RENEWABLE ENERGY: Powering the World with Wind, Water and Sunlight

Mark Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, has published 18 peer-reviewed scientific papers (with 96 collaborators) dealing with electric power derived from three renewable energy sources: wind, water and sunlight.

His publications demonstrate that renewable energy will not only benefit the environment in terms of avoiding pollution and global climate change, but also will provide far more jobs than will be lost in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. In addition to environmental and economic benefits, the transition to clean energy will provide significant health benefits to society.

In the video below, Jacobson delivers a short lecture to California high school students titled "Powering the World with Wind Water and Sunlight (WWS)."

Want to see how the Jacobson 100% WWS plan would apply to New York State?  

- Powerpoint Presentation (34 Mb) by Mark Jacobson titled "Powering New York State with Wind, Water and Sunlight"- Click here.

- Publication (2013) by Mark Jacobson and colleagues titled "Examining the feasibility of converting New York State’s all-purpose energy infrastructure to one using wind, water, and sunlight" -- Click Here to download the PDF. 

[Click image to enlarge]

The Jacobson 100% WWS plan applies to 53 Towns and Cities:
- Summary paper: Sustainable Cities and Society, 2018 - Click Here

The Jacobson 100% WWS plan applies to the 50 United States:

- Publication (2015) by Mark Jacobson and colleagues titled "100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States" - Click Here.

The Jacobson 100% WWS plan applies to the World:

- October 24, 2016: "100% Clean and Renewable Wind, Water, and Sunlight (WWS) All-Sector Energy Roadmaps for 139 Countries of the World" - Click Here.

NY Climate Solutions Summit -- October 28th in Rochester

 

What: NY Climate Solutions Summit

When: Saturday, October 28th, 8am-5pm

Where: The Harley School 

1981 Clover Street, Rochester [Map]

Keynote Speakers:

• Aaron Mair, Former Sierra Club President  

• Sandra Steingraber, Acclaimed Author & Ecologist  

The NY Climate Solutions Summit invites both new and experienced clean energy and climate organizers from across the state to gather and learn about case studies, experiences, projects, resources, and skills that will help their communities implement climate change solutions.

Presenters will share case studies on solar, wind, renewable heating, energy efficiency, transportation, environmental justice, and land use, in addition to workshops on movement building and technical skills. More details on the full program can be found here.

REGISTER HERE

RSVP and Share This Event on Facebook

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Planning team members:
Rochester People’s Climate Coalition, ACE NY, New Yorkers for Clean Power, Mothers Out Front, NY GEO, and the Alliance for a Green Economy.

Trump's Wrong-Headed Energy Plan Ignores Clean Energy Revolution and Climate Change

Trump’s “America First” Energy Plan Leaves America Behind

January 30, 2017 Roland Hwang   Kit Kennedy    
National Resources Defense Council 
 

On the eve of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources confirmation vote for Rick Perry to be Secretary of Energy, it’s important to take a close look at the Trump administration’s plans for America’s energy future. The administration’s new webpage on “An America First Energy Plan” is—like much of the president’s rhetoric—wrong-headed, short on details, and divorced from reality.

In fact, it’s most notable for what it doesn’t say — there’s not a word about the clean energy revolution, a boom in wind, solar, and energy efficiency that is creating millions of jobs, saving billions of dollars, and even saving lives by cutting pollution. This misleading plan not only fails to put America first — it threatens to pull America back to the 20^th century. NRDC will fight to make sure that the Trump administration doesn’t succeed at making America’s energy choices worse.

Here’s a look at a breakdown of the Trump plan [in italics] contrasted with the authors' comments on what that plan gets wrong [no italics]:

The Trump Administration is committed to energy policies that lower costs for hardworking Americans ...

One of the best tools at our disposal to slash energy bills is energy efficiency — but it isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Trump plan. Since 1987, federal energy efficiency standards on appliances and equipment have saved Americans a cumulative total of $2 trillion on energy costs. Standards set in 2016 alone will save $75 billion on utility bills. With such tremendous cost-cutting power, it’s no wonder that federal efficiency standards have long enjoyed bipartisan support. Leaving efficiency out of an energy plan is a major oversight.

Despite wild swings in fossil fuel prices, America’s electricity bills and the per-kilowatt-hour rates recorded on them have been relatively stable and affordable for decades, thanks in good part to leadership at the state level in support of energy efficiency and renewable resources. In fact, after adjusting for inflation, U.S. electricity is cheaper today than it was more than a quarter-century ago, in 1990. And in some regions, solar and wind energy are already cost-competitive with fossil fuels, helping to lower everyone’s utility bills.

…and maximize the use of American resources… 

In 2015, nearly 70 percent of new electric generation came from American wind and solar power. Yet these American energy resources aren’t mentioned at all in the Trump plan — even though many heartland states, both red and blue, want more, as clean energy is helping revive both rural and rust-belt economies. And let’s not forget that Rick Perry’s home state of Texas is a national leader in wind energy. Today, more than 2.5 million Americans work in clean energy, from skilled factory workers making batteries for hybrid vehicles to military veterans who now scale turbine towers as wind energy technicians. China plans to create 13 million jobs by 2020 by investing in clean power. Where are the clean energy jobs in the Trump plan?

...freeing us from dependence on foreign oil.

Thanks to strong clean car and fuel economy standards set under the Obama administration, we’re already loosening the grip of oil dependence. The standards, which will double mileage for cars and light trucks by 2025, will also cut oil consumption by 1.5 million barrels per day — equivalent to current U.S. imports from the Persian Gulf. Standards save money for consumers, too —  nearly $4,000 over the lifetime of a vehicle. According to the BlueGreen Alliance, clean car standards will also create more than half a million jobs nationwide.

For too long, we’ve been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry.

The data clearly shows that environmental safeguards, rather than being a burden, have drastically cut pollution over the past 40 years while the economy has enjoyed tremendous growth. As the U.S. Environmental Protection reports, from 1970 to 2015, the Clean Air Act helped cut 70 percent of the soot and smog from American skies while the economy grew 246 percent. More than double the growth, less than half the pollution. That’s progress. Meanwhile, due to energy efficiency progress accelerated by appliance and equipment standards and building energy codes, the historical link between economic growth and total energy use was broken four decades ago and has not reappeared. GDP increased by 30 percent between 2000 and 2015, while total energy consumption remained flat.

President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule. Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years.

The 117 million people whose drinking water supplies depend on Waters of the U.S. protections would hardly call it unnecessary. And when climate change creates international instability, dries up crops and ranchland, swamps low-lying communities and drives extreme weather that cost taxpayers $100 billion in 2012 alone, an action plan is surely in order. The Clean Power Plan aims to cut carbon pollution from power plants by 40 percent. Efficiency standards for appliances and federal buildings will play a big role in this, with a goal of cutting 3 billion metric tons of carbon emissions by 2030. There’s no reference to back up the wage increase mentioned in the Trump plan, but studies on the Clean Power Plan have shown that it would create as many as 274,000 jobs and deliver climate and health benefits worth $53 to $93 billion every year — including saving thousands of lives.

Renewable Energy: Powering the World with Wind, Water and Sunlight

Mark Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, has published a number of peer-reviewed scientific publications dealing with electric power derived from three renewable energy sources: wind, water and sunlight.

His publications demonstrate that renewable energy will not only benefit the environment in terms of avoiding pollution and global climate change, but also will provide far more jobs than will be lost in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. In addition to environmental and economic benefits, the transition to clean energy will provide significant heath benefits to society.

In the video below, Jacobson delivers a short lecture to California high school students titled "Powering the World with Wind Water and Sunlight (WWS)."

Want to see how Jacobson's WWS plan would apply to New York State?  

- Powerpoint Presentation (34 Mb) by Mark Jacobson titled "Powering New York State with Wind, Water and Sunlight"- Click here.

- Publication (2013) by Mark Jacobson and colleagues titled "Examining the feasibility of converting New York State’s all-purpose energy infrastructure to one using wind, water, and sunlight" -- Click Here to download the PDF. 

[Click image to enlarge]

See how the Jacobson WWS plan applies to the 50 United States:

- Publication (2015) by Mark Jacobson and colleagues titled "100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States" - Click Here.

See how the Jacobson WWS plan applies to the World:

- UPDATED October 24, 2016: "100% Clean and Renewable Wind, Water, and Sunlight (WWS) All- Sector Energy Roadmaps for 139 Countries of the World" - Click Here.

Video at Youtube:  Click here.

Clean Energy NEWS

Hawaii Enacts Nation’s First 100% Renewable Energy Standard
Hawaii enacted a law this week that mandates that all of the state’s electricity comes from renewable sources no later than 2045. The bill makes Hawaii the first U.S. state to adopt such a standard. This renewable energy standard is being hailed as “the most aggressive clean energy goal in the country.”

The legislation was drafted by Blue Planet Foundation, whose mission is “to clear the path for 100 percent clean energy.” Many believe Hawaii can reach the goal well before 2045 because the islands are already a renewable energy leader. “Hawaii’s renewable energy use has doubled in the past five years, with the islands currently generating about 22 percent of their electricity from wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy resources.”

Read the full report at EcoWatch


Republican pours money into U.S. climate, clean energy foundation | Reuters

A Republican businessman said on Monday he is pouring millions of dollars into a foundation that sees opportunities where the majority of his fellow party members do not: easing climate change and speeding the country's transition to clean energy.

Jay Faison of Charlotte, North Carolina, has given $165 million to Clearpath, his foundation dedicated to explaining to centrist Republicans climate science and business opportunities in solar and other forms of green energy. In addition, he is giving $10 million to a related political nonprofit to raise additional funds.

The foundation aims to move the Republicans away from the party line of raising doubts about the science of climate change.

"There's a lot of good solutions, but we are not going to get there if we keep arguing about the problem," said Faison, a founder of audio-visual system companies.

Read the report at Reuters.com

Adam Zyglis | The Buffalo News

Proposal to boost renewable energy is an investment in the state’s future | The Buffalo News

This region is in the difficult process of remaking itself from its smokestack past into a green energy hub with thousands of eagerly anticipated jobs in a growing industry.

That makeover is just one reason to support efforts by the state’s energy research authority to dedicate $1.5 billion over the next 10 years to push further development in renewable energy projects and extend the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard program that began in 2004.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority also wants to tweak the program to make it more efficient. The end result would be an increase in renewable generating capacity “by reducing project costs and trimming the cost of financing those developments.”

Read the Editorial at BuffaloNews.com


Ditching Fossil Fuels and Switching to 100% Renewables No Problem, Says Stanford Study

Is it possible for the U.S. to ditch fossil fuels? The answer is yes, according to researchers and engineers from Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley, who have developed a state-by-state plan to convert the country to 100 percent renewable energy in less than 40 years.

The study, published in the Energy and Environmental Sciences, showcases how each state can replace fossil fuels by tapping into renewable resources available in each state, such as wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and even small amounts of tidal and wave power.

The report, led by Stanford civil and environmental engineering professor Mark Z. Jacobson and U.C. Berkeley researcher Mark Delucchi, argues that converting the current energy infrastructure into renewable energy will help fight climate change, save lives by eliminating air pollution, create jobs and also stabilize energy prices.

Read the full report at EcoWatch


Clean Energy Seen as Opening for Developing Countries

Developing countries have the opportunity to leapfrog the west in economic development if they go straight to clean technology while rich countries struggle to wean themselves off fossil fuels, president Francois Hollande of France said on Wednesday.

“They are going to be skipping the stage where industrialized countries were stopped for a long time, for many decades,” he said. “We were dependent on fossil fuel, which means we now have to concentrate on the transition in the medium to long term of abandoning fossil fuels. But they have the chance to move immediately to the new technologies.”

He said clean technologies such as renewable energy were “dropping in price and will continue to drop”, while industrialized countries faced costs in having to scrap old infrastructure and rebuild it anew in a low-carbon fashion.

Read the full article at Climate Central
 

Walking Relay and Fair for Renewable Energy

SUNDAY, April 28 Event 

calling for the 

Expansion of Clean, Renewable Energy in NY

Niagara County, NY -- On Sunday, April 28 at 1:00 pm the Niagara Group of the Sierra Club and the Beyond Coal Campaign are sponsoring a Walking Relay for Renewables and Renewable Energy Fair, hosted by Singer Farm Naturals.

Moms, dads, kids, students, activists, and community members will pass a solar torch from the nearby Somerset coal-fired power station to Singer Farm Naturals, a farm business powered by wind and solar energy. This event symbolizes moving beyond coal, gas, and nuclear to a clean, renewable energy economy for New York.

Relay for Renewables is part of Sierra Club’s WNY Clean Energy Campaign kick-off featuring billboards, print ads, and grassroots events throughout the region – calling on Governor Cuomo to meet and extend New York’s renewable energy commitments. Dirty-fuel sources like coal are responsible for 40% of New York State’s greenhouse gas emissions.

WHAT: Walking Relay for Renewables and Renewable Energy Fair featuring family
friendly activities, a solar-powered band, food, and great presentations on
solar, wind, geothermal, and energy efficiency.

WHEN:          Sunday, April 28 -- Relay Ceremony begins at 1:00pm

WHERE:        Singer Farm Naturals, 6730 Lake Road (Route 18) Appleton, NY [Map]

WHO:             Hosted by Tom and Vivianne Szulist at Singer Farm Naturals 
                        Sponsored by Niagara Sierra Club and the Beyond Coal Campaign
                        Music by Solar Punch

Renewable Energy Fair starts after the Relay.
Participants to include renewable energy companies Solar Liberty and Simply Solar, and Speakers: 
Tom Thompson: New York Solar Energy Society
Frank Westgate (wind),
Tom Szulist  (efficiency),
Bill Nowak (geothermal)

POSTER:  Click here.

Happy about Wind Power in Bliss, NY

The region’s newest wind farm of 67 turbines just opened in Bliss, NY. Noble Environmental Power built the $260 million Noble Bliss Windpark in Wyoming County. Another 84 towers will be added by the end of 2008 in Eagle and the adjacent town of Wethersfield. And that's not all. Projects in Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County and Allegany County are being developed. Also an 18-tower expansion of the big 2.5MW turbines at the Steel Winds project in Lackawanna and Hamburg is in the works. For the Buffalo News story by John F. Bonfatti, click here.

GREENING the CONGREGATION

Being 'Green' doesn't just apply to environmental and climate activists who warn us about the hazards of global warming. The Green movement has made its way into our churches. The unifying concept is stewardship of Earth, caring for all of our natural resources to benefit present and future generations of people, animals and plants. That concept is also uniting members of different faiths and churches around global warming and the effects of climate change on humanity.

Recently, the National Religious Partnership for the Environment (NRPE) issued an interfaith statement and a letter to Congress to address those issues (1). NRPE partners include the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, the Evangelical Environmental Network and the National Council of Churches of Christ. Four thousand congregations of the Interfaith Power and Light campaign are mobilizing a national religious response to global warming while promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation (2). One consequence of global warming predicted by climate scientists is extreme weather events, like Hurricane Katrina. Western New Yorkers from eight different churches joined Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in New Orleans to provide hurricane relief, connecting people and rebuilding lives (3).

Large church buildings with vaulted ceilings can require enormous quantities of energy for operation. Climate scientists tell us that to fight global warming we must act by reducing substantially the emissions of carbon dioxide derived from burning fossil fuels, our primary sources of energy. Action in our churches could include energy-saving measures, such as installing energy-efficient heating and lighting (4), and improving weatherization. The financial cost of saving energy this way can be recovered over time in the form of lower utility bills. An Episcopal church in Massachusetts saved $17,000 per year after installing a new boiler with zoned heating, programmable thermostats, and more efficient lighting (4). A simple analysis of a church's energy footprint can identify how to save energy (5), and a detailed energy audit can determine how much can be saved.

Certain congregations are taking even further action against global warming, along the same science-based lines promoted by climate activists. Global warming pollution can be eliminated by switching to clean energy sources which emit no carbon dioxide and are renewable and sustainable. Some Unitarian churches have installed solar electric panels and geothermal heating-cooling systems (6). Local examples of Green power for large buildings include solar panels at the University of Buffalo and a geothermal system in Ani DiFranco's Asbury Hall (Babeville) at a former church, both subsidized by NY State to help reduce costs. Other churches have designated clean energy such as wind or hydro power as their electricity source for a small extra utilities cost (6). Local examples of wind and hydro are Steel Winds and the Niagara Falls Power Project. In addition to reducing global warming pollution, a shift to clean energy sources eliminates mercury pollution and other health-threatening emissions derived from coal-fired electricity plants.

On a final note, the Church of England came up with a creative solution to help reduce global warming: during Lent this year, all congregation members were asked to cut back on carbon emissions rather than chocolate consumption (7)!

Citations:
(1) New York Interfaith Power and Light
(2) Interfaith Power and Light Campaign
(3) Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Katrina
(4) Churches go Green
(5) Shrinking the Footprint
(6) Churches relying on renewable energy sources.
(7) Cut out carbon for Lent says Churches

Local Event:
A talk "Could the WIND Bring New Jobs to WNY? YOU BET!" will be presented by Bill Nowak, Communications Chair of the Wind Action Group, on April 16th, 7PM (refreshments at 6:30 PM), at the WNY Climate Action Coalition meeting, Unitarian-Universalist Church, Elmwood & West Ferry in Buffalo.

Web Extras:

• Rev. Sally Bingham, president of the Interfaith Power and Light, talks about her life as an Episcopal priest and environmental activist: video, click here.

• For a closer look at Hurricane Katrina Relief through the eyes of local volunteer workers, click here.

• Video by the National Resources Defense Council about the impact of Katrina, 2 years later, and the inaction of the federal government, click here.

• Young Stewards of the Earth: video-slide show with music, click here.