HEADLINES

• Web Resource Offers Energy Efficiency Program Support to Public Power Utilities
• Report explores reducing GH emissions by replacing coal power with natural gas
• Judges rule against nuclear power reactors on Florida’s coast

Web Resource Offers Energy Efficiency Program Support to Public Power Utilities

The Clean and Efficient Energy Program (CEEP) has launched www.cleanefficientenergy.org, an online resource that encourages the sharing of experiences, best practices and educational resources among energy efficiency program managers at public power utilities. CEEP’s online community enables stakeholders to learn about and discuss aspects of energy efficiency program design, implementation and evaluation, while making connections with peers and energy efficiency experts.

CEEP is a partnership of the Alliance to Save Energy,, the American Public Power Association, , and the Large Public Power Council to promote and support the energy efficiency efforts of locally-owned utilities.

www.cleanefficientenergy.org features a comprehensive resource library where users can easily access decades’ worth of advice, how-to guidance and case studies, researched by and gathered from public and private sector leaders. Through ratings and comments, the user
community can be actively involved in defining best practice strategies. CEEP frequently adds new materials to the site, however users are also encouraged to upload resources that they find helpful and to share information about their own successes and challenges.

In addition, users can seek or offer advice in CEEP’s discussion forums by joining an ongoing conversation or starting a new discussion thread. Overtime, CEEP will increasingly become a product of its users as it captures more and more information based on real world experiences.

posted 2.3.10

Report explores reducing GH emissions by replacing coal power with natural gas 

A recent report by the Congressional Research Service, Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants, offers an overview of the issues involved in displacing coal-fired generation with electricity from existing natural gas plants. The report explores replacing some coal power with natural gas generation, compared to coal a lower-carbon source of electricity, by increasing the power output from currently underutilized natural gas plants as an option for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Although the Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants does not claim to provide definitive answers, it does highlight the key issues that Congress may need to consider in deciding whether to rely on, and encourage, displacement of coal-fired electricity with power from existing natural gas plants.

The report finds that the potential for displacing coal by making greater use of existing gas-fired power plants depends on numerous factors:

• The amount of excess natural gas-fired generating capacity available
• The current operating patterns of coal and gas plants, and the amount of flexibility power system operators have for changing those patterns
• Whether or not the transmission grid can deliver power from existing gas power plants to loads currently served by coal plants
• Whether there is sufficient natural gas supply, and pipeline and gas storage capacity, to deliver large amounts of additional fuel to gas-fired power plants

The report concludes that Congress needs to authorize a subsequent study to determine – using complicated computer modeling – whether there is sufficient excess gas fired capacity, and the supporting transmission and other infrastructure, to displace a material volume of coal over the near term.

View Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants

Posted 1.28.10

Judges rule against nuclear power reactors on Florida’s coast

Three Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners have upheld the July 2009 ruling by a panel of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) that is hearing a challenge to two new Progress Energy Florida (PEF) nuclear reactors in Levy County, Florida. Three organizations, the Ecology Party of Florida, Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and the Green Party of Florida are representing the interests of members living within a 50 mile radius of the proposed new nuclear site, located in the Florida Nature Coast less than 10 miles from the existing PEF Crystal River Nuclear Power Station. The Levy County reactors are projected to cost $17 billion.

The landmark ruling, handed down on Thursday, January 7 in response to an appeal by PEF, affirms that the ASLB will hear very broad concerns raised by the Intervening groups, including impacts of a new nuclear plant on ground and surface waters, endangered species, and environmental and safety issues of generating so-called “low-level” radioactive waste that currently has no off-site disposal option.

The hearing on the PEF license application will proceed with development of expert testimony, the publication of federal documents on safety and environment and then in 2011 or 2012, a hearing that will be conducted by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.

View the NRC ruling

View the NIRS, Ecology Party, Green Party challenge to Progress Energy

View the NRC and Atomic Safety and Licensing Board contentions rulings on standing, contention admissibility, motion to file new contention, and selection of hearing procedure

Posted 1.15.10

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