A critical fact that has been lost in the sea of ink used to report on gas development is that gas drilling enjoys its strongest support, where it is taking place, and engenders the most opposition where it is not being done.
That fact is confirmed again by The Pittsburgh Regional Quality of Life Survey with a large sample.
For example, support for gas drilling is stronger in Pennsylvania than in New York, where a moratorium continues, and where most polling shows support for drilling exceeds opposition by about 5 points.
In turn, support for gas drilling within Pennsylvania is stronger in those counties, where it is taking place, than where it is not. The fact that support for gas drilling is highest in places where gas development is located is important but rarely makes it into the discussion about gas development.
After 4 years of extensive gas development, gas drilling was supported 45-25 in the Pittsburgh region that was defined as 32 counties in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Maryland.
http://www.pittsburghtoday.org/specialreports/QOLreport_PT.pdf. And gas drilling was most strongly supported in counties around the City of Pittsburgh where it is concentrated, while support was weakest in the City, where no gas drilling is taking place.
No matter what polling says about public opinion, a major challenge remains maximizing the benefits and minimizing the costs of gas production for Pennsylvania and the country. More can and must be done to do both. And doing so will increase public acceptance of gas drilling across the Commonwealth and the nation.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Federalism Is Proving Renewable Energy's Greatest Strength
While Congressional gridlock in Washington DC prevents a timely extension of the federal wind production tax credit and causes substantial wind industry layoffs, federalism by empowering states powers forward renewable energy. California passed proposition 39 on November 6th, providing another $2.9 billion of funding for clean energy projects and businesses. http://planetark.org/wen/67137.
Proposition 39 comes on top of initiatives like the $2.2 billion, 10-year California Solar Initiative that has helped to install already more than 1,000 megawatts of solar power across the Golden state. Indeed, incentives offered by states like California, Massachusetts, and Illinois are a major reason why non-hydro renewable energy and energy conservation have boomed over the last 5 years. And the resulting scaling up in the US and around the world of wind, solar and other clean tech industries drives down costs, makes renewable energy more competitive, and attracts more capital.
In the renewable energy boom, states and their policies are crucial to clean energy growth, so much so that federalism is proving to be renewable energy and energy conservation's greatest strength in the USA. The framers of our Constitution are smiling.
Proposition 39 comes on top of initiatives like the $2.2 billion, 10-year California Solar Initiative that has helped to install already more than 1,000 megawatts of solar power across the Golden state. Indeed, incentives offered by states like California, Massachusetts, and Illinois are a major reason why non-hydro renewable energy and energy conservation have boomed over the last 5 years. And the resulting scaling up in the US and around the world of wind, solar and other clean tech industries drives down costs, makes renewable energy more competitive, and attracts more capital.
In the renewable energy boom, states and their policies are crucial to clean energy growth, so much so that federalism is proving to be renewable energy and energy conservation's greatest strength in the USA. The framers of our Constitution are smiling.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
GE Installs 20,000 Wind Turbine After 10 Years In Wind Business
After Enron vaporized, Enron was revealed to be mostly smoke and mirrors, talented employees, and little else of real value. Indeed, other than an Oregon utility, Enron's most valuable asset was its wind turbine manufacturing business that was located in California.
Enron made good wind turbines. In fact, some original Enron built wind turbines from the California factory were installed in Somerset county, Pennsylvania in the Commonwealth's earliest wind farms.
The implosion of Enron birthed new commercial life, as GE bought in 2002 Enron's wind manufacturing business. Now ten years later, GE is celebrating the installation of its 20,000 turbine.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121114/NEWS01/121119921/-1/NEWS.
And the rate of growth for GE has been extraordinary. The 10,000th GE turbine was installed in 2008; the 15,000th in 2011; and the 20,000th already in 2012.
Or it took GE 6 years to sell and install its first 10,000 turbines and 4 years to sell its next 10,000 turbines. And it has installed 5,000 turbines in about the last 2 years. Wow!
Enron made good wind turbines. In fact, some original Enron built wind turbines from the California factory were installed in Somerset county, Pennsylvania in the Commonwealth's earliest wind farms.
The implosion of Enron birthed new commercial life, as GE bought in 2002 Enron's wind manufacturing business. Now ten years later, GE is celebrating the installation of its 20,000 turbine.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121114/NEWS01/121119921/-1/NEWS.
And the rate of growth for GE has been extraordinary. The 10,000th GE turbine was installed in 2008; the 15,000th in 2011; and the 20,000th already in 2012.
Or it took GE 6 years to sell and install its first 10,000 turbines and 4 years to sell its next 10,000 turbines. And it has installed 5,000 turbines in about the last 2 years. Wow!
IEA World Energy Outlook Projects Stunning US & Global Solar Numbers
How fast is the sun rising? And is shale gas damaging the solar boom in the US and around the world? The IEA 2012 World Energy Outlook has data that help to answer these questions.
In 2008, the US had about 500 megawatts of solar operating. Today, by the end of 2012, it will have 7,000 megawatts.
And by 2035, the IEA 2012 World Energy Outlook projects that the US will have 68,000 megawatts of solar running and increase 10 times in the next 23 years. And the global numbers are even more amazing.
www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/iea--renewables-to-rival-coal-by-2035_100009194/#axzz2CcZrnkbC.
The IEA projects that global solar will increase from 1,000 megawatts in 2000 to 67,000 megawatts in 2011 and then to an astonishing 600,000 megawatts by 2035. The US portion of global solar capacity is about 10% now and IEA projects that it will remain near the 10% mark through 2035.
As big as the IEA solar numbers are for both the US and the world, if they are off the mark, I suspect that they are too low. Actual solar and renewable growth has consistently many forecasts and may exceed this one too.
Also, these solar numbers from the IEA are one more piece of data that shale gas is far from killing solar or renewable energy in the USA or the world. Today and tomorrow!
In 2008, the US had about 500 megawatts of solar operating. Today, by the end of 2012, it will have 7,000 megawatts.
And by 2035, the IEA 2012 World Energy Outlook projects that the US will have 68,000 megawatts of solar running and increase 10 times in the next 23 years. And the global numbers are even more amazing.
www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/iea--renewables-to-rival-coal-by-2035_100009194/#axzz2CcZrnkbC.
The IEA projects that global solar will increase from 1,000 megawatts in 2000 to 67,000 megawatts in 2011 and then to an astonishing 600,000 megawatts by 2035. The US portion of global solar capacity is about 10% now and IEA projects that it will remain near the 10% mark through 2035.
As big as the IEA solar numbers are for both the US and the world, if they are off the mark, I suspect that they are too low. Actual solar and renewable growth has consistently many forecasts and may exceed this one too.
Also, these solar numbers from the IEA are one more piece of data that shale gas is far from killing solar or renewable energy in the USA or the world. Today and tomorrow!
Monday, November 19, 2012
IEA Shockingly Projects Renewable Energy May Edge Out Coal As World's Biggest Electricity Source In 2035
The IEA 2012 World Energy Outlook forecasts underline the rapid, substantial energy shifts sweeping the globe. A lot of front page ink flowed to tell readers that the US will produce more oil than the Saudis by 2020, according to the IEA forecast.
But much less attention has been paid to the IEA forecast that renewable energy may edge out coal as the world's largest source of electricity. www.pv-magazine.com?news/details/beitrag/iea--renewables-to-rival-coal-by-2035_100009194/#axzz2CcZrnkbC; www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10670.
The IEA states that renewable energy will become the second biggest source of electricity by 2015 and possibly the world's biggest source by 2035. At that point, coal and renewable energy, including hydro, will each generate about 33% of all of the electricity consumed globally.
Heads are exploding in disbelief in certain quarters, but here is the link to IEA World Energy Outlook 2012: www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/English.pdf. Renewable energy generation indeed already is a very big business and getting quickly still bigger.
But much less attention has been paid to the IEA forecast that renewable energy may edge out coal as the world's largest source of electricity. www.pv-magazine.com?news/details/beitrag/iea--renewables-to-rival-coal-by-2035_100009194/#axzz2CcZrnkbC; www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10670.
The IEA states that renewable energy will become the second biggest source of electricity by 2015 and possibly the world's biggest source by 2035. At that point, coal and renewable energy, including hydro, will each generate about 33% of all of the electricity consumed globally.
Heads are exploding in disbelief in certain quarters, but here is the link to IEA World Energy Outlook 2012: www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/English.pdf. Renewable energy generation indeed already is a very big business and getting quickly still bigger.
As PTC Extension Is Debated, Wind Layoffs Hit Pennsylvania & Other States
The failure to timely extend the wind production tax credit could cause 37,000 layoffs in the US wind business. Some of that pain has hit Pennsylvania, where Gamesa first laid off some workers during the summer. Last week, Gamesa announced another round of layoffs at its Ebensburg, Cambria County factory where 92 of 154 employees have been laid off or given notice of layoff. http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=26631625.
The linked to article also reports 600 wind layoffs by Siemens and 179 by Clipper. The toll is mounting.
Unfortunately, Governor Corbett refused to defend Pennsylvania's wind jobs, when he pointedly refused to sign a bi-partisan letter supporting the extension of the wind production tax credit. His refusal sent the message that he will defend some energy jobs but not those held by wind and renewable energy workers.
Despite Corbett's inaction to extend the wind tax cut, the odds, however, are improving that the wind production tax credit will be renewed soon. Yet, at this point, at least temporary damage has been done to good, hard working people in Pennsylvania and around the country.
The linked to article also reports 600 wind layoffs by Siemens and 179 by Clipper. The toll is mounting.
Unfortunately, Governor Corbett refused to defend Pennsylvania's wind jobs, when he pointedly refused to sign a bi-partisan letter supporting the extension of the wind production tax credit. His refusal sent the message that he will defend some energy jobs but not those held by wind and renewable energy workers.
Despite Corbett's inaction to extend the wind tax cut, the odds, however, are improving that the wind production tax credit will be renewed soon. Yet, at this point, at least temporary damage has been done to good, hard working people in Pennsylvania and around the country.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Sandy Math: Undergrounding All Power Lines Would Double Electricity Bills
The increasing number of devastating storms, like Sandy, is causing a reassessment of the costs and benefits of putting all power lines underground. The ballpark figure is that residential electricity bills would have to double in order to pay for all power lines to be placed underground.
www.entergy.com/2008_hurricanes/Underground-lines.pdf & www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-05/sandy-s-blackouts-pressure-utilities-to-bury-power-lines#p2.
Time and money, and a lot of both, would be necessary for any state to put all their power lines underground. Studies concluded that it would cost Virginia $80 billion and North Carolina $41 billion to do so and would take about 25 years.
Yet, as 100-year floods and storms happen every 10 years, more people ask, would the large costs of putting power lines underground create enough benefits to make them good investments? State utility regulatory agencies should investigate and provide good answers to the question and to the problem posed by more frequent, large outages caused by storms. While it probably does not make sense to put underground all power lines, putting more underground and otherwise hardening the grid may well be prudent.
The BusinessWeek story to which I link in this post tells the story of one New Jersey Resident who has just spent more than $3,000 for a generator and $400 to run it. There is no free lunch.
Sit in the dark and suffer. Pay thousands of dollars for generators and fuels. Or pay more to harden the grid.
www.entergy.com/2008_hurricanes/Underground-lines.pdf & www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-05/sandy-s-blackouts-pressure-utilities-to-bury-power-lines#p2.
Time and money, and a lot of both, would be necessary for any state to put all their power lines underground. Studies concluded that it would cost Virginia $80 billion and North Carolina $41 billion to do so and would take about 25 years.
Yet, as 100-year floods and storms happen every 10 years, more people ask, would the large costs of putting power lines underground create enough benefits to make them good investments? State utility regulatory agencies should investigate and provide good answers to the question and to the problem posed by more frequent, large outages caused by storms. While it probably does not make sense to put underground all power lines, putting more underground and otherwise hardening the grid may well be prudent.
The BusinessWeek story to which I link in this post tells the story of one New Jersey Resident who has just spent more than $3,000 for a generator and $400 to run it. There is no free lunch.
Sit in the dark and suffer. Pay thousands of dollars for generators and fuels. Or pay more to harden the grid.
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