While California has committed economic suicide with their ridiculous carbon trading plan that nobody wants, Maryland seems to think that magically, green jobs and non baseload power sources will “improve reliability” of electric power. From my perspective, seeing how well such ideas have worked out elsewhere, they are living in la-la land. They should ask Texas how wind power works out for them in peak demand times.
The reliability projections don’t instill confidence:
Maryland Climate Plan Passes Key Tests in UMD Studies
Improves Electric Reliability; Negligible Impact on Manufacturers
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 meets a series of benchmark tests set by state lawmakers, concludes a new pair of studies by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER). The findings should help clear the way for adoption of a full Climate Action Plan next year, the researchers say.
Maryland’s 2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act ordered independent studies to make sure that its provisions won’t hurt the reliability of the state’s electricity supply or damage the manufacturing sector of the economy. The CIER studies give State plans a passing grade on these scores and project some upsides:
- Improves reliability of electric service for consumers and industry;
- No expected loss of jobs;
- May stimulate some “green” jobs;
- No economic harm to Maryland’s manufacturing sector.
“We can allay critics’ fears,” says University of Maryland School of Public Policy Professor Matthias Ruth, the study’s principal investigator and CIER director. “Our studies confirm that sound environmental responses to climate change do not have to come at the expense of Maryland’s economy, or put a crimp in the availability of electricity in the State. To the contrary, we see net benefits.”
These reports come as part of an ongoing effort by the state to assess the impact of Maryland’s developing Climate Action Plan (CAP) on the manufacturing sector and the wider state economy. Future studies are expected to assess manufacturing-specific and economy-wide impacts.
For example, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act requires an additional independent study by 2015, with oversight from an industry-represented task force, evaluate climate policy effects on manufacturing.
“We expect manufacturing in Maryland, and its economy as a whole, to be agile enough to make the necessary changes in technologies and business practices to absorb what has been portrayed as a policy-induced shock on the economy,” concludes one of the new University of Maryland reports. “At worst, the CAP will become an indistinguishable part of a larger and longer-term trend of declining manufacturing employment in the state. At best, the CAP will generate new business opportunities and jobs.”
New “green” jobs would likely grow out of the work involved in emissions reductions, the study says. It does not forecast a specific number, but suggests the economic and policy atmosphere is ripe for green job growth: “Maryland stands to benefit from new employment opportunities that will support mitigation policies associated with the state’s CAP. Maryland must ensure that it continues to capitalize on its talented and skilled workforce and that policies and strategies are in place to support growth and attract new green jobs.”
The Maryland Department of Environment commissioned the studies. It is charged with submitting a tentative Climate Action Plan (CAP) to Gov. O’Malley by the end of 2011.
“These reports provide essential information about the early effects of implementing Maryland’s Climate Action Plan,” says Sean Williamson, CIER researcher and report co-author. “They should remove potential roadblocks and advance the process.”
- –
Meeting Maryland’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals: Electrical Reliability Impacts from Maryland’s Climate Action Plan
- –
Meeting Maryland’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals: Manufacturing Costs, Employment and Economic Effects from Maryland’s Climate Action Plan
In their analyses, the CIER researchers, along with colleagues from Towson University’s Regional Economic Studies Institute and Johns Hopkins University Professor Benjamin F. Hobbs, analyzed the impact resulting from implementation of the following climate remediation programs, including:
- Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard: requires electricity suppliers to meet a portion of retail electricity sales from renewable energy sources;
- Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: first market-based regulatory program in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Maryland is one of 10 Northeast States in the program;
- EmPower Maryland: Energy conservation initiatives.
SPECIFIC FINDINGS
Manufacturing Economic Impact
2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act (GGRA) requires that cuts in emissions may not cause a significant increase in costs to the manufacturing sector.
Finding: No significant increase in capital or energy costs for the manufacturing sector. Large, electricity-intensive industries, such as chemical plants, will see the greatest energy cost increases – between 1 and 2 percent. Small, less energy-intensive industries, such as printing, could see cost savings as a result of participation in energy conservation programs, such as EmPower Maryland.
Jobs
GGRA says greenhouse gas reduction requirements may not cause reductions in existing manufacturing jobs.
Finding: “Job losses in the manufacturing sector attributable to select CAP policies will be minimal and may not occur at all,” says the economic report. It notes that Maryland’s manufacturing sector has lost jobs since the 1970s, a trend expected to continue with or without the CAP.
Green Jobs
GGRA requires reduction measures to produce a net increase in jobs in Maryland, and encourage new employment opportunities in the State related to energy conservation, alternative energy supply, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction technologies – so called “green jobs.”
Finding: New jobs in each of these categories are expected to grow. Currently, green jobs make up about 3 percent of the state’s workforce. Green job opportunities will be available to those who enhance or modify existing skills.
Electric Reliability
GGRA requires the Maryland Department of the Environment to “ensure the plan does not decrease the likelihood of reliable and affordable electrical service and statewide fuel supply.”
The researchers define “electric reliability” as having adequate amounts of electricity to meet peak summer demand plus a safety margin. These needs can be met by either in-state generation capacity, power importation or by managing demand. Reliability does NOT pertain to disruptions in electricity service caused, for example, by downed wires from fallen trees and branches.
Finding: “We find electricity reliability in Maryland…will improve with the implementation of specific mitigation policies originally identified in the 2008 Climate Action Plan,” the report concludes. “Despite uncertainties in future electricity transmission in Maryland, electricity reliability in the state will be improved with the addition of the three climate mitigation policies.”
By the end of the decade, Maryland will have to import electricity because of the retirement of old generating plants, the researchers explain. Planned projects, such as the Mid-Atlantic Power-Pathway, will help satisfy the state’s needs, if brought on line by 2015. Climate Action planning can improve this picture due to conservation measures that will reduce peak-demand, the researchers say. Increases from renewable sources such as offshore wind will help too.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Matthias Ruth
CIER Director, Principal Investigator
(202) 701-6484 (cell)
Sean Williamson
CIER Researcher, Co-Investigator
301-405-9436
Neil Tickner
UMD Public Affairs
301-405-4622
ntickner@umd.edu
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The people in England saw their energy costs go up as a result of all the “green efforts”. Why should the USA be any different?
“While California has committed economic suicide with their ridiculous carbon trading plan…”
Freudian slip?
The USA is waaaAAaay different – for instance, here we use “Magical Mann Numbers” to prove our case, numbers invented from specious sources used creatively to “hockey stick” all estimates in the direction of positive or non-frightening results… Go Team USA!
We shall see how long it takes for them to be disillusioned.
Makes me a bit embarrased to have grown up in Maryland and have graduated from U of M.
But then I remember that Maryland has been in competion with Massachusetts for most liberal state for decades.
Ohh well…they’ll play pretend for 2 or 3 years. What’s a few billion on windmills between friends.
The reliability claims are nonsense. Either that or the cost claims are. Or both.
The electric grid relies on the rotational inertia of controllable spinning machines to maintain frequency. Grid tied solar and wind plants don’t provide this rotational inertia.
This is what caused the San Diego outage a few weeks ago. When the first line tripped, San Diego was relying too much on renewables and was unable to maintain frequency. When the frequency problems got bad enough, the connection to the rest of Ca tripped and San Diego went black.
It is possible to fix this problem, but all of the solutions are expensive and unpopular: put real generation closer to loads, add storage, or add more transmission lines.
This is why utilities only install renewable energy when mandated to do so. The externalized costs are prohibitive.
You know, I could write a law that said that all white PVC pipe in residences must be replaced with blue PVC pipe and then make an argument that it would create jobs. Doesn’t mean it’s a good idea though.
This has been going on for some time. We have the most liberal of politicians in the country. The Governor is pressing “Smart Growth” so that there doesn’t have to be any new infrastructure such as roads, utilities. He has planned for his office to do the planning (zoning) for the entire state (the locals be damned). This will help him to have everyone live in denser cities (heat islands) that will be self-sustaining. He is building a very large array of solar panels at a college in the western part of the state for green energy. He is planning to build a massive wind turbine farm off shore of Ocean City. Meanwhile he promotes “smart cars” in all electric cars.
I will add not all college professors/teachers/lecturers agree with this policy.
Touched on a hot button, sorry…
Note: Virtually everything after the “Neil Tickner” contact info is in an un-displayable font on my Linux box.
Checking against the Character Map, they’re in the “Common” script set, “backspace” and “acknowledge” characters are in there. I’d wager they were control characters for an output device.
What are you seeing on your end?
As a Maryland resident who has watched the political career of our Governor, Martin O’Malley, you have to understand he has presidential ambitions, probably for about the 2016 to 2020 time frame. On the state level, we are essentially a one party state althoug there are a couple of Republican congressional districts. He is subjecting the state to all sorts of Gerrymandering to try and pick up one more Democratic house rep in Congress. He is head of the Democratic Governors Association and he is primming himself for national office by taking positions that make deep pocketed liberal donors happy. So he’s getting his green cred together. We’ve been in RGGI for quite a while and fortunately the allowances are so large the price for carbon emissions is only $1.87 a ton, the minimum. We have a “flush tax” for people with septic systems that he is looking at tripling. He’s taxed the rich by passing a millionaires tax that have resulted in revenues from the wealthy drop substantially as they moved their permanent residences to their second homes in other states. Since that didn’t work, they had to raid the transportation trust fund and put the money in the general fund and has raised all the states tolls by 50% with more to come two years hence. But that’s not enough, he is looking at increasing gasoline taxes by $0.15 per gallon and he wants to do this three times over the next few years because he’s got the replenish the transportation trust fund he raided. This is a beatiful state that has been spared the worst of the recession because of all the Federal governement jobs but suspect the next three years are going to be very painful for average citizens because of our governors political ambitions.
I’ve just heard from someone who works on it (and I won’t be more precise than that because someone’s job is involved) that one of the largest wind farms in Western Australia has been out of commission for the last month because mice chewed through the electronics cabling.
Re previous post:
Yup, that stuff is gone now. Thanks.
Is the NSA back to mechanical computers?
I work in the energy business in Alberta and am very familiar with the requirements for balancing eleictricity grids. Everything in the nonsense they call “Findings” is false. It gets tiresome trying to argue rationally with these true believers. At some point in the not too distant future their unicorn powered electricity generaton and balancing schemes are going to cause real harm and death. I truly hope these people are held entirely accountable when the inevitable happens.
One other thing I forgot to mention, Maryland with the Chesapeake bay is one of the best states for sailing and most of my friends who sail, do it primarily in the spring and the fall. In the summertime (when electricity demand is highest) the weather is hot, sticky and the wind is still. Wind power will be just like our millionaires, they vanish when the state needs them most.
Center for Integrative Environmental Research, now there’s the organization you should ask if you want an impartial answer to environmental questions. What not get solar and wind companies and ask them if alternative power is a good idea. These hucksters are shameless. In Maryland you can buy wind power from a company called Clean Currents. Their pitchwoman gave a presentation at our Quaker Meeting. It was misleaing and full of factual errors. When asked if windpower killed birds, she replied, “occasionally a few are caught up in the blades.” I believe the estimate a few years ago by the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service was 440,000 a year. I guess everyone has their own definition of what a few means.
As a Maryland resident I have a few comments to enlighten the readers of WUWT about Maryland. First, the current Governor, Martin O’Malley, who is slightly to the left of Lenin, has ties to the firm proposing a wind farm offshore. Not that that would influence him in pushing for all this legislation. Second, Maryland has been losing private sector jobs, especially manufacturing, steadily for years. I believe in 2010 we led the nation in private sector job loss. The main force driving Maryland’s economy is government and large non-profits, not the private sector. Maryland has a disproportionately large number of people who are public sector workers (Federal, state, local government and public school) or who work for very large liberal leaning non-profits. So because Maryland manufacturing is such a small part of the Maryland economy, any electricity shortages would have a minimal effect on that sector. Third, a proposal for a third nuclear generating plant at Calvert Cliffs has been stalled (probably because of the push for “green” energy). The addition of this plant would, of course, alleviate any electricity shortages, but to the “greens” that means nothing. Fourth, since the leftist democrats control the Maryland government and therefore the University’s purse strings, do not expect any objective study to come out of the University of Maryland with regards to the impact of the “green” energy Climate Plan proposal. To the leftists running this State, what happened when similar plans were implemented in other locations does not matter. All they care about is that their friends will benefit financially and they will score points with their leftist base.
I think the dear people of Maryland should try to get rid of Martin O’Malley ASAP and hold the masterminds behind the green energy revolution personally responsible for the consequences.
This plan has DISASTER written all over it.
Also read: Agenda 21 in rural Maryland
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/41959
Wouldn’t you expect such silliness from a state bordering Dizzy City. That is what D.C. stands for, isn’t it?
T Boone Pickens likes Wind because it requires lots of natural gas turbines to balance out wind power’s variability. Natural Gas is Picken’s primary business and he sells a lot of it. Imagine that.
Texas has a huge amount of generating capacity in other sectors and is working on connecting to the national grid so it can sell it.
“…By the end of the decade, Maryland will have to import electricity because of the retirement of old generating plants, the researchers explain. Planned projects, such as the Mid-Atlantic Power-Pathway, will help satisfy the state’s needs, if brought on line by 2015. Climate Action planning can improve this picture due to conservation measures that will reduce peak-demand, the researchers say. Increases from renewable sources such as offshore wind will help too.”
(1) Maryland will import electricity because they won’t have enough native generation to cover peak demands. (2) The Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway is a transmission project to accomplish (1), but only if done by 2015. Fat chance, the enviros are lining up to file suit. (3) Which leaves us with BINGO!!!…conservation. For those of you Marylanders let me explain…that’s a fancy three letter word for another three letter word called “rationing”. Oops, I forgot the offshore wind. Yeah, right.
Maryland should then invest in the spinning wheels at http://beaconpower.com/
Any reason not to?
Any chance you could share your information channel with us – or is the above conjecture?
The info I have seen indicates ‘an accident on the North Gila-Hassayampa transmission line in Arizona’ but perhaps there was too little rotational inertia on-line at the time and the grid experienced ‘voltage collapse’ …
.
“Wouldn’t you expect such silliness from a state bordering Dizzy City. That is what D.C. stands for, isn’t it?”
And hear I thought it stood for ‘Didactic Criminals’.