Dr. Kotcon, Jim friends

 

Through a circuitous route, I have been introduced to, and will be meeting Tuesday in Toronto with, DR. Tom Rand P.Eng, Managing Partner of the MaRS DD “CleanTech” Fund.  MaRS DD* is quite an interesting organization that is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs commercialize their ideas, create jobs and advance the economic diversity of Ontario. (*www.marsdd.com)

 

Their areas of focus are :

Advanced materials and engineering

Cleantech

Information technology, communications and entertainment

Life sciences and health care

 

Social innovation

 

I am sending  this to you for two reasons. 

 

First, Dr. Rand has written an excellent and beautifully executed book, “Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit”.  He dedicates each chapter to a detailed discussion of each alternatives we now know that are fossil free.  In between each chapter, he inserts essays on various pertinent subjects, like climate change, “A Price on Carbon’, “Carbon Sequestration: Burn it and bury it”.  In the chapters, he provides interesting and uncomplicated charts of cost comparisons that are pertinent to the discussions you presented in your memo.

 

The book is also absolutely beautiful!    It is filled with a lot of coloured photos of existing samples, and some artists’ renderings, of all the technologies he is writing about.  And frankly, it is an excellent text book for the uninformed to see it all presented in a format that is not a deep technical report, but a succinct review of where we are, what is possible, what is happening and why it is so urgent that we take action promptly.

 

It is personally delightful to me as he cites the huge CSP solar project that, when I lived in California,  my then partners and I were involved with the design, financing and construction of the 9 Concentrated Solar Power plants for Southern California Edison in the Mojave desert of California.  I recall the SCE nayslayers stating that they would never be economically viable until crude oil got to $18.00 per bbl.  Hello!

 

And in his chapter on hydro power, he has a famous picture of the restored Glade Creek Grist Mill in Babcock State Park.  (That’s owned by a State Legislator, is it not? Mr. Garvin;  Bill Hamilton?)

 

A review by one of Canada’s largest papers says it all:

 

    “Now there’s no shortage of books out there about green energy, but there’s little that explains it so simply and with graphics and beautiful pictures that show how it’s done and how it can help change our world for the better”  Tyler Hamilton, Senior Energy Reporter and Columnist-The Toronto Star.

 

Amazon has it.  Its  a hard copy that belongs on top of all your other coffee table books!

 

My second reason is to ask how and where could we have a MaRRS DD like organization in West Virginia.  My business colleagues and I cannot wait, so we are committed to establishing our “Zero Carbon Footprint” manufacturing operations in Ontario for many excellent financial reasons, (health care being huge), but also because of the progressive attitude among business, community and Provincial Government Leaders towards “green businesses” that is so lacking here, and which gets a frown from WV State Leaders.

 

At the risk of repeating myself, which I am known to do, get this book.. its very enjoyable discussion, facts, reading and visuals.

 

And thank all of you for keeping the progress towards reversing and solving climate change alive in West Virginia.

 

Allan

 

From: James Kotcon

Sent: Friday, August 16, 2013 6:20 PM

To: Jim Sconyers ; ec@osenergy.org

Subject: [EC] The Social Cost of Carbon

 

Here are some economics on the "Social Cost of Carbon" which is what the emissions of carbon dioxide actually cost us.  As explained in the link below, EPA already uses these numbers as part of their estimates of the costs and benefits of various energy regulations.  (Would WV ever consider doing so?) 

 

Also, the "cost" is not a specific number, but one that varies largely depending on two factors: 1) the year in which emissions occur; and 2) the "discount rate" (roughly analogous to the interest rate or rate of inflation predicted to occur in the future, i.e., the future value of a dollar).  EPA uses a range of rates to provide a range of predicted values for the benefits of damages avoided for a given amount of carbon emissions reductions.

 

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/EPAactivities/economics/scc.html

 

 

The Union of Concerned Scientists has a recent editorial explaining some of the rationale and issues regarding the recent update to the SCC.

http://blog.ucsusa.org/the-social-cost-of-carbon-setting-the-record-straight-ahead-of-todays-house-hearing-181

 

Compared to the values used by AEP and FE during the power plant transfer cases, these values from EPA are much higher.

 

Enjoy.

 

JBK

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