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Regional Wind Energy

Purchase

Ann ElsenEnergy Planner

Montgomery County, MDEnvironmental Protection

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Big dogs eat first.

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“Green” Power

Everything Else

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. It’s not easy being green .

Cities for Climate Protection Green Power Partnership

Wind Energy Resolution

State Implementation Plan

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Metropolitan Washington

Council of Governments

(COG)

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State Implementation Plan (SIP)

• Compliance with Clean Air Act• Reduce ground-level ozone by

reducing precursors: NOx and VOC

• Safeguard federal transportation dollars

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Emissions

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Pennsylvania

New York

Virginia

Maryland

Delaware

NOxVOC

ton

s p

er

year

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0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Maryland

Pennsylvania

New YorkVirg

inia

Delaware

Ground-Level Ozone

# Days above 1-hour standard

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So, where does the ozone come from?

“Ozone Transport”

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Locations of 50 Largest Power Plants in US

                                                                              

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PJM Control AreaNY

MD

WV

DE

OH

NJ

PA

VA

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Emissions “Offset”• We buy wind from area where NOx

emissions occur (ozone transport)

• Wind power “offsets” some coal power generation

• MDE (or equivalent) awards NOx “allowances”

• Allowances are retired

• Credit for “allowances” taken in SIP

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Price Premium:

1.5 ¢ 2 ¢ (per kWh)

Price for Wind Depends On:• Size of purchase• Contract term• NOT electricity rates

Cost of Wind Power

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Cost by Agency

Agency 5% WindkWh

cost @ 1.5 cents

cost @ 2 cents

Water 10,914,544 $163,718 $218,291

Schools 9,241,066 $138,616 $184,821

Government 3,549,996 $53,250 $71,000

Parks 2,525,126 $37,877 $50,503

Housing 1,282,956 $19,244 $25,659

College 1,217,320 $18,260 $24,346

Total 28,731,008 $430,965 $574,620

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Control Measure Cost (ton/year)

Wind Energy $32,000

CNG Refueling Stations $54,701

55 CNG Busses $103,063

1967 Bike Lockers $247,111

Cost Effective NOx Reduction

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Easily Replicated by Other“Non-Attainment” Jurisdictions

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Resources• Montgomery County Department of

Environmental Protection: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/deptmpl.asp?url=/Content/dep/index.asp

• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments: http://www.mwcog.org

• Green Power Partnership: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/

• American Wind Energy Association: http://www.awea.org/