Energy
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Why Renewable Energy?
What is Nevada's Renewable Energy Potential?
Global Warming
Achieving a Clean Energy Future
Background reading
Why Renewable Energy?
This world is facing a tumultuous energy future. At the same time that the demand for energy is increasing at a near exponential rate, the impacts of our historic dependence on conventional energy sources have become increasingly more drastic and dangerous. Our reliance on fossil fuels has led to a global warming that many consider the most serious environmental threat this world has ever faced. But the impacts are not solely environmental. The political, economic, and health impacts are just as severe and could threaten every aspect of our society. Were there no alternatives, our fate would be sealed. Luckily, there are many alternatives and some of them can be found right here in our backyard. Nevada has the potential to be a world leader in developing renewable energy sources as well as developing energy efficiency and conservation programs. Implementing these solutions will require the concerted effort of individuals, government, and businesses alike. NCL is proud to have renewable energy as a central component of our advocacy work and we invite you to become a part of this solution. Below is a summary of the "Roadmap" to a clean energy future as well as resources for further reading.
Nevada's Renewable Energy Potential
Solar Power
With its year-round clear and sunny skies, Nevada possesses an abundance of solar energy. To accurately portray our state's solar resources, we need two maps. That is because different collector types use the sun in different ways. Collectors that focus the sun (like a magnifying glass) can reach high temperatures and efficiencies. These are called concentrating collectors. Typically, these collectors are on a tracker, so they always face the sun directly. Because these collectors focus the sun's rays, they only use the direct rays coming straight from the sun.
Other solar collectors are simply flat panels that can be mounted on a roof or on the ground. Called flat-plate collectors, these are typically fixed in a tilted position correlated to the latitude of the location. This allows the collector to best capture the sun. These collectors can use both the direct rays from the sun and reflected light that comes through a cloud or off the ground. Because they use all available sunlight, flat-plate collectors are the best choice for many northern states. Therefore, there are two maps: above is the map for a concentrating collector and the one below is the resource for a flat-plate collector.
What do the maps mean? For flat-plate collectors, Nevada has very good resources, with the best resources in the southern part of the state. For concentrating collectors, Nevada has some of the nation's best resources, particularly in the southern tip of the state.
Detailed Concentrating Solar Power Resource Maps for the southwestern United States are available from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
The Renewable Energy Atlas of the West (pdf) estimated the annual solar electricity generation potential in Nevada to be 93 million megawatt hours per year!
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy & www.energyatlas.org
Wind Power
This map indicates that Nevada has wind resources consistent with utility-scale production. The largest contiguous lower elevation areas of good-to-excellent resource are located in southern Nevada near Las Vegas and near Ely. Good-to-excellent wind resources are also located on the higher ridge crests throughout the state.
As a renewable resource, wind is classified according to wind power classes, which are based on typical wind speeds. These classes range from Class 1 (the lowest) to Class 7 (the highest). In general, at 50 meters, wind power Class 4 or higher is best for generating wind power with large turbines. However, particular locations in the Class 3 areas could have higher wind power class values at 80 meters than are shown on the above map because of possible high wind shear. Given the advances in technology, a number of locations in the Class 3 areas may suitable for utility-scale wind development.
While Nevada has yet to tap into its favorable
wind resources, several new projects are planned.
One facility proposed for the former Nevada Test
Site could consist of up to 550 wind turbines.
Nevada’s windy lands suitable for development total nearly
900,000 acres.
Electricity Generation Potential in Nevada: 55 million MWh/yr!
Source: Nevada Wind Resources Map by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy & Renewable Energy Atlas of the West (pdf) at www.energyatlas.org
Geothermal Power
Nevada’s geothermal resources are greater than any other state in the country. It is expected that this resource will play a vital role in meeting the goal set by the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to produce 15% of electricity from renewables by 2013.
Geothermal power is generated by mining the earth's heat. In areas with high temperature ground water at shallow depths, wells are drilled into natural fractures in basement rock or into permeable sedimentary rocks. Hot water or steam flows up through the wells either by pumping or through boiling (flashing) flow and is used to drive a turbine to generate electricity. This type of energy is viewed as sustainable because the heat of the earth is so vast that there is no way to remove more than a small fraction even if most of the world's energy needs came from geothermal sources.
Nevada’s first geothermal power plant was developed
in 1984. The state’s installed capacity has
since grown to nearly 238 MW. Passage of the
state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) has
given geothermal an even bigger boost, since the
resource is expected to play an essential role in
meeting the goal set by the RPS to produce 15%
of electricity from renewables by 2013.
Electricity Generation Potential in Nevada: 20 million MWh/yr!
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_power & Renewable Energy Atlas of the West (pdf) at www.energyatlas.org
Economic Impact for Nevada
The Work that Goes into Renewable Energy
For those seeking to advance economic development and diversify economies, this study demonstrates that renewable energy offer many diverse jobs to American workers. To view this argument in support of expanding renewable energy markets see link: http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/binaries/LABOR_FINAL_REV.pdf
The Potential Economic Impact of Nevada’s Renewable Energy Resources
This study estimates the potential positive effects Nevada’s renewable energy resources could have on the state economy, concluding that the generation of renewable energy would be an important contributor to sustainable economic development. Developing state renewable resources would provide a powerful tool for economic development and would reduce Nevada’s reliance on out-of-state energy producers. Nevada has the potential to be a leader in renewable electric power generation. To read more click here.
Fiscal Impact of a Wind Power Plant in White Pine County Nevada
This May 31, 2005 Nevada Commission on Economic Development report studies the fiscal impact of a 200 megawatt wind plant in White Pine County.
Download File
Global Warming
Source:
Jones, P.D. and Moberg, A. (2003) "Hemispheric and large-scale surface air temperature variations: An extensive revision and an update to 2001". Journal of Climate, 16, 206-223
For almost 50 years, there has been a consensus in the scientific community that the Earth's temperature is rising rapidly. Furthermore, there is near unanimous consensus that this trend has been caused by human activities including the increased burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and others leading to the increased amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The warming is caused by what is know as the "Greenhouse Effect" which traps heat in the atmosphere, thereby warming the planet. It is the contention of NCL and many millions of people across the world that Global Warming is likely the greatest threat to the planet's health we face today and unless we take serious precautionary action now, the world will face dire consequences.
For a good primer on Global Warming and its current and potential effects, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
This figure shows the relative fraction of man-made greenhouse gases coming from each of eight categories of sources, as estimated by the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research.
These values are intended to provide a snapshot of global annual greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2000.
The top panel shows the sum over all man-made greenhouse gases, weighted by their global warming potential over the next 100 years. This consists of 72% carbon dioxide, 18% methane, 8% nitrous oxide and 1% other gases. Lower panels show the comparable information for each of these three primary greenhouse gases, with the same coloring of sectors as used in the top chart. Segments with less than 1% fraction are not labeled.
Source:
Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research http://www.mnp.nl/edgar/model/v32ft2000edgar/
Want to reduce your carbon footprint and help fight global warming?
Carbonfund.org is a great site to allow you to do just that.
www.carbonfund.org
Insurmountable Risks
Can Nuclear Power Solve the Global Warming Problem?
Read a summary of the latest report by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER).
Download Here (PDF)
False Promises: Debunking Nuclear Industry Propaganda
Download a report by the GRACE Energy Initiative clearly showing Nuclear Power is not that answer to Global Warming. Download Here (PDF)
A Clean Energy Future
On October 5, 2006, 145 businesses, environmental organizations (including the Nevada Conservation League), and other groups (representing 37 states) released the "Sustainable Energy Blueprint" - a policy paper that outlines a "plausible strategy for achieving a no-nuclear, low-carbon, highly-efficient and sustainable energy future."
It provides a timeframe and series of policy recommendations for rapidly expanding the use of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies to enable a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gases while simultaneously phasing out nuclear power and ending most energy imports.
The Sustainable Energy Blueprint argues that three primary, longer-term objectives for the nation's energy policy should be:
1.) reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level consistent with a world-wide goal of global climate stabilization (assumes curbing U.S. CO2 emissions by 60-80% from current levels by mid-century);
2.) eliminating U.S. energy imports (i.e., oil and natural gas - now 58% and 15% respectively), while reducing overall use of oil and natural gas;
3.) phasing out the current generation of nuclear power while substantially curbing the production and consumption of fossil fuels, by increasing the use of energy efficiency and making a transition to sustainable, environmentally safer renewable energy sources.
Towards this end, it suggests a 2025 energy scenario in which total energy use is reduced by 20%, renewable energy provides more than 20% of domestic energy supplies, natural gas imports are eliminated, oil imports are cut by more than 40%, greenhouse gas emissions are 20% below current levels, and nuclear power is almost completely phased out.
By 2050, the Sustainable Energy Blueprint envisions a domestic energy mix in which energy efficiency improvements have reduced energy use from present levels by 40%, renewable energy accounts for at least half of total energy supplies, greenhouse gas emissions have been slashed by two-thirds from 2005 levels, fossil fuel imports have ceased, and nuclear power is no longer in use.
The authors of the Sustainable Energy Blueprint acknowledge that the mix of options presented are intended to be illustrative and is by no means the only combination by which the Untied States could achieve a sustainable energy future.
The full text of the Sustainable Energy Blueprint, can be downloaded here (PDF).
U.S. PIRG Report Shows Ten Opportunities to Build New Energy Future
This report clearly lays out 10 golden opportunities to move America beyond fossil fuels and toward a cleaner, more secure energy future for America. It has been endorsed by more than 280 environmental, consumer, labor, and civic organizations across the country. Download Here (PDF)
Links
Websites
The Energy Atlas presents renewable energy resources in the West, profiling states’ capacities to produce wind, solar, geothermal and biomass power. To view Nevada’s profiles on the generation of wind, solar, geothermal and biomass power including newly-released high-resolution wind maps see link: www.energyatlas.org/PDFs/LowRes/atlas_state_NV.pdf or www.energyatlas.org
YouTube video of Nevada Solar One Power Plant
Reports/Studies
Race to the Top: The Expanding Role of U.S. State Renewable Portfolio of Standards
In order to stimulate economic development, to create more reliable and diversified supplies of electricity and to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, states are implementing increasingly ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).
For the press release see link: http://www.pewclimate.org/press_room/sub_press_room/
2006_releases/rps_release.cfm
To download entire report (pdf):
http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/RPSReportFinal%2Epdf
Western Resource Advocates and Environmental Defense Release Report: Proposed Southwest Coal Plants Will Create Flood of Global Warming Pollution
If more than a dozen coal-fired power plants planned for Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah begin operating, they would emit global warming pollution equivalent to the tailpipe exhaust of 12.5 million cars driving around the Southwest for a year. The potential for such a huge increase in carbon dioxide emissions is the focus of a new report from Environmental Defense and Western Resource Advocates: “Climate Alert: Cleaner Energy for the Southwest.” The threat posed by those emissions – 70 million tons of carbon dioxide a year – reinforces the importance of the ongoing shift to clean energy being championed by policy-makers in these five states.
Read the report (PDF)
Read the press release (PDF)
Books
The Essence of Oil and Gas Depletion
By: Colin J. Campbell
Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble
By: Lester R. Brown
The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy
By: Dan Chiras
