Monthly Archives: September 2013

Texas Boasts Most Modern Power Grid In The Country

By Marita Mirzatuny / Published: September 9, 2013

In an effort to gauge where America’s power grid stands, Washington D.C.-based group GridWise Alliance evaluated grid modernization in 41 states and the District of Columbia. Texas and California tied for first place—standing far above the next runner up.

So what makes Texas’ grid so special?

Texas restructured its electricity market in 1999, introducing competition into the retail electric market. The new competitive retail market gave most Texans a choice of electricity providers from dozens of companies, so these energy providers compete to offer the most advanced services. For example, Texans can opt for 100% renewable electricity from Green Mountain Energy.

Additionally, in an effort to update Texas’ electric grid, the Public Utility Commission, Texas’ governing body for electricity, passed a resolution prompting “wires companies”(the firms that deliver energy from power plants to homes and businesses) to invest in millions of smart meters. Smart meters can help eliminate huge waste in the energy system, reduce peak energy demand (rush hour on the electrical wires) and spur the adoption of clean, low-carbon energy resources, such as wind and solar power, by managing energy demand and generation more efficiently.

Posted in Climate, Grid Modernization, Texas / Tagged climate change, Energy Efficiency, Smart Grid, Solar, texas, Wind | Read 1 Response

Pennsylvania Could Take The Lead On Addressing Air Impacts From Oil And Gas Production

By Andrew Williams / Published: September 6, 2013

Source: Julia Schmalz/Bloomberg

After being caught off guard by the early winds of the shale gale, Pennsylvania officials have been in a near-constant state of regulatory and legislative activity for the last few years, working to put rules in place to reduce the risks posed by the increase in natural gas development. We’ve given PA high marks on some of those efforts, and we’ve disagreed strenuously with others. But we believe in giving credit where credit is due – and the Keystone State certainly deserves credit for the long hours that officials and stakeholders have devoted to improving regulations.

In some critical areas, such as reducing air pollution from leaky equipment located at natural gas processing plants and compressor stations, the Bureau of Air Quality at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has demonstrated real leadership.

Now, DEP has revised its technical guidance document known as Exemption 38, narrowing the eligibility criteria for the air quality permit exemption. Astonishingly, under the previous version almost all oil and gas production facilities were exempted from the state’s air quality requirements. Past guidance for Exemption 38 considered well sites and all the equipment associated with them to be “minor sources” – even though they can individually contribute to poor air quality conditions, particularly in densely populated areas. In Pennsylvania 90 percent of wells are concentrated in ten counties, with just three counties accounting for 50 percent of all wells. Without proper pollution controls and monitoring, this intensive development can easily lead to unhealthy local air quality. Read More »

Posted in General / Comments are closed

Seeing Green: Emission Reducing Fuel Policies Help Lower Gas Prices

By Tim O'Connor / Published: September 5, 2013

This commentary originally appeared on EDF’s California Dream 2.0 blog.

By: Tim O’Connor and Shira Silver

Californians struggling with high gas prices should feel optimistic about the future. A new memo by economists from EDF and Chuck Mason, a prominent economist at the University of Wyoming, demonstrates that policies established to reduce emissions and help the state reach its climate change goals also help to arm consumers at the pump.

The Low Carbon Fuel Standard, cap and trade, and other complementary policies such as Governor Brown’s Zero Emission Vehicle program and national Renewable Portfolio Standards seek to integrate lower or zero-carbon fuels into the energy market in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

As our memo explains, in California these efforts also help to increase the market share for alternative, lower-carbon fuels. Between now and 2020, alternatives may grow to occupy between 15 and 24 percent of the market, creating new jobs and addressing the large market share that oil companies have in California.

Currently six oil companies control 94 percent of the fuels market in California. Through a set of mergers and other factors they have developed a strong lock on fuel in the state, and more specifically on consumers’ pocketbooks at the pump.

Posted in California, Electric Vehicles / Tagged California, emissions, EV | Comments are closed

Local Energy-Water Solutions Should Be A Model For The Nation

By Kate Zerrenner / Published: September 5, 2013

Over the past several weeks, I’ve written a lot about the intimate and inextricable connection between energy and water. The energy-water nexus involves a number of technologies, environmental factors and stakeholders. Thus, it’s no surprise that water and energy’s fundamental connection has eluded policymakers for so long. With this post, I review the lessons discussed so far, so that policymakers can understand the key issues surrounding the energy-water nexus and what’s at stake if we fail to act now.

The Bottom Line

Conventional electricity sources, like coal, natural gas and nuclear power plants, require an abundance of water — about 190 billion gallons per day. Because the majority of our electricity comes from these sources, high energy use strains the water system and contributes to Texas’ prolonged drought. Coincidentally, extreme drought could force power plants to shut down.

Climate change is having a profound effect on our weather patterns, making extreme heat and drought more common in Texas and throughout the Southwest. If we don’t set the energy-water system on a sustainable course, we risk a compounded problem.

Posted in Climate, Energy Efficiency, Energy-Water Nexus, Texas / Tagged Drought, Electricity, energy, Energy-Water Nexus, environment, texas, Water | Read 2 Responses

Austin Energy + Nest: Empowering Texans To Take Control Over Their Own Energy Use And Electric Bills

By Marita Mirzatuny / Published: September 4, 2013

Source: Nest

If you have been following our Texas Energy Crunch campaign over the last year, you know that demand response (DR) can play a pivotal role in meeting Texas’ energy needs without relying on dirty, inefficient fossil fuels that pollute our air and consume much-needed water. Simply put, demand response rewards those who reduce electricity use during peak (high energy demand) times, resulting in more money in peoples’ pockets, a more stable and reliable electric grid and less harmful pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants.

That said, fully harnessing DR in Texas homes has been a bit of a challenge, despite the high electricity prices that result from the scorching summer temperatures. To understand the issue, it’s important to look at the obstacles emerging technologies often face. I highlight some of these obstacles in a recent EDF Voices blog and will be diving deeper in future posts. Namely, the infrastructure to fully enable residential DR adoption isn’t in place, yet.

Posted in Demand Response, Energy Efficiency, Texas / Tagged Clean Energy, Demand Response, Energy Efficiency, Power Grid, texas, Texas Energy Crunch | Read 1 Response

A Smart Approach To Smart Meters

By John Finnigan / Published: September 4, 2013

A new documentary about smart meters opens on September 5^th called Take Back Your Power. The film suggests that smart meters cause illness. According to an August 12 USA Today story, the film’s director was inspired by a friend who became seriously ill after a smart meter was installed at his home. Naturally, this type of personal experience might shape one’s view on smart meters, but correlation is not causation.

Electric utilities have installed over 38 million smart meters across the country and there “has never been a documented injury or health problem associated with such meters.” According to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), “no scientific evidence establishes a causal link between wireless device use and cancer or other illnesses.”

Smart meters send information to utilities by using radio frequencies (RFs) such as those currently used by televisions, radios, baby monitors, cell phones and wifi routers. RF signals have permeated our atmosphere for as long as we’ve had televisions and radios.

We use these devices every day, and many of them create much higher levels of RF exposure than smart meters. The exposure level depends on the strength of the RF signal emitted by the device, the duration of the RF signal and—importantly— the distance from the source. Cell phones emit up to several thousand times more RF signals than smart meters. Smart meters also transmit intermittently and briefly during the day, while we talk on cell phones for long periods. Finally, smart meters are located outside the home, while cell phones are often used close to one’s head.

Posted in Grid Modernization / Tagged Clean Energy, Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Utility Business Models | Read 25 Responses