(Reuters) – The Virginia Legislature passed a bill on Friday that puts the state on a path to 100% clean energy by 2045 as part of the commonwealth’s effort to reduce its impact on climate change.
Virginia Senate Bill 851 requires the state to get all its electricity from carbon free sources like renewables and nuclear. It still requires a signature from the governor, who has advanced a similar plan through executive order.
The legislation would also allow fossil plants to operate if they install carbon capture and storage technologies.
The bill heads to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s office. He made an executive order in September with a goal of producing all the state’s electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050.
The bill also commits Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 10 U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
In 2019, 60% of Virginia’s electricity came from natural gas, 30% from nuclear, 4% from coal and 7% from renewables like hydropower, solar, wood and other biomass, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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Inefficient transport for mobile and heating applications, but an excellent source of laundered, redistributed, renewable greenbacks.
Go green, dump Green. Save the birds. Swat a wind turbine. Don’t be green. Clear the Green blight.
The Virginia legislature is doing their darndest to start a revolution. First, they’ve passed what amount to gun ban and confiscation laws. Now, they’re about to destroy their economy. They obviously didn’t listen to the 20k or so, heavily armed protesters that marched on the Capitol.
At the same time as they want everyone to “change a few lightbulbs” to save energy, they are quite happy to totally waste over 30% of our energy resources in an insane CCS program.
“WASTE ENERGY TO SAVE THE PLANET” . Way to go !
First, it’s not renewable energy, it’s only renewable electricity, and more accurately its only intermittent electricity. Renewables have been the primary driver for residents of Germany, Australia, and California behind the high costs of electricity, as renewables have proven to be an inefficient redundant source of electricity to the continuous uninterruptible electricity from coal, natural gas, and nuclear.
Second and most important is, electricity alone is unable to support militaries, aviation, and merchant ships, and all the transportation infrastructure that support commerce, as wind and solar are incapable of producing the petroleum derivatives that make more than 6,000 products.
Well, if Virginia opts out of the carbon cycle, they shouldn’t get any food!
I wonder how long it would take them to reconsider!
Yeah. Gas powered turbine generation plants in Kentucky qualify as “carbon free” in Virginia…
The reality is that there is no real evidence that CO2 affects climate and there is plenty of scientific rationale to support the conclusion that the climate sensitivity of CO2 is zero. So all of their efforts to reduce CO2 emissions will have no effect on climate. There are many good reasons to be conserving on the use of fossil fuels but climate change is not one of them. The best approach is to replace ageing fossil fuel burning power plants with nuclear power plants. Apparently they have no plans to reduce emissions of the primary greenhouse gas that is responsible for the vast majority of the radiant greenhouse effect for those that believe in such a thing. Compared to H2O the radiant greenhouse effects of added CO2 has got to be trivial at most.
Low efficacy, and the anthropogenic contribution is a fraction of a fraction.
Renewables do not generate as much energy in their lifetime as needed to manufacture, install, maintain and dispose of them when they become no longer productive. The joke is the realization that renewables are not ‘carbon free’. Most of the energy needed to manufacture, install, maintain and dispose of them will come from carbon based fuels.
Yup. Kind of like using a billion BTUs of fossil fuels to produce 600,000 BTUs of “fuel cells,” and convincing yourself that this is “clean energy,” when it could have produced 800,000 BTUs of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene (just making up numbers here, but you get the idea).
Of course with renewables, it’s even worse. Because they conveniently ignore the landscape blight and environmental destruction, the slaughter of birds, particularly magnificent raptors, and bats (and insects for that matter), and the waste disposal issues and associated pollution. PLUS the need to KEEP the fossil fuel powered backup generation to keep the lights on when the wind isn’t blowing at the right speed or the sun isn’t shining. (At least “fuel cells” or “hydrogen” wastefully produced from fossil fuels would provide consistent power “in use;” windmills and solar panels, not so much.)
“carbon free sources”, I suppose that means no steel or any other material containing carbon atoms.
From recovery to reclamation, completely carbon-free. A fantasy worth repeating, if not actually indulging.
That said, save the birds, the bats! Whack a wind turbine. Clear the Green blight, reduce, reuse, and recycle photovoltaic panels.
Leftists don’t really care whether they are doing any good or not.
They are posturing so that they can look good to their friends.
In other news, PETA objects to plans to power windmills using unicorn farts.
Every time I read or see something like this, I envision cars running down the highway with huge windmills on top, providing electricity to run them! It’s an idiotic idea, for sure, but no crazier than this one! One of my uncles had the same idea, living out in the very windy California desert, years ago. He couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t work! Other wise, he was a very wise old gentleman. I think, though, that he may have been a Democrat. Just sayin…
They do not think it crazy in the Netherlands. Universities from around the world build wind turbine powered vehicles to race along a coastal strip in the Netherlands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1DsfAPawHU
They are not as effective as solar powered vehicles though that race in Australia each year:
“…all its electricity from carbon free sources like renewables and nuclear…..” If they are serious they need to start the nuclear portion now. I support all states adopting a similar law.
Since many highly influential government bureaucrats live in Virginia, perhaps there will be “exempt” areas.
I don’t see them giving up their life style as they insist the common man should. Maybe some are more equal than others is about to come true.
“Virginia Senate Bill 851 requires the state to get all its electricity from carbon free sources like renewables and nuclear.”
I’ve asked this question before regarding similar bills in other states—and in other nations—and never received a clean (pardon the pun) answer. However, hope springs eternal so I’ll try here once again: “What is the penalty or other consequence of the State of Virginia NOT meeting this requirement, assuming the Bill becomes law?”
Will all of its citizens turn into pumpkins?
Will each person in the state have to write out 1000 lines of “Ooops, we should have tried harder”?
Will each taxpayer in the state have to fork over an additional $30,000 in taxes as a penalty?
Will any housing unit or business/factory location found to still be using fossil fuel energy in 2045 automatically be forfeited to the State?
Will the government squads come around at midnight to take away the firstborn male in each family?
What in hell are “we, the people” allowing to be done to us?
Pity the FOOLS!
Loudon Co. was up in arms a couple years ago when plans to put in a new feeder from the west to service new and existing customers. No one wanted the power towers and the lines. I’ve got mine, let the others suffer!
Wait ’till they see what Northam and Co. have wrought!
It’s a good start, but they need to do more. The mathematics to achieve this are too complicated, and need to be simplified. Here’s how: They should also make pi and e equal to each other, and an even 3.0. They should make sine equal to tangent, and both equal to 0, with , of course, cosine equal to 1. And, of course, i should be made real. The calculations required, in order to achieve their mandate will become much, much simpler.
Renewable is not a thing, and nuclear’s side costs and extreme regs imply enormous use of resources and hence fossil fuel use. It doesn’t have to be that, it’s that way because of the influence of Big Oil shills.
And by the way, that where the REAL fossil fuels subsidies are:
– mandating “renewables”
– mandating radiophobia
Also, that where the risk of radiological terrorism comes from.
They should make it simple and ban anything that generates human (tech)-produced heat or energy. No fire or flame as well. That’s what they’re really after. Lights out for the state. Stop mincing words.
The legislation would also allow fossil plants to operate if they install carbon capture and storage technologies.
Sequestering CO2 is an idea entirely without merit.
Carbon Free Earth 2045
Virginia may pass a law, but ZERO carbon by 2045 is NOT possible.
In Vermont, rabid RE folks have similar ambitions.
A program to install heavily subsidized air source heat pumps in energy-hog houses has been a total flop.
COST SAVINGS OF AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS ARE NEGATIVE IN VERMONT, MAINE, ETC.
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/cost-savings-of-air-source-heat-pumps-are-negative-in-vermont
This article shows, an ASHP in an average energy-hog house in VT:
– Displaced only 28% of the space heat from the traditional fuels. See URL of CADMUS survey report
– Reduced CO2 from 25,123 lb/y to 20,129 lb/y, or 20.0%, if 28% of space heat from ASHPs in energy-hog houses. See table 1 and 6
– Would reduce CO2 from 25,123 lb/y to 8,231 lb/y, or 67.2%, if 100% of space heat from ASHPs in highly sealed/highly insulated houses. See table 1 and 6. The CO2 reduction percentages would slowly increase as the NE grid would have less CO2/kWh.
– Provided the owner energy cost savings of about $200/y. See table 7 and URL of VT-DPS website
– Required a turnkey capital cost of about $4,500/ASHP; excludes subsidies.
If the objective is to “get rid of” fossil fuels and reduce CO2, then the use of ASHPs in energy-hog houses in VT, NH, ME, etc., has been an expensive flop.
https://publicservice.vermont.gov/sites/dps/files/documents/2017%20Evaluation%20of%20Cold%20Climate%20Heat%20Pumps%20in%20Vermont.pdf
https://publicservice.vermont.gov/sites/dps/files/documents/Energy_Efficiency/Reports/Vermont%20ccHP%20Summary.pdf
And recall all the folks that celebrated Climategate was the death knell of the human caused global warming hoax?
In a rational world, it would have been.
“In 2017, 41% of the electricity generated in Virginia was produced by the four nuclear reactors at North Anna and Surry. Nuclear reactors total just 23% of the potential generating sources in Virginia, but produced a higher percentage of the state’s electricity because the reactors run steadily.” Source :http://www.virginiaplaces.org/energy/nuclearpower.html
I note that the NRC approved a Combined Operating License for North Anna 3 in 2017, which is nominally good for 40 years. NA3 would add another 10% or so of real world electrical supply. NA3 is NOT under construction, but the NRC License is a huge investment to have in the bank.
I also note that Hydro produces somewhat near 17% (see above link).
So, with a 5th nuke, and Hydro, they could easily be at 60% plus “renewable plus nuclear”.
Note that NA3 would be expensive in the long run, but only when compared to subsidized solar/wind, with there real world required natural gas backup. Very little backup required for nukes running at 90% plus capacity factors.
Given the reality of how Virginia already gets its electric power, and how it could easily add another nuke, the bill is virtual signaling. The rest is natural gas, and its low cost and high reliability will keep it in the mix for a long time.
This is how it might work in 15 years: 5 nukes plus hydro produce the base load of 60-65%. They install or contract with enough paper capacity wind and solar to reach near 100%. On sunny windy days they are there. The rest of the time (read most of the time), they are using natural gas to fill in the gaps. That’s what the future legislative exception will be.
Bottom line, reliable electricity at 50% or more higher than national average due to nukes, hyrdro and gas (the reliable part), with wind and solar providing expensive window dressing.
What the legislation likely does in the next 5 years or so is give NA3 a boost.
I like nukes, but selling your soul to get them is disagreeable. It may be the best we can expect.
Ethan Brand
Construction will not begin on North Ana 3, a large 1600 Mw GE-Hitachi ESBWR reactor, unless and until the nuclear utility industry is able to get its capital costs under control.
For the near term here in America, all hope for getting nuclear’s capital costs under control now rests with NuScale and its much smaller 60 Mw SMR design. Twelve of these 60 Mw units will be ganged together for a total of 720 Mw nominal. The first NuScale facility is targeted for going online in late 2026 or early 2027 in eastern Idaho.
Back in the mid 2000’s when we were doing project estimating and scheduling for new build reactor construction, our biggest concern was that the nuclear utilities would forget the hard lessons of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s and would not commit themselves to meeting the stringent requirements their NRC construction licenses impose on them.
That is just what happened at VC Summer and at Vogtle 3 & 4. The hard lessons regarding nuclear construction management which had been so painfully learned three decades earlier were ignored. Every mistake it is possible to make in managing a highly complex nuclear construction project was repeated several times over.
VC Summer was cancelled and the estimated capital cost for two AP1000’s at Vogtle 3 & 4 rose from 12 billion dollars in 2012 to approximately 28 billion dollars in 2020. Stating the capital cost differently, the price tag went from $5,000/kw nominal to $13,000/kw nominal for those two AP1000’s.
Unless Dominion Energy and its EPC prime contractor are able to demonstrate conclusively that they know how to build the GE-Hitachi ESBWR design on cost and on schedule, then no serious consideration will ever be given to allowing that project to go forward.
How very, very – Democrat. Right down to trying to dictate the future.