Friday, May 30, 2008
Stay Tuned...
Stay tuned to this blog during the next couple weeks. We will be posting helpful information for you to better prepare for Washington. Also if we get any questions from some of you that will be helpful to others, we will post those questions and answers up here also.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS
• What has Congress done to make higher education more affordable?
• Experts say that our nation’s growing electricity needs will soon go well beyond what renewables, conservation and efficiency can provide. What is your plan to make sure we have the electricity we’ll need in the future?
• With all the focus on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, do you see us moving to expand the role of non-emitting energy sources like nuclear power?
• What is Congress doing about high energy (gas and electric) prices?
• What is Congress doing to fully fund the research and technology required to make emissions free power plants an affordable reality?
• How can we increase the number of jobs and spur economic development in my town?
• The cost of electricity is continually increasing. Climate change legislation will further increase the costs. What is your plan to keep electric rates affordable?
• In this election year, there seems to be a never-ending conflict between Democrats and Republicans. Is this partisanship harmful to the country? Do you have friends across the political aisle?
• When you were our age, did you want to be a Member of Congress? What was your career path to Congress?
• How do you balance living in Washington, DC, with representing people like me in rural Louisiana?
• What can we do to become better leaders in our community?
• Experts say that our nation’s growing electricity needs will soon go well beyond what renewables, conservation and efficiency can provide. What is your plan to make sure we have the electricity we’ll need in the future?
• With all the focus on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, do you see us moving to expand the role of non-emitting energy sources like nuclear power?
• What is Congress doing about high energy (gas and electric) prices?
• What is Congress doing to fully fund the research and technology required to make emissions free power plants an affordable reality?
• How can we increase the number of jobs and spur economic development in my town?
• The cost of electricity is continually increasing. Climate change legislation will further increase the costs. What is your plan to keep electric rates affordable?
• In this election year, there seems to be a never-ending conflict between Democrats and Republicans. Is this partisanship harmful to the country? Do you have friends across the political aisle?
• When you were our age, did you want to be a Member of Congress? What was your career path to Congress?
• How do you balance living in Washington, DC, with representing people like me in rural Louisiana?
• What can we do to become better leaders in our community?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Realities of Renewable Power
There’s certainly a buzz in rural circles these days about renewable power. Wind farms, for example, are generally built on wide-open spaces or ridgetops; methane gas from livestock waste can be burned to produce power; trees, grass, and crop stalks can be shoveled into boilers or converted to other forms of fuel.
Because most renewable energy projects take root in rural America, electric co-ops are at the forefront of this new and exciting wave of generation technology. Currently, co-ops lead electric utilities in renewable power generation, with a full 11 percent of co-op power coming from hydro and other renewable resources, compared to 9 percent for the industry as a whole.
Co-ops own and operate about 1,000 MW of renewable projects utilizing biomass, wind, solar, and small-scale hydropower. And 750 rural electric systems offer green power to their members. Those are numbers to be proud of.
We are doing everything we can to make renewable power a viable part of our energy mix, but there are very real hurdles to overcome before that 11 percent can become 15, 20, or 25 percent in coming years.
For one, construction costs for electricity generation are going up across the board, and renewable sources are no exception. Three years ago it was estimated that a wind farm would cost about $1,000 per kW of capacity – today that price tag has doubled. Costs for installation and operation of solar panels can run five times higher than a traditional coal plant of comparable size.
How do we get those costs down? Research and development can help to some extent, and the Cooperative Research Network is working with the U.S. Department of Energy on various projects. Government programs, such as Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs), are another solution. The bonds offer electric co-ops interest-free loans for financing renewable power projects, and the U.S. Treasury Department has reserved $450 million in CREBs for electric co-ops through the end of 2008.
Another hurdle involves getting renewable power to where it can be used. True, most renewable resources are abundant in rural areas, but that also means they’re far from the concentrated power needs of big cities. New transmission lines will need to go in to address this problem, and related costs can add up in a hurry.
A third drawback can cause major headaches for control room operators, charged with matching available power to demand. Most renewable sources are intermittent: the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow. A fossil fuel-fired power plant, on the other hand, will produce “baseload” power as long as fuel remains available. In the case of a renewable resource like solar, though, an overcast afternoon can leave a gap in available power that needs to be filled.
Improved technology offers one way around this problem, making it possible, for example, to store excess electricity produced on a sunny day. When a storm cloud rolls up, that stored power would be ready and waiting. Co-ops are constantly making advancements in storage technology, although real breakthroughs have yet to be realized.
Although some policymakers will try to speed up the process of getting renewable power on-line, all of us need to provide an informed, thoughtful approach. Let’s be realistic about the value of renewable energy, and be realistic about its associated costs and benefits.
Support for renewable power must be consistent with providing safe, reliable, and affordable service to you, our members. Co-ops will develop the renewable resources that make the most sense for us, geographically and economically. And we will work to ensure that those paying the freight for such technologies also reap the benefits.
Renewable energy will remain a key part of rural development efforts, our nation’s energy security, and a valuable asset to consider. But as not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric co-ops, we will encourage elected officials to make sure that public policy doesn’t get ahead of available technology, and doesn’t impose a hardship on consumers. We will seek real-world results that benefit the environment, our rural communities, and you.
Source: Straight Talk Alert, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Because most renewable energy projects take root in rural America, electric co-ops are at the forefront of this new and exciting wave of generation technology. Currently, co-ops lead electric utilities in renewable power generation, with a full 11 percent of co-op power coming from hydro and other renewable resources, compared to 9 percent for the industry as a whole.
Co-ops own and operate about 1,000 MW of renewable projects utilizing biomass, wind, solar, and small-scale hydropower. And 750 rural electric systems offer green power to their members. Those are numbers to be proud of.
We are doing everything we can to make renewable power a viable part of our energy mix, but there are very real hurdles to overcome before that 11 percent can become 15, 20, or 25 percent in coming years.
For one, construction costs for electricity generation are going up across the board, and renewable sources are no exception. Three years ago it was estimated that a wind farm would cost about $1,000 per kW of capacity – today that price tag has doubled. Costs for installation and operation of solar panels can run five times higher than a traditional coal plant of comparable size.
How do we get those costs down? Research and development can help to some extent, and the Cooperative Research Network is working with the U.S. Department of Energy on various projects. Government programs, such as Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs), are another solution. The bonds offer electric co-ops interest-free loans for financing renewable power projects, and the U.S. Treasury Department has reserved $450 million in CREBs for electric co-ops through the end of 2008.
Another hurdle involves getting renewable power to where it can be used. True, most renewable resources are abundant in rural areas, but that also means they’re far from the concentrated power needs of big cities. New transmission lines will need to go in to address this problem, and related costs can add up in a hurry.
A third drawback can cause major headaches for control room operators, charged with matching available power to demand. Most renewable sources are intermittent: the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow. A fossil fuel-fired power plant, on the other hand, will produce “baseload” power as long as fuel remains available. In the case of a renewable resource like solar, though, an overcast afternoon can leave a gap in available power that needs to be filled.
Improved technology offers one way around this problem, making it possible, for example, to store excess electricity produced on a sunny day. When a storm cloud rolls up, that stored power would be ready and waiting. Co-ops are constantly making advancements in storage technology, although real breakthroughs have yet to be realized.
Although some policymakers will try to speed up the process of getting renewable power on-line, all of us need to provide an informed, thoughtful approach. Let’s be realistic about the value of renewable energy, and be realistic about its associated costs and benefits.
Support for renewable power must be consistent with providing safe, reliable, and affordable service to you, our members. Co-ops will develop the renewable resources that make the most sense for us, geographically and economically. And we will work to ensure that those paying the freight for such technologies also reap the benefits.
Renewable energy will remain a key part of rural development efforts, our nation’s energy security, and a valuable asset to consider. But as not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric co-ops, we will encourage elected officials to make sure that public policy doesn’t get ahead of available technology, and doesn’t impose a hardship on consumers. We will seek real-world results that benefit the environment, our rural communities, and you.
Source: Straight Talk Alert, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
“Our Energy, Our Future: A Dialogue With America”
Pressure is mounting for Congress to do something about climate change. And while political debates in Washington, D.C., may seem far away, the outcome of environmental legislation will have a direct impact on Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation–and on you, our consumer members.
Already our nation faces a looming energy crisis, with demand for electricity ready to outstrip supply. Unless significantly more power plants are placed into service soon, consumers could experience brownouts and even rolling blackouts in the not-too-distant future. But building this generation will be the most expensive in history, coming at a time when prices for fossil fuels and construction materials like steel, copper, and concrete are shooting upward.
Additional costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions–notably carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to global climate change–will only strain the pocketbooks of consumers even further. Various climate change bills under consideration in Congress could boost wholesale power costs 50 percent to 80 percent by 2020, and push up retail rates from 25 percent to 40 percent.
Unfortunately, many members of Congress, as well as local and state legislators, mistakenly believe we can solve all of these problems through efficiency measures and by adding renewable energy sources. While we certainly need more energy efficiency programs and “green power,” they will not be enough to ensure that you continue to receive a safe, reliable, and affordable supply of electricity.
To keep the lights on and rates reasonable, the federal government must exercise dedicated leadership–the same leadership that got us to the moon in the 1960s. Without it, and without a sound, responsible, sustainable energy policy, we risk returning to a time when electric service was a privilege enjoyed only by the wealthy.
As electric co-op consumers, though, you can help prevent that from happening. I encourage you to contact your elected officials today, and ask them some tough questions
By doing so, you will open a discussion that just may see policymakers search for ways to meet environmental objectives while limiting the impact on electric bills.
To assist you in your conversations with those in positions of power, log on to www.ourenergy.coop. There you will find three core questions to ask, as follows:
1. Experts say that our nation’s growing electricity needs will soon go well beyond what renewables, conservation, and efficiency can provide; What is your plan to make sure we have the electricity we’ll need in the future?
2. What are you doing to fully fund the research required to make emissions-free electric plants an affordable reality?
3. Balancing electricity needs and environmental goals will be difficult. How much is all this going to increase my electric bill and what will you do to make it affordable?
From the Web site, you will also be able to send a sample letter to members of Congress recommending that they seek out a balanced solution to energy and climate change. The letter may be sent electronically or printed for regular mail.
Far too often questions don’t get asked by policymakers until plans go wrong. You can help your elected officials “get it right” by having this conversation. The electric bill you save will be your own.
Source: Straight Talk Alert, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Already our nation faces a looming energy crisis, with demand for electricity ready to outstrip supply. Unless significantly more power plants are placed into service soon, consumers could experience brownouts and even rolling blackouts in the not-too-distant future. But building this generation will be the most expensive in history, coming at a time when prices for fossil fuels and construction materials like steel, copper, and concrete are shooting upward.
Additional costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions–notably carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to global climate change–will only strain the pocketbooks of consumers even further. Various climate change bills under consideration in Congress could boost wholesale power costs 50 percent to 80 percent by 2020, and push up retail rates from 25 percent to 40 percent.
Unfortunately, many members of Congress, as well as local and state legislators, mistakenly believe we can solve all of these problems through efficiency measures and by adding renewable energy sources. While we certainly need more energy efficiency programs and “green power,” they will not be enough to ensure that you continue to receive a safe, reliable, and affordable supply of electricity.
To keep the lights on and rates reasonable, the federal government must exercise dedicated leadership–the same leadership that got us to the moon in the 1960s. Without it, and without a sound, responsible, sustainable energy policy, we risk returning to a time when electric service was a privilege enjoyed only by the wealthy.
As electric co-op consumers, though, you can help prevent that from happening. I encourage you to contact your elected officials today, and ask them some tough questions
By doing so, you will open a discussion that just may see policymakers search for ways to meet environmental objectives while limiting the impact on electric bills.
To assist you in your conversations with those in positions of power, log on to www.ourenergy.coop. There you will find three core questions to ask, as follows:
1. Experts say that our nation’s growing electricity needs will soon go well beyond what renewables, conservation, and efficiency can provide; What is your plan to make sure we have the electricity we’ll need in the future?
2. What are you doing to fully fund the research required to make emissions-free electric plants an affordable reality?
3. Balancing electricity needs and environmental goals will be difficult. How much is all this going to increase my electric bill and what will you do to make it affordable?
From the Web site, you will also be able to send a sample letter to members of Congress recommending that they seek out a balanced solution to energy and climate change. The letter may be sent electronically or printed for regular mail.
Far too often questions don’t get asked by policymakers until plans go wrong. You can help your elected officials “get it right” by having this conversation. The electric bill you save will be your own.
Source: Straight Talk Alert, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
A Smart Way to Keep the Lights On
Demand for electricity nationally will increase by 40 percent during the next 22 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Yet even with an optimistic projection of a 9 percent reduction in electricity consumption due to increased efficiency and an increase in renewable power sources, our nation will soon run out of excess generating capacity and needs to build more power plants and transmission lines to keep the lights on.
This raises a catch-22 situation. Unless significantly more power plants are placed into service soon, there’s a good chance consumers could experience brownouts and even rolling blackouts in the not-too-distant future. But this generation will be the most expensive in history, coming at a time when prices for fuels to produce electricity and construction materials like steel, copper, and concrete are skyrocketing.
On top of it all, local, state, and federal lawmakers are considering additional costs on power plants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, notably carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to global climate change.
For electric co-ops, experiencing 2.6 percent overall growth (twice the national average), we take our responsibility of maintaining a safe, reliable, and affordable supply of power seriously. We also have an obligation to serve, and a special responsibility to protect you, our consumer-members, against dramatic and potentially crippling increases in electricity costs.
When it comes to meeting our nation’s energy challenges, including climate change, electric co-ops believe answers can be found in a diversified mix of advancements in energy efficiency and technology; renewable, nuclear, and natural gas generation; and advanced coal generation. No magic “silver bullet” exists.
On the climate change front, electric co-ops believe recommendations developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a non-profit utility-sponsored consortium based in Palo Alto, Calif., whose members include electric co-ops, offer a workable framework for starting debate on solutions. EPRI has spelled out how U.S. electric utilities can slash carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2030 (roughly 45 percent)–even as they take on about 40 percent more load through aggressive steps in seven principal areas: boosting energy efficiency, investing in renewable energy, expanding nuclear power capacity, capturing carbon produced by coal-fired power plants and storing it deep underground, improving the operating efficiency of coal-fired power plants, adding distributed generation resources, and putting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the road.
Consumer-owned electric co-ops have a great story to tell in how we’re already tackling each of these ambitious goals, which provide the additional bonus of helping reduce the need to build as much new generation. Today, more than 80 percent of co-ops supply electricity produced by wind, solar, hydro, biomass (including landfill gas, livestock waste, timber byproducts, and crop residue), and other renewable power sources.
Electric co-ops are also recognized industry leaders in promoting energy efficiency and wise energy use. Nearly half provide financial incentives–such as low- or no-interest loans for household improvements, leases on efficiency-related equipment, and ownership or maintenance of standby generators to reduce power use when consumption spikes–or include interactive energy use calculators on their Web sites. More than 40 percent offer efficiency and weatherization services, including selling and installing high-efficiency lighting systems, electric water heaters, geothermal and air-source heat pumps, insulation, and Energy Star appliances. And an electric co-op in North Dakota operates the only large-scale plant in the nation that captures carbon dioxide gas before it goes up a smokestack, compresses it, and then pumps it down into spent oil reservoirs for permanent storage.
Of course, implementing many of EPRI’s ideas on a large scale will require a massive investment of government resources–similar to putting a man on the moon–and mobilization of every sector of the economy. But as consumer advocates and industry leaders, electric co-ops know what works. Tapping our varied resources, we can provide elected officials with expertise on what programs are feasible technologically and can be sustained economically–and politically.
When it comes to energy, electric co-ops recognize that consumers ultimately pay the freight for whatever decisions are made. As our commitment to you, we will work to ensure that folks in positions of power understand this fact as well and seek out practical, long-term remedies based on new technology that will allow us to continue providing safe, reliable, and affordable power in an environmentally responsible fashion. Through it all, the co-op drumbeat will be loud and clear: “we’re putting consumers first.”
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Energy Information Administration, and Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the service arm of the nation’s 900-plus not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric co-ops.
This raises a catch-22 situation. Unless significantly more power plants are placed into service soon, there’s a good chance consumers could experience brownouts and even rolling blackouts in the not-too-distant future. But this generation will be the most expensive in history, coming at a time when prices for fuels to produce electricity and construction materials like steel, copper, and concrete are skyrocketing.
On top of it all, local, state, and federal lawmakers are considering additional costs on power plants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, notably carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to global climate change.
For electric co-ops, experiencing 2.6 percent overall growth (twice the national average), we take our responsibility of maintaining a safe, reliable, and affordable supply of power seriously. We also have an obligation to serve, and a special responsibility to protect you, our consumer-members, against dramatic and potentially crippling increases in electricity costs.
When it comes to meeting our nation’s energy challenges, including climate change, electric co-ops believe answers can be found in a diversified mix of advancements in energy efficiency and technology; renewable, nuclear, and natural gas generation; and advanced coal generation. No magic “silver bullet” exists.
On the climate change front, electric co-ops believe recommendations developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a non-profit utility-sponsored consortium based in Palo Alto, Calif., whose members include electric co-ops, offer a workable framework for starting debate on solutions. EPRI has spelled out how U.S. electric utilities can slash carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2030 (roughly 45 percent)–even as they take on about 40 percent more load through aggressive steps in seven principal areas: boosting energy efficiency, investing in renewable energy, expanding nuclear power capacity, capturing carbon produced by coal-fired power plants and storing it deep underground, improving the operating efficiency of coal-fired power plants, adding distributed generation resources, and putting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the road.
Consumer-owned electric co-ops have a great story to tell in how we’re already tackling each of these ambitious goals, which provide the additional bonus of helping reduce the need to build as much new generation. Today, more than 80 percent of co-ops supply electricity produced by wind, solar, hydro, biomass (including landfill gas, livestock waste, timber byproducts, and crop residue), and other renewable power sources.
Electric co-ops are also recognized industry leaders in promoting energy efficiency and wise energy use. Nearly half provide financial incentives–such as low- or no-interest loans for household improvements, leases on efficiency-related equipment, and ownership or maintenance of standby generators to reduce power use when consumption spikes–or include interactive energy use calculators on their Web sites. More than 40 percent offer efficiency and weatherization services, including selling and installing high-efficiency lighting systems, electric water heaters, geothermal and air-source heat pumps, insulation, and Energy Star appliances. And an electric co-op in North Dakota operates the only large-scale plant in the nation that captures carbon dioxide gas before it goes up a smokestack, compresses it, and then pumps it down into spent oil reservoirs for permanent storage.
Of course, implementing many of EPRI’s ideas on a large scale will require a massive investment of government resources–similar to putting a man on the moon–and mobilization of every sector of the economy. But as consumer advocates and industry leaders, electric co-ops know what works. Tapping our varied resources, we can provide elected officials with expertise on what programs are feasible technologically and can be sustained economically–and politically.
When it comes to energy, electric co-ops recognize that consumers ultimately pay the freight for whatever decisions are made. As our commitment to you, we will work to ensure that folks in positions of power understand this fact as well and seek out practical, long-term remedies based on new technology that will allow us to continue providing safe, reliable, and affordable power in an environmentally responsible fashion. Through it all, the co-op drumbeat will be loud and clear: “we’re putting consumers first.”
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Energy Information Administration, and Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the service arm of the nation’s 900-plus not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric co-ops.
Conservation and Efficiency—Kissing Cousins "We Need Your Help"
Turn on the lights and TV, boot up the computer, and head to the kitchen to start dinner. Arriving home after a full day at work, most of us walk through a familiar routine.
We hardly take a step that does not involve the reliable flow of electricity. And every light switch or appliance we turn on sends the electric meter outside spinning a little faster and the monthly bill a little higher.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to escape the media coverage surrounding climate change as evening news reporters drone on about global warming.
We watch with concern and ask, “Is there anything one person can do to make a difference?” The answer is an emphatic, “Yes.” It starts with learning all we can about energy conservation and efficiency. While they are not the same thing, they are close relatives.
Conservation occurs when we reduce total consumption of electricity, often achieved by simply turning off anything that consumes electricity when not needed.
Energy efficiency occurs when we replace or upgrade the essentials in our lives (e.g., appliances, lighting, insulation), allowing us to realize the same benefit with less electricity.
If you want to help, call the Member Services Department at Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation and ask for a complete energy audit to assess how much energy your home consumes and evaluate what measures you can take to make your residence more energy efficient.
Then, with audit results in hand, take action. The cumulative effect of such small steps in homes and businesses will have a direct impact on our nation’s entire electric grid–reducing demand during peak periods, cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, and lowering overall costs to co-ops and consumer-members. Not to mention energy efficiency helps manage load growth and delays the need to build new electric generation facilities.
America’s electric co-ops are working with public officials at all levels to identify and adopt achievable and balanced solutions to climate change. One of the quickest remedies involves embracing those “kissing cousins”–conservation and efficiency–and making them part of our daily routine. Although energy consumption will continue to increase, by using electricity more efficiently, we can slow the overall growth for more power.
Source: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
We hardly take a step that does not involve the reliable flow of electricity. And every light switch or appliance we turn on sends the electric meter outside spinning a little faster and the monthly bill a little higher.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to escape the media coverage surrounding climate change as evening news reporters drone on about global warming.
We watch with concern and ask, “Is there anything one person can do to make a difference?” The answer is an emphatic, “Yes.” It starts with learning all we can about energy conservation and efficiency. While they are not the same thing, they are close relatives.
Conservation occurs when we reduce total consumption of electricity, often achieved by simply turning off anything that consumes electricity when not needed.
Energy efficiency occurs when we replace or upgrade the essentials in our lives (e.g., appliances, lighting, insulation), allowing us to realize the same benefit with less electricity.
If you want to help, call the Member Services Department at Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation and ask for a complete energy audit to assess how much energy your home consumes and evaluate what measures you can take to make your residence more energy efficient.
Then, with audit results in hand, take action. The cumulative effect of such small steps in homes and businesses will have a direct impact on our nation’s entire electric grid–reducing demand during peak periods, cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, and lowering overall costs to co-ops and consumer-members. Not to mention energy efficiency helps manage load growth and delays the need to build new electric generation facilities.
America’s electric co-ops are working with public officials at all levels to identify and adopt achievable and balanced solutions to climate change. One of the quickest remedies involves embracing those “kissing cousins”–conservation and efficiency–and making them part of our daily routine. Although energy consumption will continue to increase, by using electricity more efficiently, we can slow the overall growth for more power.
Source: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
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