if renewable energy tax credits are not renewed by Congress… The study concluded that over 76,000 jobs are put at risk in the wind industry, and approximately 40,000 jobs in the solar industry.” [HR 6, Vote 425, 12/13/07; Forbes, 12/13/07; U.S. News & World Report, 12/14/07; American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association press release, 2/4/08] Are any as concerned as I am over this seeming contradiction? Why are you — Why not?

The Expert answers:

You, like most of the country, only look at the headlines. Have you read any part of HP6? There was loads of R&D money earmarked in it, some good and some bad (aka pork). Most notably there was no provision for opening up domestic oil drilling, something the Republicans were trying to get. Filibusters are ways to force compromise, not just to kill legislation.

Tax credits are ok to a certain extent, but if an industry so desperately needs one to survive, perhaps it is not time for that industry to exist. The tax credits headline was the only one the average person would even notice, so that’s what the media used.

Open your eyes people, and do your own research. Stop taking everthing you see in the news at face value.

Mary asks…

income from renewable energy?

I was going to use $400,000 on solar and wind power for pass income. However the electric company only gives credits for excess power to the grid. How can I utilize the excess power for passive income?

The Expert answers:

You would be better off investing in geothermal.

Richard asks…

How many kWh will 1 ton of woodchips produce when co fired in a modern gas or coal cogen plant?

I am trying to determine how many renewable energy credits can be generated from a massive amount of waste wood and whether its economically feasible to move the mountain of wood waste to a cogen power plant

The Expert answers:

A typical wood chip cogen plants produces a net of 909.74 kWh per Bone Dry Ton (corrected to 0% moisture) of wood chips. This is the net value that is fed back into the grid, the parasitic load and other plant electricity consumptions have been subtracted already.

I have studied extensively various biomass plants in California, and those are the actual average data, not yet published by our group. Last years data shows that the pilot plant under study has burned 91,410 BDTs and produced a net of 83160.00 MWhr of electricity that was fed back to the grid.

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