Why Renewable Energy in Coastal Washington Counties David

Why Renewable Energy in Coastal Washington Counties? David Sjoding Renewable Energy Specialist Coastal Bioenergy Workshop June 19, 2007

Renewable Energy Introduction The Northwest is renewable energy rich especially coastal Washington • • • Wind Geothermal Solar Hydropower Ocean wave/tidal Bioenergy

How much opportunity for our coast? • • • What do we know? What do we need to know? Can we fill in the gaps? What are the economics? What is the business case? Environmental considerations

Opportunity overview Renewable energy • Something for everyone • A rural economic opportunity • Protection from rising fossil fuel prices • Keeps energy dollars local/in-state • Energy independence • Environmental improvements

Renewable Energy The time has come • 25 years of research and development pays off • Prices falling and fossil energy rising • Economic opportunities

Thinking About a Moving Target • • • Research and development changes the answer – a strong 25 -year effort Prices of fossil energy are up Renewable capital costs are down – Caution, steel prices We have better data – but not all of it analyzed Cost comparisons – rent vs. buy and multiple revenue streams

Washington Laws and Policy – The playing field has changed and is changing • I-937 • • • § Renewable Portfolio Standard – 15% by 2020 § Efficiency Portfolio standard § CHP fits both EPS & RPS Renewable fuels standard – 2% ethanol & biodiesel Beyond Waste – Dept of Ecology Work in progress § Utility Interconnection § I-937 Rulemaking – Non power attributes § Climate Advisory Team – Forestry TWG

Lessons Learned • Klickitat County – Non-site specific renewables EIS - “Saved the family for a generation” • $11. 5 Billion petrodollar drain - We hit $3. 00/gallon and crossed a political continental divide in our state • • Can we keep these funds in-state? “Washington grown, Washington owned” - Governor Gregoire – Working Lands Initiative - North Dakota and Minnesota • • All biomass is local – Transportation costs Look for multiple revenue streams

Wind New wind maps – Some class 4 & 5 on coast • www. windpowermaps. org – State maps and zoom PDF • But the analysis was done in 1991, before detailed maps and bigger wind turbines Research and Development • History, Kotzebue and future Boom Time • Up to 2, 486 MWc in WA Potential for Pacific Northwest • 132, 900 MWc from study

Geothermal Low temperature • Location and Ground Source Heat Pumps • Geoexchange Example – A mini-mart • Trading heating and cooling • Works anywhere Example – A Utah dairy • Powerful heating and chilling – Better milk

Solar • 1 MWc - Even West of the Cascades • 30 MWc - California • 700 MWc – Germany – Equal or worse than Forks, WA • From Erector Set to Plug and Play • Off-grid - the least cost choice • WA feed-law payments & net metering • Zero Energy Homes • Northwest Solar Center

Solar Price History

Hydropower Current status – Approx 70% of WA power • Provides a core of cheap regional power • Major economic base • Huge offset to fossil energy • We trade hydropower with power from Southwest Future – Including coastal Washington • Low-impact and run of the river • Turbine redesigns

Ocean Wave/Tidal A forgotten renewable resource – Until now • Now emerging – World market options • Mainly at research and demonstration stage • Coastal WA has this resource – 45 to 60 degrees lattitude • 1 MWc proposed near Neah Bay • Snohomish PUD/Tacoma Power considering tidal options – 8 FERC permits • How Much? – Unknown • Environmentally benign

Bioenergy – Variety of technologies Biopower/biogas - 370 MWc • Boilers/Anaerobic Digestion/gasifiers • Hog fuel in forest products Biofuels - Development 16. 5 % ethanol, 30% biodiesel • Biodiesel – 21. 5 mg/yr on-line • Cellulosic ethanol - Our future big opportunity Bioproducts • A wide variety under development • The key to economics and business plans

Renewables – Good News • Wind – WA 818 MW on-line – The wind boom continues • Geothermal – Ground source heat pumps anywhere • Solar – Net metering law and tax credit payments • Hydro – Two-thirds of Washington’s power • Ocean Wave/tidal – 1 MWc proposed tidal project • Bioenergy – Many developments • Price is dropping and the technology keeps developing • Renewables – alternative to fossil fuels

Bioenergy Focus • National – Research, development and demonstration effort • Regional activity – Pacific Northwest feedstocks • Unique fit among renewables • Opportunity knocks

Biofuels Ethanol – 16. 5% motor gasoline • 447 MG/yr in permitting/development stage • Current supply is mainly Mid-West (corn-based) • Pulp & paper mills – Fermenting those pesky sugars Biodiesel – 30% middle distillates • 300 MG/yr in permitting/development/on-line • A Northwest advantage – mustard, canola, etc. • IF, Co-products are needed for economics • Agronomy needs significant work for all climates Bio. Oil • Pyrolysis (heat and pressure)

Biopower/Biogas Combined heat and power – Current practice Anaerobic digestion • Blend of proven technology and new ideas • Economics require multiple revenue streams • Solves other problems (odor and ground water) Methane to natural gas • Takes further scrubbing/processing • Demonstration level of technology Gasifiers – Fruit. Smart

Bioproducts/Biorefinery Wide variety of products • Glycerol to antifreeze • Activated carbon from wheat straw • Biopesticides from mustard/rapeseed meals Biorefinery • Pulp and paper – Agenda 2020 • Vision – An alternative to the oil refinery New value-added products § Pinnings at Collins-Pine - $1 million in new revenue

Washington Biomass Inventory and Bioenergy Assessment • The best inventory and assessment in the nation • 45 sustainable feedstocks inventoried • 16. 9 million tons of dry underutilized biomass • 1, 769 MWc of potential power • 2 million tons – 6 coastal counties forestry residual flows • www. pacificbiomass. org has an interactive map and • database Healthy forest, fire reduction – 3 to 13 million tons more

Forest Biomass Totals (tons/yr residue)

Forest power production potential

Pacific Regional Biomass Energy Program • The states of AK, HI, ID, MT, OR & WA in partnership with U. S. Department of Energy • Each partner has expertise and functions as a multi-state team • Website is www. pacificbiomass. org

Largest Extension-Based Energy Program in the Country Staff of 60 Engineers Energy specialists Scientists Web and graphics Other professionals $6 -7 million annual budget

Technical Expertise • • • Energy efficiency engineering Building sciences and standards Renewable resources District heating/utilities and distributed generation/combined heat & power Federal Energy Management Program support Climate change Agricultural Energy supply and consumption data Program research and evaluation

Outreach and Implementation • • • One-on-one technical consultations and audits Education and training Clearinghouse services Publication research, development and distribution Energy library Website development and maintenance Software development, distribution and support Resource Efficiency Management Industries of the Future outreach Participation on regional and national advisory and technical committees