Energy Exchange

California Leading The Way To Clean Energy Innovation While A Few Lag Behind Investing In Litigation, Obstructionism

By EDF Blogs / Published: April 17, 2013


This commentary by Erica Morehouse, EDF Staff Attorney was originally posted on EDF’s California Dream 2.0 blog.

Climate pollution threatens the health of California’s families and the prosperity of our economy. Last November, California began a vitally important program that reduces climate pollution, rewards clean energy innovation, and helps ensure that the biggest emitters are responsible for their own pollution.

The program places a firm limit on overall climate pollution from the largest industrial emitters in California, allows flexible solutions to achieve that limit across sources, and requires major industrial emitters to bear a small portion of their pollution costs by requiring them to obtain carbon emissions allowances under the state’s cap-and-trade program, under which allowances may be obtained in public auctions or trades on the open market.

Fast forward five months, Californians are already realizing critical health and economic benefits from this groundbreaking environmental policy. And, the Golden State continues to lead the way in clean energy and transportation jobs due in large part to AB 32, which has opened the door for greater investment in the clean energy economy. More good news: Yesterday, the state fulfilled a requirement of 2012 AB 32 Legislation by releasing its blueprint for how to expand these benefits by investing proceeds from auctions to strengthen our economy, our health, and the environment.

California’s plan focuses on making key greenhouse gas reductions in three sectors: transportation, energy, and natural resources. The goal is to create multiplier effects that allow Californians to draw benefits from these opportunities that far outweigh the investment. And every day new research shows just how widely the benefits of clean economy investments can ripple. EPA recently released a study showing that if energy costs accounted for the health impacts of burning fossil fuels, they would increase by between $361 and $886.5 billion annually. When California invests in clean energy those hidden health benefits accrue for years to come – and they protect our families and our children.

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Posted in California, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy / Comments are closed

Lowering The Price Of Residential Solar Starts In The Neighborhood

By EDF Blogs / Published: April 11, 2013

By: Guest Blogger Scott A Robinson, University of Texas at Austin – Energy Systems Transformation Group 

Source: SolarCity

The price of solar panels has been decreasing rapidly in recent years. This decrease in price has been reflected in residential markets, with installation numbers booming. However, the total costs of the system remain high enough to discourage mainstream adoption of the technology—even in places like Texas, which have abundant solar resources.

From a customer’s viewpoint, there are two components of the cost of a solar photovoltaics (PV) system. The first is the “sticker price” of the system: the price you pay out of pocket. The second is information cost:  the time you must spend researching the technology to understand if it would be a good investment overall. This is a more difficult task for PV technology than it is for a new phone, or even a new car. The complexity of assessing solar PV creates a cost barrier on top of the reported price of the system.

To better understand these costs to consumers, and what can be done to decrease them, Dr. Varun Rai and I looked at data from PV owners across the state of Texas. We wanted to better understand the drivers behind the length of time people spent researching solar PV before deciding to buy. Our paper describing the results of the research, “Effective Information Channels for Reducing Costs of Environmentally-friendly Technologies: Evidence from Residential PV Markets”, was published last month in Environmental Research Letters (ERL). Read More »

Posted in Investor Confidence Project, Renewable Energy, Texas / Read 1 Response

Study Intends To Determine Methane Leakage Associated With A Growing Natural Gas Transportation Sector

By EDF Blogs / Published: March 4, 2013

This blog post was written by Jason Mathers, Senior Manager of EDF’s Corporate Partnerships Program.

Source: Waste Management

The use of natural gas to power our nation’s freight fleet vehicles is a hot topic in these days of rising diesel and falling natural gas prices. There are several reasons to be excited about this opportunity, including operating cost savings, use of a domestic fuel source, and the potential for a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to diesel heavy-duty trucks. However, significant concerns remain with the development of new gas supplies, including the threat of fugitive methane emissions from natural gas vehicles and the fuel supply chain.

Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas and a GHG pollutant many times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal contributor to man-made climate change. Even small amounts of methane leakage across the natural gas supply chain can undermine the climate benefit of switching to natural gas from other fossil fuels for some period of time.

In a paper published last year, EDF scientists and other leading researchers examined the impact of potential fugitive emissions on the climate benefits of a switch from diesel to natural gas heavy-duty trucks. The study found that, according to the best available data, methane leak rates would need to be below 1% of gas produced in order to ensure that switching from diesel to natural gas produces climate benefits at all points in time. They also found that – using the EPA leakage rate estimates at that time – converting a fleet of heavy duty diesel vehicles to natural gas would result in increased climate warming for more than 250 years before any climate benefits were achieved.

EDF is working with leading researchers and companies in a series of studies designed to better understand and characterize the methane leak rate across the natural gas supply chain. The studies will take direct measurements at various points across the production, gathering and processing, long distance transmission and storage, local distribution, and transportation. The first study, led by researchers at the University of Texas, is measuring emissions from natural gas production. Results will be released in the coming months. Read More »

Posted in Climate, Methane, Natural Gas / Tagged , | Read 1 Response

Learn More About How YOU Have ‘Power Over Energy’

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 30, 2013

Did you know that 40% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while they are turned off? And did you know the electricity it takes to power a single 100-watt light bulb for one year is generated by 713 pounds of coal?

With electricity outlets in every building and gas stations on every street corner, our dependency on energy is undeniable. Still, very few consumers are aware of effective ways to prevent waste and use energy efficiently. To educate consumers, several leading energy and environmental groups have united to create PowerOverEnergy.org, a warehouse of information about energy generation, consumption, impact and conservation.

The site aims to educate, empower and motivate consumers to use energy more wisely and to play an active role in our electric grid’s modernization. America’s outdated energy system is wasteful, expensive and a huge source of pollution. Over the next two decades, utilities will have to invest up to $2 trillion to modernize our electricity grid, most of which is past the age of retirement. A more resilient, smart “green” grid will pay for itself by saving the United States around $20.4 annually by increasing efficiency by five percent, and another $49 billion each year by reducing the cost of power outages.

Environmental Defense Fund, Silver Spring Networks, Sustainable Silicon Valley, Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, Edison Foundation’s Institute for Electric Efficiency, Global Green USA, GrideWise Alliance and Silicon Valley Leadership Group believe that knowledgeable consumers are necessary, and we’ve joined the Power Over Energy Coalition to arm people with the information they need to join the push toward a smarter, more resilient grid. Empower yourself and those around you by checking out the site and becoming an informed participant in the movement.

Posted in Grid Modernization / Comments are closed

EDF, Wyoming Outdoor Council Team To Protect Wyoming Air From Oil And Gas Development

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 18, 2013

Wyoming Outdoor Council’s lead attorney on air quality

EDF and Wyoming Outdoor Council are teaming up to protect air and water quality from oil and gas development in the Cowboy State. One of the first efforts in this partnership surrounds strengthening air quality regulation for the oil and gas industry in Pinedale, WY where persistent ozone pollution threatens the health of local residents. EDF’s Natural Gas Media Director, Lauren Whittenberg, recently sat down with Bruce Pendery, Wyoming Outdoor Council’s lead attorney on air quality issues, and Jon Goldstein, EDF’s Senior Energy Policy Manager, to learn more about this partnership.

Lauren Whittenberg: Can you tell me about the pollution problems in Pinedale?

Bruce Pendery: Well, first and foremost, this pollution is a public health issue. Monitoring of air quality in the Upper Green River Basin in western Wyoming near Pinedale started to show dangerous levels of ground level ozone pollution in 2006. Ground level ozone (also known as smog) is created by a complicated interaction between two different forms of air pollution, oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds. Oil and gas development in the Pinedale area is the main source of both. Since the problem was identified, the Wyoming Outdoor Council has been heavily engaged with regulators, local citizens and industry to seek a way to reduce this harmful pollution to protect the local citizens and gas field workers.

LW: What problems does ozone pollution cause?

Jon Goldstein: Ozone is a toxic air pollutant widely known to cause a host of respiratory problems. Exposure to ozone pollution, even in low concentrations, can cause serious health problems, including permanent damage to the lungs. To address some of these concerns, EPA introduced rules – for the first time – that established federal emission standards for natural gas well sites, as well as tightened existing standards for other aspects of gas processing and distribution. EPA’s clean air measures are important to reduce air pollution from the oil and gas sector. It’s also interesting to note that EPA – in part – based these federal standards on state level rules that have been in place in Wyoming for several years. However, a big opportunity exists to further strengthen federal and state regulations and reduce air pollution for communities dealing with poor air quality.

LW: What is the plan to address this harmful pollution?

BP: On January 10, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced its plan to address air pollution issues in the Pinedale area’s Upper Green River Basin. This plan is based on recommendations the department received from the Upper Green River Basin Air Quality Citizens Advisory Task Force,  a broad group of local citizens, elected officials, oil and gas industry and environmental representatives brought together by the department. I served on this task force and helped formulate the ten consensus recommendations we provided to the DEQ.

LW: What were the recommendations?

BP: These are very practical, common sense efforts to reduce emissions from oil and gas operations. Things like monitoring, investigating and plugging leaks from faulty oil and gas production equipment, reducing emissions from produced water tanks and ponds, and developing legal efforts to better regulate existing sources of pollution.

LW: You mentioned that these recommendations were “consensus.” What does that mean?

JG: That is what is so encouraging about this effort. Each of the ten recommendations has the buy in of every member of the task force – a very broad group of local citizens and elected officials as well as industry and environmental groups like Wyoming Outdoor Council. These practical recommendations followed nine months of deliberations by the task force and six lengthy meetings.

That such a broad group could reach consensus on ten methods to improve local air pollution is a testament to their dedication. This hard work will be well worth it when these ideas are made a regulatory reality, and air quality issues in the region begin to improve.

LW: What’s next?

JG: This action plan is a key first step; the DEQ has offered an outline that, if implemented quickly and completely, will help put us on the path toward cleaner, healthier air. But now is a crucial time in this process. It is now up to the DEQ to make these ideas a reality and implement them through regulatory processes as quickly as possible.

And we aren’t stopping with these ten items. We have advocated for additional efforts to improve air quality, including better measures to monitor maintenance activities such as liquids unloading, extending the state’s strong Presumptive Best Available Control Technology (P-BACT) requirements throughout the ozone nonattainment area, and ensuring that existing and grandfathered emissions sources are controlled.

A lot is at stake. Inaction or inadequate action will not improve air quality or protect the health of local residents.

LW: How will Wyoming Outdoor Council and EDF keep this momentum going?

BP: We will remain involved in this process to ensure that the DEQ follows through as quickly as possible. We plan to be very active in the formal regulatory development and adoption processes that will kick off in the coming months. And we hope that all Wyoming citizens will stay involved in this effort. Wyoming has a strong history of leadership in regulating air emissions from the oil and gas sector. Our plan is to defend this hard-earned reputation and protect people and our air quality in the process.

LW: What other efforts are on tap in Wyoming?

JG: Because of both the strong regulatory tradition that Bruce mentioned, and Wyoming’s status as one of the largest sources of domestic oil and gas resources, Wyoming is one of our target states for EDF’s natural gas work. We are working on a number of opportunities to raise the bar on air and water quality regulations and also improve drilling protections on federal lands. This includes adoption of strong new federal rules around the venting and flaring of natural gas. You will hear more about these efforts in coming months, but we are very happy to have a partner as well respected and experienced as Wyoming Outdoor Council  to help us make them a reality.

LW: Thank you both.

 

 

Posted in General / Comments are closed

Dallas Fort-Worth Breathes Easier Following EPA’s Decision On Wise County Ozone Petitions

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 16, 2013

This commentary was originally posted on EDF’s Texas Clean Air Matters blog.

Just in time for the holidays, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delivered a valuable gift to residents of the Dallas-Fort Worth area: the promise of stronger protections against the harmful public health and environmental impacts of ground-level ozone (the main component of smog). Specifically, EPA announced on January 7 that it has decided to deny 19 petitions filed by the state of Texas and other parties last summer — all demanding that the agency reverse its determination that Wise County, Texas contributes to high ozone levels in nearby Dallas-Fort Worth (EPA’s responses were signed December 14, 2012). EPA’s action means that polluters in Wise County will have to do their fair share to reduce ozone levels in Dallas-Fort Worth, which have been among the worst in the country for many years. Because of the importance of this issue to the public health of Texans, EDF has already taken steps to defend EPA’s action in Federal court.

Background

Ozone pollution has long been regulated under the Clean Air Act because of the tremendous hazards that ozone poses to public health and the environment. High ozone levels lead to respiratory distress and disorders; decreased lung function; increases in emergency room visits and sick days; and more. To address the serious problem of ozone, the Clean Air Act provides a multi-step process for ensuring that all areas of the country achieve acceptable ozone levels. First, EPA must establish nationwide air quality standards for ozone (called National Ambient Air Quality Standards), which are required to be strong enough to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety. Second, EPA must designate which areas of the country meet those standards, and which do not. Lastly, states are required to submit plans for achieving and maintaining compliance with EPA’s ozone standards — with especially strict requirements for areas that currently do not meet the standards.

EPA last updated its ozone air quality standards in March 2008. The revised standard requires that average ozone concentrations over an 8-hour period remain at or below 75 parts per billion (ppb) — a level that is more protective than the previous standard set in 1997, but still significantly higher than the range of 60 to 70 ppb recommended by EPA’s own Scientific Advisory Committee. EDF has consistently advocated for a stronger ozone standard, and has even taken EPA to court over this issue together with other public health and environmental organizations. At the same time, EDF has also fought hard against attempts to weaken the 2008 ozone standards or stop their implementation.

Designation of Wise County

On May 21, 2012, EPA issued a regulation designating 45 areas of the country as out of compliance with the 2008 ozone standards – including a group of ten counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which had long failed to meet the earlier and less stringent ozone standards. For the first time, however, the Dallas-Fort Worth designation also included Wise County, Texas, due in large part to emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from a recent boom in oil and gas production in the area.

As EPA explained in a detailed technical analysis, Wise County was included in the Dallas-Fort Worth ozone designation because of the county’s contribution to unhealthy levels of ozone. Among other things, EPA found that ozone monitors less than half a mile from the county line were recording unhealthy levels of ozone; that Wise County emits some of the highest levels of ozone-forming pollution in the 19-county area surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth; and that the prevailing winds on high-ozone days are responsible for bringing that pollution from Wise County to the nearby city.

Ensuing Litigation and Requests for Reconsideration

EPA’s determination was reached after a lengthy process during which the state of Texas and other stakeholders had ample opportunity to submit comments and data on Wise County’s contribution to ozone in Dallas-Fort Worth. However, this didn’t stop the state, some local governments, and various oil and gas producers and trade associations from trying to stop the designation of Wise County by filing a total of 19 petitions asking EPA to reverse its decision. The state of Texas, Wise County, and four industry parties also filed legal challenges to EPA’s determination in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals — and EDF responded by moving to intervene in defense of EPA’s action.

EPA’s Denial of Reconsideration and Next Steps

In detailed responses to the petitions, EPA reaffirmed its analysis of Wise County’s contribution to the local ozone crisis and offered rebuttals to each of the major arguments advanced by the petitioners. EPA’s responses confirm that the designation of Wise County rests on the best available science. EPA’s action is also an important advance for public health — ensuring that polluters in Wise County will do their fair share to address ozone pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and that the important protections of the Clean Air Act extend to ozone-contributing areas and sources that have been overlooked in the past.

We hope that the parties challenging the Wise County designation will ultimately decide to demonstrate leadership by becoming part of the solution to the air quality challenges facing Dallas-Fort Worth. In the meantime, vital work remains to be done to defend EPA’s actions in court: the ongoing D.C. Circuit challenges to the original designation of Wise County, which were suspended while EPA processed the reconsideration petitions, are likely to resume in a matter of weeks. In addition, EPA’s decisions on the petitions may provide fresh fodder for additional legal challenges in the D.C. Circuit. EDF’s legal team stands ready to vigorously defend EPA’s decision in the months ahead.

Posted in Natural Gas, Texas / Comments are closed