The Front Porch Blog

Renewing the Push for Renewable Energy in Virginia

Thursday, January 24th, 2013 | Posted by Nathan Jenkins | 1 Comment

State-by-state Renewable Portfolio Standards. Map from Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

Each year, as Virginia’s General Assembly convenes, lawmakers are confronted with hundreds of proposals running the gamut from education to energy. Many involve complicated issues, and many are distorted by corporate interests and political posturing.

This year the legislature is grappling with a key renewable energy law, known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which it passed in 2007. An RPS sets a certain percentage of a utility’s power that comes from renewable sources; the intent is to spur modern technologies such as wind turbines or solar panels.

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have a mandatory RPS with strict standards. In those states, thousands of megawatts of wind and solar energy is powering homes and businesses, and the renewable energy industry is producing thousands of new jobs every year.

In Virginia, the RPS is voluntary – and has not led to the construction of a single wind turbine or solar panel in the commonwealth. The RPS law provides significant financial rewards – paid for by ratepayers – as a way to encourage utilities to use renewables. It also has a very loose definition of what constitutes renewable energy, making it easier for utilities to meet the goal, and get their reward. Which they’ve done handily. Dominion Virginia Power has received $77 million in RPS bonuses, and Appalachian Power Company has received $15 million. They relied almost entirely on existing hydro-power dams, most built before WWII, and credits purchased from renewable facilities in other states, to meet the goal.

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Obama’s Words to Remember

Monday, January 21st, 2013 | Posted by Thom Kay | No Comments

2013ObamaAlexander

President Obama’s Inaugural address was full of promise for those of us working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global climate change and put an end to mountaintop removal coal mining.

The president has long been a proponent of clean energy investment and the jobs it will bring to the United States, but for much of the last election comments on climate change were rare and uninspiring. Today we were treated to something a little more direct and powerful.

“We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.”

The mention of climate change brought an immediate cheer from the massive crowd. (more…)

New Report Explores the Frontiers of Energy Efficiency

Saturday, January 19th, 2013 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy explores the next generation of energy efficiency. Each year, the council releases a state scorecard ranking states based on energy efficiency policy and programs. Graphic from ACEEE

After combing through the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s far-reaching report, Frontiers of Energy Efficiency: Next Generation Programs Reach for High Energy Savings, it would be hard not to have high hopes for a more efficient future.

Surveying 22 residential, commercial and industrial energy savings programs, the Frontiers of Energy Efficiency report estimates that advances in energy efficiency could reduce forecasted electricity use by as much as 27 percent by 2030.

“Natural gas isn’t the only abundant energy resource in this country — we’ve also discovered deep reservoirs of energy efficiency,” Dan York, ACEEE utilities program director, and lead-author of the report says. “Even as tried and true energy efficiency measures become commonplace, we continue to dig deeper and find new technologies and practices plus new program approaches to unlock further opportunities to achieve large energy savings.”
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Governor Haslam’s Moment

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013 | Posted by JW Randolph | 3 Comments

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has come a long way since his election in 2010. This year, he could become the first governor in the nation to lead his state away from mountaintop removal.

The Man: Governor Haslam was born and raised in east Tennessee. He grew up in Knoxville, where the Great Smoky Mountains meet up with the majestic Cumberland Plateau. He would later become mayor of Knoxville, focusing on historic preservation and balancing the city’s budget. In 2010, he was elected for his first term as Governor of Tennessee, succeeding Democrat Phil Bredesen. During the campaign, Mayor Haslam spoke out against mountaintop removal, saying that while we needed to mine coal, he opposed the practice of mountaintop removal (video below). Now that his party has a super-majority in both houses of the state legislature, the Governor has greater opportunity to have an impact on policies adopted by the State House and State Senate.

What we stand to save The Issue: Mountaintop removal is bringing down more Tennessee mountaintops every year, leaving behind devastated landscapes and poisoned water. In Tennessee, not only do we love our mountains, our economy depends on them. Our topography-driven tourism industry brings in more than $14 billion to our state every year and employs more than 175,000 Tennesseans. Tennessee has lost 85 percent of its coal mining jobs since 1985 due to an increase in the percentage of production that comes from surface mining, as well as an overall decline in production. We don’t need to blow up our mountaintops to mine coal.
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The New Faces and Issues of North Carolina

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 | Posted by | 1 Comment

THE NEW FACES

For the first time since 1870, the Republican party controls both the executive and legislative branches in North Carolina government. With the General Assembly sporting veto-proof majorities in both its chambers, and Pat McCrory’s election making him the state’s first Republican governor in 20 years, the political landscape in North Carolina has morphed.

As the first Republican governor of North Carolina in more than 20 years, Pat McCrory will preside over Republican supermajorities in the state House and Senate.

Whether it’s for the better is undecided, as McCrory has a mixed environmental record. As mayor of Charlotte, he pushed for air quality protection, light rail development, tree preservation and smart urban growth.

McCrory, however, is vocal in his support of bringing offshore drilling and fracking to the state. He sidestepped the sea-level rise debate last year in the state legislature, saying he wanted to wait before “developing harsh regulations against facts that are still being debated.”

His administration will likely cut back on the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ regulatory powers. His pick for head of DENR, John Skvarla, has been the CEO since 2005 of Restoration Systems, an environmental firm that restores damaged wetlands and collects credits to offset development elsewhere.

Since his appointment, Skvarla has commented that he wants to find common ground, as soon as possible, with environmentalists and that determining the most cost-effective regulations will be one of his biggest priorities.

During a recent interview with Laura Leslie and WRAL-TV, Skvarla said that North Carolina is “not going to go backward in air and water quality protection.”

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New NC DENR Boss Isn’t Sure About Global Warming

Friday, January 11th, 2013 | Posted by Sandra Diaz | No Comments

By Tabitha Lundsford
Red, White and Water intern, Spring 2013

Watch as John Skvarla, North Carolina’s new head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, sidesteps a question about climate change (near the end of the video) and supports the continuance of fracking.

As the state pursues more controversial forms of energy production, he believes that “we are not going to go backward in air and water quality protection.”

Is Environmental News Fit to Print?

Friday, January 11th, 2013 | Posted by Molly Moore | No Comments

The same day The New York Times announced it was closing its environment desk and restructuring its environmental coverage, the paper ran a front-page photo of snow in Jerusalem. The caption describes the photo as "an example of weather extremes that are growing more frequent and more intense." Photo via Newseum

Spotting quality environmental journalism amidst the national media’s 24/7 tornado of he-said-she-said breaking news may have just gotten more difficult.

The New York Times has announced it will close its nine-member environment desk over the next few weeks and assign its environment staff to other departments, according to Katherine Bagley for InsideClimate News.

The best environmental coverage often depends on reporters and editors who are dedicated to the beat. They are experts in their fields. They have reliable sources, know the history of an issue, know what questions to ask and how to navigate sometimes conflicting scientific reports and long policy papers to provide the full scope of complicated issues that readers need. Although the paper’s managing editor for news operations told Bagley that the Times will continue to cover environment and climate, the fact that no one at one of America’s most prominent newspapers will apparently be focused solely on environmental reporting is disturbing.
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They’re Back

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 | Posted by Thom Kay | 1 Comment

The 113th Congress officially began last Thursday, January 3. A group of 67 freshman Representatives (29 Republican, 38 Democratic) were sworn-in that morning. A few hours later, Appalachian Voices staffers were in their offices telling them about mountaintop removal mining and the Clean Water Protection Act. I joined the dream team of Matt Wasson, Lenny Kohm and Kate Rooth as we crashed some welcome-to-Congress parties, handing Congressional staffers their first bit of homework.

113th

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More Southeastern Coal Units Scheduled to Retire

Monday, January 7th, 2013 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen (above) has been upgraded with pollution-reducing scrubbers, but many units are uneconomical to upgrade due to low cost natural gas and other economic factors.

Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Atlanta, Ga.-based Southern Co., announced it is seeking to retire 15 coal- and oil-fired units at four plants across the state.

The utility cited several contributing factors, including current and future economic conditions, low natural gas prices and the cost of compliance with future environmental regulations, for its decision to retire the aging units, some of which have been in operation since 1950.

Here is a quote from Georgia Power President and CEO Paul Bowers issued in a press statement today:

“We recognize the significant impact that these retirements will have on the local communities and we took that into account when making these decisions. These decisions were made after extensive analysis and are necessary in order for us to maintain our commitment to provide the most reliable and affordable electricity to our customers. We are in the midst of a significant transition in our fleet that will result in a more diverse fuel portfolio – including nuclear, 21st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency – to ensure we maintain our commitment for generations to come.”

Many of the units slated for retirement will be converted to natural gas or biomass. Additionally, the company says it will convert a coal-fired unit from Central Appalachian Coal to Powder River Basin coal. (more…)

A New Year, New Plants for Duke Energy

Friday, January 4th, 2013 | Posted by Brian Sewell | No Comments

Duke Energy's 825-megawatt Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6 in Mooresboro, N.C., which began commercial operation Dec. 30, 2012, could be the last coal plant built in the state.

As we ring in the New Year, Duke Energy is touting three facilities that came online at the end of 2012 with a combined capacity of 2,365 megawatts of new generation. The newly operational units include the Cliffside Power Station Unit 6, and natural gas-fired units at the Dan River Power Station and the H.F. Lee Plant.

The new unit at Cliffside, which Duke calls “state-of-the-art” and “the cleanest pulverized coal plant in the country,” could be the last coal-burning unit to be built in the state due to cost-prohibitive regulations on new coal plants. It began commercial operation on Dec. 30, replacing four 1940s-era coal units that were retired in October 2011.

Located about an hour west of Charlotte, N.C., in Cleveland County, plans for the Cliffside Power Station expansion were mired in controversy beginning in 2007. Much of the criticism was aimed at the N.C. Utilities Commission, which was seen as rushing the permitting process for the new units at Cliffside. Thousands of letters and comments by North Carolina residents were sent to the commission opposing the $2.2 billion project. Eventually, only one of the two proposed units was approved by the commission. (more…)

WATCH: Appalachian Kids Give Science Lesson to President Obama

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013 | Posted by Matt Wasson | No Comments

Children in Appalachian coal mining communities are 42% more likely to be born with birth defects and have a life expectancy that is almost 5 years lower than the national average. As this short video shows, they understand why:

Dozens of scientific studies have linked mountaintop removal coal mining to high rates of cancer and other diseases in nearby communities. But as these children explain, you don’t need to be a scientist to understand the devastating impact that mountaintop removal has on the health and quality of life of people living nearby.

Thanks to thousands of people who have spoken up for Appalachian mountains and communities time and again, President Obama’s agencies have taken major steps to reduce the destruction caused by mountaintop removal coal mining over the past four years.

As the president is sworn in to a second term later this month, we have an opportunity to finish the job and stop mountaintop removal once and for all. But we need to ensure that President Obama makes this a priority in his second term.

That’s where you come in. Please join these kids in sending a clear message to the White House: No more excuses, Mr. President. End mountaintop removal. Now.

Help these children spread the word about what’s happening in their communities by sharing this video with your friends, family and colleagues.

The Mayan Calendar Has Ended, And There is Still Coal Ash in the Tennessee River

Friday, December 21st, 2012 | Posted by Sandra Diaz | No Comments

So the world did not end today, as much of the discussion around the end of Mayan calendar seemed to suggest. But it might have seemed like that to the residents of Harriman, Tn. exactly four year ago today, when an earthen dam at a nearby power plant failed, and 1 billion gallons of coal ash waste flooded across fields and farmland and oozed into nearby rivers. The amount spilled is enough to fill 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Though no one was directly hurt or killed, the catastrophe at the Tennessee Valley Authority power plant surely devastated lives. People got sick from the fumes coming off the ash and had to boil their water. Property values plunged, compelling people to sell their homes and property to TVA. Dangerous heavy metals were released into the Emory River, a tributary of the Tennessee River.

It was the first time a majority Americans learned what coal ash was and how dangerous it could be. People were shocked to know that a waste product from burning coal was most often dumped into unlined pits behind earthen dams. More shocking is the fact that, in the absence of federal standards coal ash — laced with heavy metals, known carcinogens and other toxins — is less regulated than household waste.

In the Southeast, we know there are 450 of these impoundments holding back 118 billion gallons of coal ash. Not only is there the risk of a dam breaking, there is the more insidious pollution of our waterways. (See if there is one near you).

I will never forget the day Donna Lisenby, Coal Campaign Coordinator for Waterkeeper Alliance, John Wathen, Hurricane Creekkeeper and I traveled to “ground zero” and paddled to where the Emory River ceased being a river and began to look like a sludge pit. It looked like the end of the world.

Little has happened since the TVA spill. Clean-up that was supposed to take a few weeks still isn’t completed. TVA has decided to allow “natural recovery” to take place, which basically means TVA will stop trying to dredge the river and see if Mother Nature might be able to finish the job with the remaining 9% of the ash still left. (more…)

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