Willem Post's Blog (171)

The Vermont House passed the Global Warming “Solutions” Act bill, GWSA, and sent it to the Vermont Senate, which also passed it. The bill, if enacted, would convert the aspirational goals of the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP, into mandated goals, with penalties. GWSA has been called “must pass this Session”.

Capital Costs to Implement the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan

In 2015, Energy Action…

In summer, highly subsidized, expensive, variable, intermittent solar dozes off in late afternoon/early evening, sleeps all night, and does not wake up until about mid-morning the next day, becomes very active around midday creating DUCK curves, especially on sunny days, then dozes off again in late afternoon/early evening.

In winter, solar dozes off in late afternoon, sleeps all night, and does not wake up until about mid-morning the…

Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, VEIC, is involved in “energy solutions for an evolving world”. It helps various, mostly government entities, meet economic and environmental goals with sustainable solutions “designed for impact”. Major areas of interest are energy efficiency, building electrification, transportation electrification, and a clean and flexible grid.

SOLAR IN VERMONT

VEIC states: Vermont is on its way to becoming an advanced…

Based on the sun index level, Vermont is ranked 44th regarding solar power potential, according to a sun index developed for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) using data provided by NREL's Renewable Resource Data Center.

Connecticut and Rhode Island rank 41^st and 38^th. See table 2 of URL

https://neo.ne.gov/programs/stats/inf/201.htm

The sun index is defined as an…

Please note, this article is a short excerpt, with references to tables and the Appendix, from this much longer article. Much additional information is provided in the longer article. Please, also read the longer article.…

Review of Planet of the Humans

Richard Heinberg  (Post Carbon Institute)

April 27, 2020

A few days ago, Emily Atkin posted a…

Pro-logging interests use “Burning Wood is Renewable” as a slogan, a mantra, to assure others all is benign, because it helps save the world, fight global warming, is part of the solution, and thus deserves to get money via a proposed Global Warming Solutions Act.

Sources of CO2 of Logging Sector

1) Before logging, the logging sector has to be set up, operated, maintained and renewed, which emits CO2

2) The logging process includes…

Depending on how much the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, variable/intermittent wind and solar often supply too much or too little electricity. The solution of the 100%-in-state proponents is to store unused electricity in batteries (or some other medium) and then dispatch from storage as needed, 24/7/365, to maintain ISO-NE-specified grid conditions. 

The 100%-in-state proponents propose a $1.2 billion down-payment…

The purpose of this article is to compare the Hydro Quebec electricity prices of exports to New York and New England and the costs of wind and solar, and the prices paid to owners of New England wind and solar systems. The CO2 of wind, solar and hydro are also compared.

This article shows, it is abundantly clear electricity from Hydro-Quebec is far less costly than from New England wind and solar, plus it requires no subsidies and cost shifting.

Reservoir…

Vermont has a Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP. The capital cost for implementing the CEP would be in excess of $1.0 billion/y for at least 33 years, per Energy Action Network annual report. See URLs.

http://eanvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EAN-2015-Annual-Report-Low-Res-Final.pdf …

Vermont has a Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP. The capital cost for implementing the CEP would be in excess of $1.0 billion/y for at least 33 years, per Energy Action Network annual report. See URLs.

http://eanvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EAN-2015-Annual-Report-Low-Res-Final.pdf …

Vermont has a Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP. The capital cost for implementing the CEP would be in excess of $1.0 billion/y for at least 33 years, per Energy Action Network annual report. See URLs.

http://eanvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EAN-2015-Annual-Report-Low-Res-Final.pdf …

After 2015, the method of calculating CO2 absorption by Vermont's forests, etc., was changed to conform with EPA and international standards.

As a result, the higher values of the old method were replaced with the lower values of the new method.

For example, 8.23 million metric ton in 2015 (old) became 4.39 million Mt in 2015 (new), about 47% less.

If Vermont were to reduce overall CO2 to lower levels, then forests would absorb an increasing percentage…

The "Global Warming Solutions Act" bill was passed by the House Energy and Technology Committee on a 7-2 vote and moved to the House Appropriations Committee, which rubber-stamped the bill. A House vote passed the bill, 105 - 37, a few days later. The Senate is next to vote.

GWSA converts the CO2 aspirational goals of the Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP, to legal mandates. 

GWSA requires state government to come up with…

Go to any Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, etc., parking lot and you see at least 60% four-wheel-drive, and all-wheel-drive SUVs/crossovers/pick-up trucks.

People own these vehicles for many reasons, especially to drive on snowy, icy, hilly, pothole, muddy, rutted roads during cold winters. All-wheel-drive and 200+ range are preferred in Vermont, New Hampshire Maine, etc.

EVs would lose up to 40% of their already-limited range.

A full-battery, 200-mile…

Recently, Vermont Electric Co-op and Highview Power, were musing a liquid air energy storage, LAES, plant, using excess wind electricity generated with wind turbine plants, to be installed, in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, NEK.

Baker-Hughes is an advisor regarding LAES to Highview Power.

Baker-Hughes estimates the all-in, turnkey cost (financing, operating,…

While DISGUSTA, Maine, folks are going nuts because the world is going to come to an end, if they do not blanket NORTHERN MAINE with wind turbines everywhere, the REST OF THE WORLD is busy ADDING 1600 NEW coal plants.

THESE KNOW-NOTHINGS ARE HELL-BENT to UGLIFY MAINE and make Maine much more expensive to "live" in.

Vote out Governor Mills and get rid of her lackey appointees in November, the only rational solution.

Maine needs term limits on House members and…

Vermont has a Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP. The capital cost for implementing the CEP would be in excess of $1.0 BILLION PER YEAR FOR AT LEAST 33 YEARS, according to the Energy Action Network annual report.

https://outside.vermont.gov/sov/webservices/Shared%20Documents/2016CEP_Final.pdf

The CEP projects plug-ins and EVs as shown in table 1.

The…

Vermont has a Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP. The capital cost for implementing the CEP would be in excess of $1.0 billion/y for at least 33 years, according to the Energy Action Network annual report. See URLs.

http://eanvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EAN-2015-Annual-Report-Low-Res-Final.pdf …