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Where The Biomass Story Begins
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US Renewable Energy Use Soared In 2012 – Report
Last updated on 19 July 2013, 11:45 am Wind made up 42% of newly installed electrical generation capacity in 2012, with solar and gas also increasing share The US Wind Energy Association estimates 15 million homes can be powered by 45,100 wind turbines (Pic: Flickr/Bonita-La-Banane) US use of renewable energy soared in 2012, according to data published by the USA government funded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Wind turbines, solar panels and natural gas saw sharp rises in popularity, contrasting with coal, which continues to lose market share. In a statement LLNL energy systems analyst A.J. Simon said low gas prices had seen it gradually replace coal in the electricity generating sector. He added that the growth of renewables was tied to falling costs of solar and wind systems, together with government incentives to invest in clean energy. Renewables provided 49% of new electricity capacity in the US in 2012, and form a key part of President Barack Obama’s new climate action plan . Existing coal and gas plants are likely to face tougher pollution limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a move Obama says will help the US to meet its pledge to cut emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) statistics reveal there are 45,000 turbines currently operating in 39 US states, generating enough power for 15 million US homes. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) renewables are the “fastest-growing power generation sector” and could make up 25% of the global energy mix by 2018. “As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil fuel generation,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven in June. “This is good news for a global energy system that needs to become cleaner and more diversified, but it should not be an excuse for government complacency, especially among OECD countries.” Technology advances The LLNL said “larger more efficient turbines” have been developed in response to government-sponsored incentives to invest in renewable energy. Each year, the Laboratory releases energy flow charts that track the nation’s consumption of energy resources. The LLNL also revealed the US used used 2.2 quadrillion British Thermal Units (BTU), or quads, less in 2012 than the previous year. A BTU is a unit of measurement for energy; 3,400 BTU is equivalent to about 1 kW-hr. LLNL figures reveal the majority of energy use in 2012 was used for electricity generation (38.1 quads), followed by transportation, industrial, and residential consumption. However, energy use in the residential, commercial and transportation sectors decreased while industrial energy use increased slightly. Figures from the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) released yesterday indicate that coal still underpins the US electricity sector, and suggest it may be making a comeback. Total coal consumption was up 11% in first-quarter 2013, compared to the same period in 2012. It has provided 40% of total generation over the past five months, up from 32% in April 2012, when gas prices hit a record low. – See more at: http://www.rtcc.org/…h.IdrM4Ng8.dpuf Continue reading
Australia Plans To Scrap Carbon Tax Early
23 July 2013 Ned Stafford A$6 per tonne. Connie Hedegaard , European commissioner for Climate Action, welcomed Rudd’s announcement, tweeting that she now would like to accelerate the linkage of Australia’s emissions trading scheme with the EU’s ETS. The EU and Australia agreed last year to take the first step toward a full link in 2015, when Australian business will be able to use EU carbon permits. A full linkage, allowing EU businesses to use Australian permits, would be established no later than 1 July 2018. The emissions trading system and carbon tax has had a long and difficult political history in Australia, meaning Rudd’s plan is not a done deal, especially with national elections due between late August and November. In 2010, the Greens demanded enactment of the carbon tax from now ousted prime minister Julia Gillard in return for their support in forming a coalition government. The principal opposition leader, Tony Abbott, has vowed to abolish any form of carbon pricing if he is elected. Several environmental organisations have voiced support for Rudd’s plan to establish an emissions trading system after scrapping the carbon tax. ‘We are glad the government is giving businesses certainty that an emissions trading scheme is here to stay, allowing them to factor a long-term carbon price into their investment decisions,’ said Kellie Caught , WWF Australia spokesperson. But Greg Evans , chief economist at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described Rudd’s plan to kill the carbon tax in 2014 and replace it with carbon trading as a ‘short term fix’. He wants any sort of carbon pricing to ‘be eliminated in full’, adding: ‘An ETS will still be a multi-billion dollar unilateral cost most of our competitors don’t have to pay and this will be negative for the economy and jobs.’ Continue reading
