USA National Science Board Wants Your Input On A Sustainable Energy Future

NSB Task Force on Sustainable Energy Public Review and Comment Opportunity

The USA National Science Board released for public review and comments the 61-page draft report, Building a Sustainable Energy Future (NSB-09-35) and dated April 10, 2009.

The report contains a wealth of information on USA energy science, technology, economics and policy by way of tight summaries based on an extensive reference list.

The public invitation for review and comments says:

"The fundamental transformation of the current extractive U.S. fossil fuel energy economy to a sustainable energy economy is a critical grand challenge facing the Nation today."

"Transforming toward a sustainable energy economy requires national leadership and coordination, a new U.S. energy policy framework, and robust support for sustainable energy research, development, demonstration, deployment, and education (RD3E). In its report, the Board makes a number of recommendations to the U.S. Government and offers guidance to the National Science Foundation."

"Given the importance to promote national security through increasing U.S. energy independence, ensure environmental stewardship and reduce energy and carbon intensity, and generate continued economic growth through innovation in energy technologies and increases in green jobs, we hope that you will take this opportunity to express your views on the draft report."

"Submit comments by Friday, May 1, 2009, to Tami Tamashiro, Executive Secretary, Task Force on Sustainable Energy, at NSBenergy@nsf.gov. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Tamashiro at (703) 292-7000."

From the report:

U.S. Energy Supply (p. 9-10):

Today, 85 percent of the U.S. energy supply comes from the combustion of fossil fuels (e.g., oil, natural gas, and coal), and nuclear electric power provides 8 percent. Sustainable energy sources derived from water (hydroelectric), geothermal, wind, sun (solar), and biomass account for the remaining 7 percent of the U.S. energy supply. Dramatic advances and investment in the production, storage, and distribution of U.S. sustainable energy sources are needed to increase the level of sustainable energy supplies.

U.S. Energy Consumption (p. 10):

U.S. energy consumption varies by economic sector and by energy source. About one-third of energy delivered in the United States is consumed by the industrial sector, and one-half of that is consumed by three industries (bulk chemicals, petroleum refining, and paper products). The transportation sector accounts for the second highest share of total end-use consumption at 29 percent, followed by the residential sector at 21 percent and the commercial sector at 18 percent.

Across all sectors, petroleum is the highest energy source at around 40 percent, followed by natural gas (23 percent), coal (22 percent), nuclear electric power (8 percent), and renewable energy (7 percent). The transportation sector has historically consumed the most petroleum, with its petroleum consumption dramatically increasing over the past few decades. In 2007, petroleum accounted for 95 percent of the transportation sector’s energy consumption.

Recommendation 2: Boost R&D Investment (p. 16-17): Increase Federal investment in sustainable energy R&D

• Support a range of sustainable energy alternatives, their enabling infrastructure, and their effective demonstration and deployment. Funding should support investigation into a wide range of sustainable energy RD3E topics, including, but not limited to:

Advanced, sustainable nuclear power;

Alternative vehicles and transportation technologies;

Basic S&E research that feeds into applied energy technologies;

Behavioral sciences as it relates to energy consumption;

Carbon capture and sequestration;

Economic models and assessments related to sustainable energy;

Energy efficiency technologies at all levels of generation, transmission, distribution and consumption;

Energy storage;

Information and communications technologies that can help conserve energy and/or use it more efficiently, such as broadband cyberinfrastructure;

Renewable energy supply technologies (e.g., solar, wind, geothermal,
hydroelectric, biomass/biofuels, kinetic, tidal, wave, ocean thermal technologies);

Smart grid;

“Systems” approach to large-scale sustainability solutions, including full life-cycle analyses of energy systems (e.g., advanced fossil-fuel technologies andbiomass-derived fuels); and

Zero-energy buildings.


Recommendation 3: Facilitate Essential Policies (p. 17):

Consider stable policies that facilitate discovery, development, deployment, and
commercialization of sustainable energy technologies to reflect advances in basic and applied
research

• Understand the explicit and implicit subsidies of current energy sources that impede conversion to the use of sustainable energy sources, and actively work to establish research-based strategies that encourage greater market deployment of sustainable energy technologies.

Conclusion (p. 22):

This report marks a concerted effort by the Board to join with colleagues and stakeholders throughout the Federal, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors to address the challenges and opportunities for sustainable energy in the 21st century. The recommendations made herein to the U.S. Government strive to promote leadership of harmonized efforts in moving toward a sustainable energy economy. In addition, the Board offers guidance for NSF that aims to prioritize innovation in sustainable energy, by supporting sustainable energy RD3E that leads to the development and deployment of viable sustainable energy technologies. With resolve and invigorated initiative, the United States is positioned to successfully build and support a sustainable energy future.

Appendix A: History and Context of Sustainable Energy (p.25-44):

Provides interesting reading on the topics listed under Recommendation 2 above, the current state of USA energy supply and consumption, and a USA legislative timeline from President Truman's signing of the Atomic Energy Act (McMahon Act) in 1946 to President Obama's signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

South Africa To Produce 10,000 Gigawatt-Hours of Wind & Solar Energy Using Feed-In Tariffs

South Africa's National Energy Regulator (NERSA) in late March 2009 introduced a system of Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) intended to produce 10 (ten) Terawatt-hours (TWh) = 10,000 (ten thousand) Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity generated from wind, solar, small hydro, and landfill gas for the country by 2013.

"Feed-In Tariffs - Boosting Energy For Our Future" Report Front Cover, World Future Council, Hamburg, Germany, 2008.

Feed-In Tariffs For South Africa:

A March 31, 2009 Media Announcement briefs the NERSA Decision on Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT).

The 40-page report, South Africa Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) - Regulatory Guidelines 26 March, 2009, states in its introduction:

"Grid connected renewable energy is currently the fastest growing sector in the global energy market. Installed global wind capacity at the start of 2008 is in the order of 90GW, with total world installed capacity having doubled since 2004. India, China, the United States, Spain and Germany together added over 20GW of wind power in 2007. China and India each are currently installing wind electricity in excess of 1GW per annum and both have targets of achieving over 10GW by 2015. The capacity of grid connected solar PV has also quadrupled from an installed capacity of 2GW in 2004 to approaching 8GW at the end of 2007. Commercial-scale solar thermal power plants are also under construction in countries such as the US and Spain. Targets for the promotion of renewable energy now exist in more than 58 countries, of which 13 are developing countries."

'The renewable energy industry is now a major economic player, with the industry employing over 2.5 million people worldwide. Renewable energy companies have grown significantly in size in recent years, with the market capitalisation of publicly traded renewables companies doubling from $50 billion to $100 billion in just two years (2005-7)."

"South Africa has a high level of renewable energy potential and presently has in place targets of 10,000 GWh of renewable energy by 2013. To contribute towards this target and towards socio-economic and environmentally sustainable growth, and kick start and stimulate the renewable energy industry in South Africa, there is a need to establish an appropriate market mechanism."

"Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) are, in essence, guaranteed prices for electricity supply rather than conventional consumer tariffs. The basic economic principle underpinning the FITs is the establishment of a tariff (price) that covers the cost of generation plus a "reasonable profit" to induce developers to invest. This is quite similar to the concept of cost recovery used in utility rate regulation based on the costs of capital."

"Under this approach it becomes economically appropriate to award different tariffs for different technologies. The price for the electricity produced should be set at a level and for a period that provides a reasonable return on investment for a specific technology. The tariff should also be certain and long term enough to allow for project financing to be raised by the project."

"Feed-in tariffs to promote renewable energy have now been adopted in over 36 countries around the world, including Spain and Germany and a number of states in the US, and also including developing nations such as Turkey, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Ecuador, China, Brazil, Argentina and most recently Kenya."

"The establishment of the Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) in South Africa will provide an excellent opportunity for South Africa to increase the deployment of renewable energy in the country and contribute towards the sustained growth of the sector in the country, the region and internationally."






"Feed-In Tariffs - Boosting Energy For Our Future" Report Back Cover, World Future Council, Hamburg, Germany, 2008.

Climate Masters Program Comes To New Mexico In May 2009

The New Mexico Environment Department is offering the Climate Masters program at the Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, NM beginning May 26 and ending July 28, 2009.

The Climate Masters program is a free series of classes focused on climate change, what you can do to reduce greenhouse gases emissions in your daily life, and strategies for motivating others to do the same. In exchange for the 30 hours of course training, you will be asked to donate 30 hours of volunteer options in your communities.

For resources information, see "Resources for Climate Masters" at the University of Oregon's Climate Leadership Initiative, and the "Climate Master Handbook -- A Guide to Shrinking Your Climate Footprint and Motivating Others to do the Same".