David SjodingRenewable Energy Specialist
Coastal Bioenergy WorkshopJune 19, 2007
Why Renewable Energy in Coastal Washington Counties?
Renewable Energy Introduction
The Northwest is renewable energy rich especially coastal Washington
• Wind• Geothermal• Solar• Hydropower• Ocean wave/tidal• Bioenergy
How much opportunity for our coast?
• What do we know?
• What do we need to know?
• Can we fill in the gaps?
• What are the economics?
• What is the business case?
• Environmental considerations
Opportunity overview
Renewable energy• Something for everyone • A rural economic opportunity• Protection from rising fossil fuel prices• Keeps energy dollars local/in-state• Energy independence• Environmental improvements
Renewable Energy
The time has come
• 25 years of research and development pays off
• Prices falling and fossil energy rising
• Economic opportunities
Thinking About a Moving Target
• Research and development changes the answer – a strong 25-year effort
• Prices of fossil energy are up
• Renewable capital costs are down – Caution, steel prices
• We have better data – but not all of it analyzed
• Cost comparisons – rent vs. buy and multiple revenue streams
Washington Laws and Policy – The playing field has changed and is changing
• I-937 Renewable Portfolio Standard – 15% by 2020 Efficiency Portfolio standard CHP fits both EPS & RPS
• Renewable fuels standard – 2% ethanol & biodiesel
• Beyond Waste – Dept of Ecology• Work in progress
Utility Interconnection I-937 Rulemaking – Non power attributes Climate Advisory Team – Forestry TWG
Lessons Learned• Klickitat County – Non-site specific renewables EIS
- “Saved the family for a generation”
• $11.5 Billion petrodollar drain- We hit $3.00/gallon and crossed a political continental
divide in our state
• Can we keep these funds in-state?
• “Washington grown, Washington owned”- Governor Gregoire – Working Lands Initiative- North Dakota and Minnesota
• All biomass is local – Transportation costs
• Look for multiple revenue streams
WindNew wind maps – Some class 4 & 5 on coast
• www.windpowermaps.org – State maps and zoom PDF• But the analysis was done in 1991, before detailed
maps and bigger wind turbines
Research and Development • History, Kotzebue and future
Boom Time
• Up to 2,486 MWc in WA
Potential for Pacific Northwest• 132,900 MWc from study
Geothermal
Low temperature • Location and Ground Source Heat Pumps• Geoexchange
Example – A mini-mart• Trading heating and cooling• Works anywhere
Example – A Utah dairy• Powerful heating and chilling – Better milk
Solar• 1 MWc - Even West of the Cascades
• 30 MWc - California
• 700 MWc – Germany – Equal or worse than Forks, WA
• From Erector Set to Plug and Play
• Off-grid - the least cost choice
• WA feed-law payments & net metering
• Zero Energy Homes
• Northwest Solar Center
Solar Price History
HydropowerCurrent status – Approx 70% of WA power
• Provides a core of cheap regional power• Major economic base• Huge offset to fossil energy• We trade hydropower with power from Southwest
Future – Including coastal Washington• Low-impact and run of the river• Turbine redesigns
Ocean Wave/TidalA forgotten renewable resource – Until now
• Now emerging – World market options• Mainly at research and demonstration stage• Coastal WA has this resource – 45 to 60 degrees
lattitude• 1 MWc proposed near Neah Bay• Snohomish PUD/Tacoma Power considering tidal
options – 8 FERC permits• How Much? – Unknown• Environmentally benign
Bioenergy – Variety of technologies
Biopower/biogas - 370 MWc • Boilers/Anaerobic Digestion/gasifiers
• Hog fuel in forest products
Biofuels - Development 16.5 % ethanol, 30% biodiesel
• Biodiesel – 21.5 mg/yr on-line
• Cellulosic ethanol - Our future big opportunity
Bioproducts• A wide variety under development
• The key to economics and business plans
Renewables – Good News
• Wind – WA 818 MW on-line – The wind boom continues
• Geothermal – Ground source heat pumps anywhere
• Solar – Net metering law and tax credit payments
• Hydro – Two-thirds of Washington’s power
• Ocean Wave/tidal – 1 MWc proposed tidal project
• Bioenergy – Many developments
• Price is dropping and the technology keeps developing
• Renewables – alternative to fossil fuels
Bioenergy Focus
• National – Research, development and demonstration effort
• Regional activity – Pacific Northwest feedstocks• Unique fit among renewables• Opportunity knocks
Biofuels Ethanol – 16.5% motor gasoline
• 447 MG/yr in permitting/development stage• Current supply is mainly Mid-West (corn-based)• Pulp & paper mills – Fermenting those pesky sugars
Biodiesel – 30% middle distillates• 300 MG/yr in permitting/development/on-line • A Northwest advantage – mustard, canola, etc.• IF, Co-products are needed for economics• Agronomy needs significant work for all climates
BioOil• Pyrolysis (heat and pressure)
Biopower/Biogas
Combined heat and power – Current practiceAnaerobic digestion
• Blend of proven technology and new ideas• Economics require multiple revenue streams• Solves other problems (odor and ground water)
Methane to natural gas• Takes further scrubbing/processing• Demonstration level of technology
Gasifiers – FruitSmart
Bioproducts/Biorefinery
Wide variety of products• Glycerol to antifreeze• Activated carbon from wheat straw• Biopesticides from mustard/rapeseed meals
Biorefinery• Pulp and paper – Agenda 2020• Vision – An alternative to the oil refinery
New value-added productsPinnings at Collins-Pine - $1 million in new revenue
Washington Biomass Inventory and Bioenergy Assessment
• The best inventory and assessment in the nation• 45 sustainable feedstocks inventoried• 16.9 million tons of dry underutilized biomass• 1,769 MWc of potential power• 2 million tons – 6 coastal counties forestry residual flows• www.pacificbiomass.org has an interactive map and
database• Healthy forest, fire reduction – 3 to 13 million tons more
Forest Biomass Totals (tons/yr residue)
Forest power production potential
Pacific Regional Biomass Energy Program
• The states of AK, HI, ID, MT, OR & WA in partnership with U.S. Department of Energy
• Each partner has expertise and functions as a multi-state team
• Website is www.pacificbiomass.org
Largest Extension-Based Energy Program in the Country
Staff of 60
EngineersEnergy specialistsScientistsWeb and graphicsOther professionals
$6-7 million annual budget
Technical Expertise
• Energy efficiency engineering• Building sciences and standards• Renewable resources• District heating/utilities and distributed
generation/combined heat & power • Federal Energy Management
Program support• Climate change• Agricultural Energy • Energy supply and consumption data• Program research and evaluation
Outreach and Implementation
• One-on-one technical consultations and audits• Education and training• Clearinghouse services• Publication research, development and distribution• Energy library • Website development and maintenance• Software development, distribution and support• Resource Efficiency Management• Industries of the Future outreach• Participation on regional and national advisory and
technical committees
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