WASHINGTON — Facing wide criticism over their recent finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public welfare, top Environmental Protection Agency officials said Monday that any regulation of such gases would be phased in gradually and would not impose expensive new rules on most American businesses.

The E.P.A.’s administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, wrote in a letter to eight coal-state Democrats who have sought a moratorium on regulation that only the biggest sources of greenhouse gases would be subjected to limits before 2013. Smaller ones would not be regulated before 2016, she said.
“I share your goals of ensuring economic recovery at this critical time and of addressing greenhouse gas emissions in sensible ways that are consistent with the call for comprehensive energy and climate legislation,” Ms. Jackson wrote.

The eight Democratic senators, led by John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, said hugely significant decisions about energy, the economy and the environment should be made by elected representatives, not by federal bureaucrats.

The senators, who earlier questioned broad cap-and-trade legislation pushed by the Obama administration, join a number of Republican lawmakers, industry groups and officials from Texas, Alabama and Virginia in challenging the proposed E.P.A. regulations of industrial sources. Senate Republicans are going a step further, seeking to prevent the agency from taking any action to limit greenhouse gases, which are tied to global warming.

Ms. Jackson warned that if the Republicans thwarted the agency’s efforts to address climate change, it would kill the deal negotiated last year to limit carbon pollution from cars and light trucks and would have a chilling effect on the government’s scientific studies of global warming.

“It also would be viewed by many as a vote to move the United States to a position behind that of China on the issue of climate change, and more in line with the position of Saudi Arabia,” Ms. Jackson wrote.

The group led by Mr. Rockefeller asked Ms. Jackson to suspend any E.P.A. regulations of stationary sources — including coal-burning power plants and large industrial facilities — while Congress considers comprehensive energy and climate change legislation. The House passed a major climate and energy bill last summer that would have overridden some of the agency’s regulatory authority. The Senate, however, has not acted on the issue and there is considerable doubt that it will do so this year.

“E.P.A. actions in this area would have enormous implications, and these issues need to be handled carefully and appropriately dealt with by the Congress, not in isolation by a federal environmental agency,” Mr. Rockefeller said.

The Democrats who joined Mr. Rockefeller are Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Mark Begich of Alaska, Carl Levin of Michigan, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and Max Baucus of Montana.

Manufacturers, oil companies and business coalitions also filed petitions objecting to the proposed rules.

Environmental advocates said the E.P.A. was justified in declaring carbon dioxide and gases that contribute to global warming to be dangerous pollutants under the Clean Air Act and was moving cautiously to regulate them.

“These answers from Lisa Jackson hopefully will reassure the authors of the letter that the E.P.A. is proceeding in a very measured way and doing what is achievable and affordable to curb global warming pollution and focusing as they should on the biggest sources like power plants and not small businesses,” said David Doniger, climate policy director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

full story here

Lately it seems like climate science is being portrayed by the media and politicians as a rapidly fracturing field — with a state of knowledge that is getting less and less certain with each passing day. Thus, it’s refreshing to be able to present a concrete and newsworthy example of how distorted that view really is.

A new study from some of the top researchers on the question of how climate change may affect hurricanes, several of whom have publicly sparred with each other in the past, published a study in Nature Geoscience this week that provides a consensus view of the state of scientific knowledge of how tropical cyclones may change in a warming world.

Their conclusions: Tropical cyclones are likely (greater than 66 percent confidence) to have stronger wind speeds and drop more rainfall due to climate change, and there is a 50 percent chance or greater that some ocean basins would see a large jump in the frequency of the most intense storms. However, the overall global number of tropical cyclones is likely to decrease or stay about the same as it is now.

Or to put it more simply, future storms are likely to be fewer in number, but stronger and wetter.

Tracks of simulated Atlantic Category 4 and 5 hurricanes for the present climate and for a warmer climate condition projected for the late 21st century. Source: Bender et al. 2010.

The study found that projections of globally averaged tropical cyclone intensity show increases of two to 11 percent by 2100. These numbers may vary significantly from region to region, though. For example, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researchers using computer modeling recently found that the frequency of strongest hurricanes (Category 4 and 5 storms) could increase by 80 percent in the western Atlantic by 2100, even though the total number of tropical cyclones would decrease during the same period.

The new study refines the findings of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report of 2007, which put more weight on what, at the time, were new studies that showed the existence of detectable trends in storm intensity, particularly in the North Atlantic.

Given advances in scientific understanding and computer modeling since the IPCC report was prepared, the new study found that uncertainties in tropical cyclone observations are too large to conclude that there has already been a detectable increase in storm intensity, although they noted that several studies have found such trends in some areas.

“… considering available observational studies, and after accounting for potential errors arising from past changes in observing capabilities, it remains uncertain whether past changes in tropical cyclone frequency have exceeded the variability expected through natural causes,” the study states.

The conclusion that future storms are likely to be more intense has important implications for coastal residents, since the combination of increased coastal development, rising sea levels and stronger storms is likely to result in increased damages from future hurricanes.

“The future characteristics of intense tropical cyclones (Category 3-5) deserve particular attention, as these storms historically have accounted for an estimated 85 percent of US hurricane damage, despite representing only 24 percent of US land-falling tropical cyclones,” the researchers warn.

By providing a useful and newsworthy snapshot of where research on the hurricanes-climate change debate stands, the authors of the study have provided an example of how climate scientists can help communicate key findings to the public. Perhaps others in the climate research community can follow this example.

The authors of the study include Thomas Knutson of NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Kerry Emanuel of MIT, Chris Landsea of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric research, and six other experts. Landsea and Emanuel, in particular, have had significant scientific disagreements in the past regarding the role of human activities in changing tropical cyclone behavior.

full article here

The National Center for Appropriate Technology and Leopold Center Farm Energy Workgroup will hold a workshop about Department of Agriculture grants for energy efficiency and renewable energy from 12:30 to 4 p.m. March 4 in Carroll.

A specific location has not been determined.

The Rural Energy for America Program is part of the Energy Title of the 2008 Farm Bill.

It provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to help purchase renewable energy systems, make energy efficiency improvements and perform renewable energy feasibility studies. It also funds an energy audit and technical assistance program to serve ag producers and rural businesses.

A representative of Agriculture Department’s Rural Development will discuss the process, which projects are eligible, and where assistance to apply can be found.

E-mail richd@ncat.org for details and reservations.

Learn about cover crops at March 3 event at ISU

The Midwest Cover Crops Council is holding a workshop addressing cover crops on March 3.

The most common cover crop used in Iowa is winter rye, but there are a variety of options, including winter canola, radishes and other small grains.

This workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Gallery at the Iowa State Memorial Union in Ames.

Sponsors for the event include the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Practical Farmers of Iowa and Iowa State University.

For details or to register, go to www.mcc.msu.edu. Registrations are due Wednesday.

Participants are invited to attend planning meetings for the organization March 4.

Galt farm couple donates $125,000 to new center

A farm couple in Galt has made a $125,000 donation to the Beginning Farmer Center, a program administered by Iowa State University with ISU Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Ronald and Florine Swanson, through a deferred gift, will establish the Swanson Family Beginning Farmer Center Fund to support the work of the center, which conducts programs for farmers who want to transition their farm business to the next generation or individuals who want to get into farming.

Ronald Swanson is a 1961 farm operations graduate of Iowa State. After graduating, he returned to Wright County to operate a family farm south of Clarion.

Florine Swanson is a 1964 home economics education graduate of Iowa State, who served as the executive director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

June 1 deadline set for century farm applicants

Eligible farms are encouraged to apply for the 2010 Century and Heritage Farm Program.

The program, sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau, recognizes families that have owned their farm for 100 years in case of Century Farms and 150 years for Heritage Farms.

Farm families seeking to qualify for the Century or Heritage Farms Program must submit an application no later than June 1.

Applications are available at www.iowaagriculture.gov/heritageFarmsProgram.asp or may be requested from Linda Rosky at (515) 281-3645 or Linda.Rosky@IowaAgriculture.gov. Applicants also can write to the Century or Heritage Farms Program, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Henry A. Wallace Building, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, IA 50319.

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Lynda Waddington via the  Iowa Independent

The nation’s largest public power company will soon be powering homes and businesses across a seven state area with Iowa wind energy.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal corporation, entered into a 20-year contract with Texas-based Horizon Wind Energy LLC last week. The company will purchase up to 115 megawatts of renewable energy from the Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm, located in Howard and Mitchell counties in northeastern Iowa.

Generation is expected to begin this fall, subject to applicable environmental requirements and firm transmission arrangements being secured. The contracts are a result of a request for proposals TVA issued in December 2008.

Horizon, owned by EDP Renováveis S.A., operates more than 20 wind farms across the U.S. that produce more than 2,800 megawatts of power. The company operates three wind farms in Iowa.

TVA provides electricity for utility and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia — an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million. The company makes no profits and receives no taxpayer money. It is funded by sales of electricity to its customers, and electricity prices in TVA’s service territory are below the national average.

A consumer rebate initiative funded by the federal recovery act starts soon and could save you money on new appliances and your energy bills.

Similar to last year’s “cash for clunkers” automotive rebate program, the Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate program gives consumers money back when they purchase new, energy efficient appliances.

Another benefit is that these new appliances – including furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators, washers and dryers – cost less to operate.

A total of $2.8 million will be available for Iowa rebates ranging from $100 to $500. Rebates are for appliances purchased after March 1 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Money is expected to be exhausted within two weeks, so if you’ve been thinking of getting new appliances for your home, act quickly.

Also keep in mind that the appliances purchased through this program may be eligible for tax credits, as well as additional rebates offered by your utility companies.

Learn more about the appliance rebate program at www.energy.iowa.gov.

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This fall, Iowa voters will have the opportunity to create a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. This would be a protected funding source for Iowa’s natural resources, soil conservation and water quality.

The Senate Natural Resources Committee recently passed Senate Study Bill 3198, which outlines how the trust fund would be managed. The bill requires an annual audit to ensure that all money is spent properly.

The effort to establish the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund is the result of three years of work by the Sustainable Funding Advisory Committee, which was created by the Legislature to find ways to improve state programs for natural resources and outdoor recreation.

Full story here

STATE SEN. MATT MCCOY, D-Des Moines, represents District 31. The district includes parts of the city’s west and south sides. He can be reached weekdays at 281-3371 and on weekends at 274-0561. E-mail him at Matt.McCoy@legis.state.ia.us. He also has a Web site: www.senate.iowa.gov/mccoy.

The Global Wind Energy Council, a trade association based in Brussels, estimates that wind power capacity grew by 31 percent worldwide in 2009, with 37.5 additional gigawatts installed, bringing global wind power capacity to 157.9 gigawatts.

China accounted for a third of the new capacity, and the Chinese market experienced more than 100 percent growth.

According to the trade group, more than 500,000 people are now employed by the wind power industry around the world, and the market for wind turbine installations last year was worth about $63 billion. The primary markets today are in Asia, Europe and North America.

“The continued rapid growth of wind power despite the financial crisis and economic downturn is testament to the inherent attractiveness of the technology, which is clean, reliable and quick to install,” said Steve Sawyer, the secretary general of the council, in a statement issued late last week. “Wind power has become the power technology of choice a growing number of countries around the world.”

The market in the United States grew by 39 percent with nearly 10 gigawatts of new capacity installed in 2009. The total installed and grid-connected capacity in the United States is now about 35 gigawatts, according to the trade group’s assessment.

“The U.S. wind energy industry shattered all installation records in 2009, chalking up the Recovery Act as a historic success in creating jobs, avoiding carbon, and protecting consumers,” said Denise Bode, the chief executive of the American Wind Energy Association. But, she added, “U.S. wind turbine manufacturing is down compared to last year’s levels, and needs long-term policy certainty and market pull in order to grow.”

Some analysts, citing the global financial crisis, had predicted a drop in wind power development in the United States by up to 50 percent, according to the Global Wind Energy Council.

China, meanwhile, doubled its capacity from 12.1 gigawatts in 2008 to 25.1 gigawatts by the end of last year.

Combined with new installations in India, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, Asia accounted for more than 14 gigawatts of new capacity in 2009.

Read story here

I am especially excited about taking part in pushing for state policies that will limit greenhouse gases and create “green jobs” for Iowa. Iowa is now the second-largest wind energy-producing state in the Union, behind Texas. Companies from around the world are now operating within the state to manufacture and build cutting-edge wind turbine technology. Iowa leads in ethanol and other biofuels production in the U.S. and was an early leader in pursuing a Renewable energy Portfolio Standard as a part of state energy policy. There is so much potential stirring in the heartland for clean energy and infrastructure development, and Iowa must continue be a leader in this rapidly growing industry.

There are a few major issues ELPC will be pursuing this year that I’m excited to be a part of. One is the advancement of a high-speed rail link from Iowa to Chicago. Though I was disappointed that Iowa was not included in the first round of funding from President Obama’s 8 billion dollar rail investment plan, the investment in the Chicago hub network is an important step towards sustainable transportation in the Midwest. No doubt this means ELPC will be leading the campaign for increased investment in high-speed rail for Iowa.

Another area of focus for the ELPC this year is advancement of renewable energy.  There is a need to raise standards for small-scale renewable interconnection, as Iowa has many operations that have yet to be linked with Iowa’s major utilities. Distributed, smaller-scale generation decreases inefficiency and energy waste of large, centralized power plant operations. Bringing renewable power on-line in conjunction with Iowa’s utilities is an important step forward in “greening” Iowa’s energy production. Similarly, ELPC will continue advocating for a Federal Renewable Energy Standard, which would mandate all energy companies to purchase or produce a certain amount of renewable energy for consumers. This adoption of a Federal RES is critical to normalizing requirements already set by many states, and is estimated to create hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide while revamping and modernizing our energy infrastructure.

I am thrilled to be working on these issues at ELPC and look forward to being a part of creating a cleaner, more sustainable Iowa!

A New York Times Jan. 31 article, “China Leading Global Race to Make Clean Energy,” discussed how China is getting ahead of the curve when it comes to clean-energy production.

Though many would find this ridiculous – due to China’s history of environmental degradation and frenzied industrial development – the consequences are very real.

Now, more than ever, green jobs are moving overseas due to a concerted effort to stall clean-energy development in the United States.

In no way are President Barack Obama’s plans for clean energy perfect, but the United States is falling dangerously behind on creating a favorable market for renewable energy.

The ideological battle between Republicans and Democrats in Washington has severely hampered the nation’s ability to produce the next generation of infrastructure and energy. Instead, we have instances of Chinese companies contracting out to wind farm operations in Texas.

Of Iowa’s five major wind-turbine manufacturers, two are from Europe. When will America catch up when it comes to renewable energy?

The number of clean-energy jobs in the U.S. would more than double by 2025 if the nation adopts a plan to get 25% of its electricity from renewable energy sources, says a report backed by energy firms.Nationwide, 274,000 jobs would be created in the wind, solar, hydropower, biomass and waste-to-energy industries by 2025 if a 25% standard is adopted, says research firm Navigant Consulting. Those sectors now support about 196,000 jobs.

Navigant did the study for the RES Alliance for Jobs, a consortium of renewable energy companies and others that recommends national renewable electricity targets of 12% in 2014 and 20% in 2020.

Unlike three dozen other countries, including China, the U.S. doesn’t have a national standard to drive use of renewable energy, although it’s being debated in Congress. President Obama has pushed for 25% renewables by 2025. Meanwhile, 30 states have renewable standards. Five have set goals.

But company executives say state standards are often unenforceable and lack the punch of a national standard that would more forcefully drive use of renewables. That would entice companies to put manufacturing and operations in the U.S. as opposed to other countries, they say.

“We’re building this industry right now,” says Don Furman, senior vice president of Iberdrola Renewables, a leading wind farm developer. “We’re really in a footrace with China and Europe to secure these jobs long term. When you create demand, you really create jobs.”

Losing jobs to China

Navigant’s research, based in part on interviews with dozens of energy firms and suppliers, found that every state would see job growth with a 25% standard.

The biggest winners include states already strong in wind power generation or manufacturing, including Texas, Pennsylvania and Colorado. California, a leading solar state, would also be a big beneficiary.

The Southeast, meanwhile, would gain jobs in biomass, which includes turning wood and agricultural products into energy, Navigant says.

On the flip side, many states will lose clean-energy jobs if no national standard is passed, Navigant says. Texas, for one, could lose more than 2,500 jobs given its already big presence in wind and expiring tax credits for wind projects, Navigant says.

Without a strong national standard, Furman says, the U.S. wind industry could even lose jobs, especially to China. Last year, China became the No. 1 maker of wind turbine equipment. It’s also the No. 1 maker of solar cells for solar panels.

While the federal government pumped $150 million in stimulus funds into renewable energy, China is moving faster, Obama told governors Wednesday, while calling for more ethanol production and technology to limit pollution from coal.

Southeast raises concerns

A national electricity standard has faced opposition from Southeastern lawmakers, who fear that it’ll benefit states with big wind and good sun. Southeastern states are largely dependent on coal and nuclear power.

“We’re not opposed to renewables, but we’re of the opinion that states should come up with their own plans,” says David Wright, past president and current commissioner of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. If the Southeast benefits from growth in biomass, he wonders if it’ll lose jobs if coal plants close.

Renewable energy also remains more expensive than coal. Mandates that drive up its use could result in higher energy prices, which could result in lost jobs, says Max Schulz, analyst at the Manhattan Institute, a free-market think tank.

“There’s no question that if you have a national standard, you’ll see an increase in green jobs,” Schulz says. “But you’ll also have harmful effects.”

 Full story here