EC June 2011

ec@lists.wvsierraclub.org

15 participants
42 discussions

Re: [EC] [WVHCBOARD] The cost of wind and solar energy
by Frank Young 10 Jun '11

10 Jun '11

Two excerpts from the article: "The math is simple: to have 8,500 megawatts of solar capacity, California would need at least 23 projects the size of Ivanpah, covering about 129 square miles, an area more than five times as large as Manhattan." "The Roscoe wind farm in Texas, which has a capacity of 781.5 megawatts, covers about 154 square miles. Again, the math is straightforward: to have 8,500 megawatts of wind generation capacity, California would likely need to set aside an area equivalent to more than 70 Manhattans. Apart from the impact on the environment itself, few if any people could live on the land because of the noise (and the infrasound, which is inaudible to most humans but potentially harmful) produced by the turbines." (emphasis added- F.Y.) ----------------------------------------- Frank's commentary- If we are going to mathematically render uninhabitable all lands on which "inaudible" but harmful effects emanate from power generating facilities, we would include all areas downwind of coal fired generating facilities that generate particulate matter- because such particulates are demonstrably responsible for thousands of premature human deaths. See the related map and narrative data here: http://www.catf.us/coal/problems/power_plants/existing/ "In 2000 and again in 2004, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force quantifying the deaths and other health affects attributable to the fine particle pollution from power plants. In this newly updated study, CATF examines the progress towards cleaning up one of the nation's leading sources of pollution. The report finds that over 13,000 deaths each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. power plants." "Simple" and "straightforward" math- indeed! Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hugh Rogers" <hugh.rogers(a)gmail.com> To: "WVHCBOARD" <WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 9:00 AM Subject: [WVHCBOARD] The cost of wind and solar energy Robert Bryce ("Power Hungry" author) is back w/ some figures on "energy sprawl." Once again, he's good at debunking the notion that wind and solar are "free"--but five words from the end of the piece he gets to his pet alternatives, natural gas and nuclear power. Op-Ed Contributor The Gas Is Greener: The Cost of Renewable Energy Sources By ROBERT BRYCE Published: June 7, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/opinion/08bryce.html IN April, Gov. Jerry Brown made headlines by signing into law an ambitious mandate that requires California to obtain one-third of its electricity from renewable energy sources like sunlight and wind by 2020. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia now have renewable electricity mandates. President Obama and several members of Congress have supported one at the federal level. Polls routinely show strong support among voters for renewable energy projects — as long as they don’t cost too much. But there’s the rub: while energy sources like sunlight and wind are free and naturally replenished, converting them into large quantities of electricity requires vast amounts of natural resources — most notably, land. Even a cursory look at these costs exposes the deep contradictions in the renewable energy movement. Consider California’s new mandate. The state’s peak electricity demand is about 52,000 megawatts. Meeting the one-third target will require (if you oversimplify a bit) about 17,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. Let’s assume that California will get half of that capacity from solar and half from wind. Most of its large-scale solar electricity production will presumably come from projects like the $2 billion Ivanpah solar plant, which is now under construction in the Mojave Desert in southern California. When completed, Ivanpah, which aims to provide 370 megawatts of solar generation capacity, will cover 3,600 acres — about five and a half square miles. The math is simple: to have 8,500 megawatts of solar capacity, California would need at least 23 projects the size of Ivanpah, covering about 129 square miles, an area more than five times as large as Manhattan. While there’s plenty of land in the Mojave, projects as big as Ivanpah raise environmental concerns. In April, the federal Bureau of Land Management ordered a halt to construction on part of the facility out of concern for the desert tortoise, which is protected under the Endangered Species Act. Wind energy projects require even more land. The Roscoe wind farm in Texas, which has a capacity of 781.5 megawatts, covers about 154 square miles. Again, the math is straightforward: to have 8,500 megawatts of wind generation capacity, California would likely need to set aside an area equivalent to more than 70 Manhattans. Apart from the impact on the environment itself, few if any people could live on the land because of the noise (and the infrasound, which is inaudible to most humans but potentially harmful) produced by the turbines. Industrial solar and wind projects also require long swaths of land for power lines. Last year, despite opposition from environmental groups, San Diego Gas & Electric started construction on the 117-mile Sunrise Powerlink, which will carry electricity from solar, wind and geothermal projects located in Imperial County, Calif., to customers in and around San Diego. In January, environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the $1.9 billion line from cutting through a nearby national forest. Not all environmentalists ignore renewable energy’s land requirements. The Nature Conservancy has coined the term “energy sprawl” to describe it. Unfortunately, energy sprawl is only one of the ways that renewable energy makes heavy demands on natural resources. Consider the massive quantities of steel required for wind projects. The production and transportation of steel are both expensive and energy-intensive, and installing a single wind turbine requires about 200 tons of it. Many turbines have capacities of 3 or 4 megawatts, so you can assume that each megawatt of wind capacity requires roughly 50 tons of steel. By contrast, a typical natural gas turbine can produce nearly 43 megawatts while weighing only 9 tons. Thus, each megawatt of capacity requires less than a quarter of a ton of steel. Obviously these are ballpark figures, but however you crunch the numbers, the takeaway is the same: the amount of steel needed to generate a given amount of electricity from a wind turbine is greater by several orders of magnitude. Such profligate use of resources is the antithesis of the environmental ideal. Nearly four decades ago, the economist E. F. Schumacher distilled the essence of environmental protection down to three words: “Small is beautiful.” In the rush to do something — anything — to deal with the intractable problem of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental groups and policy makers have determined that renewable energy is the answer. But in doing so they’ve tossed Schumacher’s dictum into the ditch. All energy and power systems exact a toll. If we are to take Schumacher’s phrase to heart while also reducing the rate of growth of greenhouse gas emissions, we must exploit the low-carbon energy sources — natural gas and, yes, nuclear — that have smaller footprints. Robert Bryce, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, is the author, most recently, of “Power Hungry: The Myths of ‘Green’ Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future.” ------------------------------------ Working since 1967 for the conservation and wise management of West Virginia's natural resourcesYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: WVHCBOARD-digest(a)yahoogroups.com WVHCBOARD-fullfeatured(a)yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: WVHCBOARD-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

5 6

Fw: Re: renewable energy output
by Jim Sconyers 09 Jun '11

09 Jun '11

Sweet news! Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Jane W. <japlapoo(a)NETZERO.NET> To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Sent: Thu, June 9, 2011 5:37:40 PM Subject: Fw: Re: renewable energy output Just passing along... ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: Buffalo Bruce <buffalobruce1(a)GMAIL.COM> To: NE-FORUM(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Subject: Re: renewable energy output Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2011 11:39:42 -0700 For those of you who may not have heard yet, Renewable Energy production now exceeds that of Nuclear Power in the U.S. U.S. Renewable Energy Now 11.6% of Domestic Energy Production, Exceeding Nuclear Power: U.S. Energy Information Administration, May 26, 2011 http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/index.cfm In its latest "Monthly Energy Review," the EIA reports that for the first two months of 2011, renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, wind) accounted for 11.6% of domestic energy production - compared to 10.7% for the same period in 2010. Moreover, the combined energy output from all renewable energy sources exceeded that of nuclear power. The latter actually declined by 0.2% from 2010. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the NE-FORUM list, send any message to: NE-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

1 0

Fwd: WV-SORO Action Alert: Energy Panel Needs to Hear from You
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 09 Jun '11

09 Jun '11

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: WV-SORO Action Alert: Energy Panel Needs to Hear from You Date: Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:05:27 -0400 From: Julie Archer <julie(a)wvsoro.org> Organization: WV-SORO To: undisclosed-recipients:; /An action alert from our friends at the Oil and Gas Accountability Project <http://www.earthworksaction.org/oil_and_gas.cfm>: / *U.S. Department of Energy to hear from citizens of the Marcellus Shale ~ Share your knowledge and tell your story! * *Monday, June 13, 2011 7:00pm -- 9:00 pm (sign up to speak begins at 6:30 pm) Washington Jefferson College 60 South Lincoln Street, Washington PA* In May, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the establishment of the Energy Advisory Board Natural Gas Subcommittee on Fracking Issues to make recommendations on improving the "safety and environmental performance" of hydraulic fracturing in shale formations. It's very positive that this critical issue is being investigated at the federal level. But many organizations and citizens loudly voiced concern that many of the Subcommittee's members are closely tied to the oil and gas industry, that no one directly impacted by shale gas development was included, and that meetings were only being held in Washington, DC, far from the areas already damaged by drilling. Thanks to this outcry, the Subcommittee just announced it will hold a meeting in Washington, PA, next week. / _Members need to hear from people whose water, property, and health have been impacted by gas drilling, and they need to be told why current industry practices and regulations are not nearly enough to protect our communities._/ */This meeting is open to the public but space is limited and comments will be limited to two minutes. Those wishing to speak should arrive early to sign up. /* *If you can't make it there in person or have more information to share, you can submit a written statement and other documentation to:* Renee Stone U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington D.C. 20585 or by email to: shalegas(a)hq.doe.gov. *For more information see:* /New York Times/ article: Energy Dept. Panel to Revise Standards for Gas Extraction, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/07/science/earth/07frack.html?_r=2&hpw Natural Gas Subcommittee on Fracking Issues website: www.shalegas.energy.gov OGAP Press release on the make-up of the Subcommittee: http://earthworksaction.org/PR_DOE-fracking-panel.cfm -- Julie Archer WV Surface Owners' Rights Organization 1500 Dixie Street Charleston, WV 25311 (304) 346-5891 (304) 346-8981 FAX www.wvsoro.org

1 0

Fwd: "Stop the Fracking in Morgantown Industrial Park" sent you a message on Facebook...
by James Kotcon 09 Jun '11

09 Jun '11

Check out the attached to see a summary of what is happening in Morgantown. JBK

3 2

Fw: EPA Webinar June 15 - Guidance Development on Permitting the Use of Diesel Fuels in Hydraulic Fracturing
by Jim Sconyers 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: "fracturing_hydraulic(a)epamail.epa.gov" <fracturing_hydraulic(a)epamail.epa.gov> Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 3:08:17 PM Subject: EPA Webinar June 15 - Guidance Development on Permitting the Use of Diesel Fuels in Hydraulic Fracturing You are receiving this information because you opted to be informed of activities related to hydraulic fracturing when registering for hearings on EPA's draft study plan in summer and fall 2010. EPA is hosting a public informational webinar on June 15, 2011, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time, to discuss and to solicit input on a guidance the Agency is developing to assist the Underground Injection Control Program in issuing permits for the use of diesel fuels in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing. The webinar is open to the public, and all interested stakeholders are invited to attend. Stakeholders interested in attending the webinar are invited to pre-register at this website, https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/854776506, at least three (3) days in advance. Pre-registering for the meeting will allow EPA to improve meeting planning. The webinar will begin with a presentation by the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water on the Underground Injection Control program and possible approaches the Agency may recommend in a guidance for permitting the use of diesel fuels in hydraulic fracturing activities related to oil and natural gas extraction. EPA will answer questions and take comments submitted by webinar attendees for the remainder of the webinar. Persons who are successfully registered for the webinar via the website, https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/854776506, may (1) submit questions and comments to EPA during the online registration process and during the webinar, or (2) submit written comments to hydraulic.fracturing(a)epa.gov by June 29, 2011. Due to time limits, EPA may not be able to answer every question submitted during the registration process and during the webinar. Persons wishing to contribute written comments to EPA regarding the development of permitting guidance for oil and gas hydraulic fracturing activities using diesel fuels may also send written comments to hydraulic.fracturing(a)epa.gov with the words "Diesel Fuels Guidance Comments" in the subject line by June 29, 2011. EPA will not provide individual responses to written comments received by email. For more information and registration link, please see http://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Please respond to hydraulic.fracturing(a)epa.gov. For more information on the EPA activities related to hydraulic fracturing, please see http://epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing. To report non-emergency suspicious activity related to oil and gas activity, please call the EPA Eyes on Drilling toll-free tipline at 1-877-919-4EPA or send email to eyesondrilling(a)epa.gov.

1 0

Marcellus Fw: Perfectly safe
by Jim Sconyers 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

A perfect example of what can go so wrong. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Don Sauter <dtsauter(a)frontiernet.net> To: Susan Sauter <stsauter(a)frontiernet.net>; Sandra Fallon <sfallon3(a)comcast.net>; Rick Sanders <Ridewva(a)aol.com>; Jim Sconyers <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 9:43:02 PM Subject: Perfectly safe http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11156/1151527-503.stm

1 0

Fw: Maryland Moratorium
by Jim Sconyers 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

Awesome news. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Don Sauter <dtsauter(a)frontiernet.net> To: Susan Sauter <stsauter(a)frontiernet.net> Cc: Jim Sconyers <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com>; Sandra Fallon <sfallon3(a)comcast.net>; John (wnpb) Nakashima <jnakashima(a)wvpubcast.org>; Nadine Grabania <greenacres(a)deepcreekcellars.com>; Kay & Bill Miller <kaybill(a)frontiernet.net>; Janine Breyel <jbreyel(a)gmail.com>; Kathy Evans <EvansKnob(a)aol.com>; larj <larj(a)frontiernet.net>; Rick Sanders <Ridewva(a)aol.com>; TV <HopZo(a)verizon.net> Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 9:39:49 PM Subject: Maryland Moratorium Today the Governor of Maryland signed an executive order placing a moratorium on all Marcellus Shale drilling. It is very strict and requires (among other things) the industry to establish a plan of how they will pay for any damage created by the process. Hopefully the papers will have the full story tomorrow. Maryland's governor only has one first name. Don

1 0

Permit Party June 21 - learning opportunity.
by James Kotcon 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

Many facilities need various environmental permits to operate, and these almost always must go through a "public comment" process. But how do you develop useful comments that will actually improve environmental protection? Join us as we review the Coresco fly ash permit and develop comments for the WV Chapter of Sierra Club. See the various parts of the permit, learn to decipher the jargon, identify gaps, and spot weaknesses. Good comments provide the basis for all future appeals and activity, and we need more people able to help draft these comments. You can be the critical link in the environmental protection process. (Desserts welcome). Tuesday, June 21. 6:30 PM home of Jim Kotcon & Candice Elliott 414 Tyrone Avery Road Morgantown, WV 26506 Directions: >From I-68 Exit 7, go North 1.0 mile on Rt 857. Turn Right onto Tyrone Avery Road and go 1.0 mile. Look for 4 mailboxes on the right, ours is the second from the end. Turn right up the gravel driveway and come to the second house on the right tan 2-story. Call 304-594-3322 for directions. Jim Kotcon

2 1

NYTimes.com: U.K. Company Suspends Controversial Drilling Procedure
by william.depaulo＠gmail.com 04 Jun '11

04 Jun '11

This page was sent to you by: william.depaulo(a)gmail.com. BUSINESS DAY | June 02, 2011 U.K. Company Suspends Controversial Drilling Procedure By DAVID JOLLY Cuadrilla acted after two small earthquakes occurred near a test well in Lancashire, England, where the company was using fracking to explore for natural gas. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/business/global/02fracking.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2011 The New York Times Company

1 0

Fwd: Rapid Response LTEs, RSVP for Health Effects call
by Paul Wilson 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sierra Club Activist Network <community.manager(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 11:37 AM Subject: Rapid Response LTEs, RSVP for Health Effects call To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com Paul, you have a group bulletin from *Hydrofracking Team<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team> *. *Visit Hydrofracking Team.<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team> * Message: When news stories on fracking appear, but you can't find the right words to respond, it can help to have a template to start from. When you want to write your representative about a bill, it helps to have a template outlining some key points. The Rapid Response Project<http://connect.sierraclub.org/project/Hydrofracking_Rapid_Response>'s *collaboration space* is a place to find templates and to add your own for others to use. It also has a *blog* to post articles that need attention, forwarding, praise, or critical response. Join the Rapid Response Project<http://connect.sierraclub.org/project/Hydrofracking_Rapid_Response> to be a first responder, and help keep fracking front and center in the news, on the web, and on the desks of our representatives. Thank you! ------------------------------ *Visit Hydrofracking Team.<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team> * ------------------------------ Reply? Or other thoughts? If you have questions about the bulletin CONTENT, please visit the group's page and leave a comment<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team>, or contact the group owner. *Technical Issues?* Please reply to this message (or email community.manager(a)sierraclub.org) if you have questions or problems with the bulletin itself. If you want to stop getting email, you can either leave (unjoin) or set your email preferences<http://connect.sierraclub.org/editor/app/group/managegroupmembership.aspx?O…> . -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

1 0

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

EC June 2011