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United States Democrats Power

Virginia Is the First Southern State With a 100 Percent Carbon-Free Electricity Goal (hydrogenfuelnews.com) 100

Posted by BeauHD from the transition-into-the-future dept.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Virginia has become the first among the Southern US states to take on a goal for 100 percent carbon-free electricity. State governor Ralph Northam, an Army veteran and pediatric neurologist, issued Executive Order 43. The executive order detailed the state's plans to reach a zero CO2 energy goal by 2050. In September 2019, Northam also brought Virginia into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is a carbon trading network that spans nine states. Before then, Northam's efforts to take these initiatives and to join the RGGI were thwarted. However, following the 2019 election, voters in the state changed the political climate in the state. This opened the opportunity to move forward with renewable energy-based efforts. Earlier this month, the state General Assembly passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which brought Northam's previously failed efforts into law. The House voted in favor 51 to 45 and the Senate voted 22 to 17.

Among the VCEA goals are to gradually reduce the use of fossil fuels until they are no longer a part of the state's electricity production. Instead, it will use 100 percent clean energy to power the state. In order to achieve this goal, Virginia has a four-part plan:

1. Join the RGGI and develop a cap-and-trade system. The states that are already using similar strategies and that are a part of the RGGI have experienced healthy economic effects overall. Moreover, the hope is that the addition of Virginia to a heavily supplied market will only boost competition. This is meant to drive the clean energy transition forward even faster.
2. Achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
3. Keep power costs low and protect vulnerable and low-income communities.
4. Build rooftop solar, offshore wind, and power storage.
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Virginia Is the First Southern State With a 100 Percent Carbon-Free Electricity Goal More

Virginia Is the First Southern State With a 100 Percent Carbon-Free Electricity Goal

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  • 2050? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by niftydude ( 1745144 ) on Friday March 27, 2020 @08:06AM (#59877408)
    Ah, so they're doing nothing then.

    • Exactly. I'm more interested in goals with targets before the next election.

    • Ah, so they're doing nothing then.

      Here's hoping.. Gives the cooler heads time to prevail and undo this stupidity.

      • Ah, so they're doing nothing then.

        Here's hoping.. Gives the cooler heads time to prevail and undo this stupidity.

        At least they can be a cautionary tale for the other states when Virginia sees goal 3 get blown out of the water, looking at the results from countries that have made large shifts in their energy production. Germany, for example, has shifted much of their energy production to wind and solar, and residents are paying three times the US average for power.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by guruevi ( 827432 )

          Germany for example has the potential capacity of being fully off-grid (solar and wind only) with the amount of capacity they built. Their actual energy consumption from renewables only rose a few percentage points because apparently peak capacity at which point they have to pay people (effectively tax funded donations to energy companies) to buy energy on the open market only occurs 2-3 days per year.

          • Germany does NOT have the capacity to be fully off grid on a cold, calm night.

            They may have enough *capacity* on paper to handle their peak load (and then some) but unless the wind blows and the sun shines when you need it too, there will be gluts and shortages compared to demand. *Most* (not all) renewables cannot be scheduled in advance. You cannot call up the wind farm operator and say "We will need you at 100% capacity from noon though 8 PM" on Wednesday and hope to have them say "Sure, we can do tha

            • Germany does NOT have the capacity to be fully off grid on a cold, calm night.
              At night power consumption is around 40% - 50% of the day peak - facepalm.

              They don't know if the wind will be blowing fast enough
              Wind forecasts are extremely reliable ...

              This is why they only schedule renewables to be within 20-40% of forecasted available power, and keep considerable surplus capacity from non-renewables online.
              You are an idiot. Wind and solar is not "scheduled". However it is planned exactly like the forecast prog

        • At least they can be a cautionary tale for the other states when Virginia sees goal 3 get blown out of the water, looking at the results from countries that have made large shifts in their energy production. Germany, for example, has shifted much of their energy production to wind and solar, and residents are paying three times the US average for power.

          The goal to keep costs low can be kept if the goal to expand offshore wind and rooftop solar is ignored. Onshore wind, hydro, nuclear, and geothermal are competitive with natural gas and coal. Goals 3 and 4 are simply incompatible, they can keep costs low but not if they use rooftop solar, offshore wind, and energy storage.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Shotgun ( 30919 )

            But my goal for renewables is rooftop solar. There are goals beyond "efficiency". In this case, my goal is independence and reliability.

        • and residents are paying three times the US average for power.
          Per kW/h, not on the bill. Our bills are less than half than yours as we invested into power saving a lot.

    • Ah, so they're doing nothing then.

      It's all PR.

      Governor Northam (aka Governor Coonman) went full tilt liberal agenda when the photo of him in blackface came out. He should have resigned immediately instead. So, yeah, this is a great way to look 'green' without actually doing anything.

    • Ah, so they're doing nothing then.

      Precisely. Politicians doing something about carbon emissions from energy would involve taking a look at how various energy sources rank on costs and CO2 output, picking the best of them, and then setting goals to put them into service within their term in office.

      What's the top five energy sources in lowest CO2 emissions? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
      Those would be onshore wind, offshore wind, nuclear, hydro, and tidal/wave power. The various forms of solar power isn't all that great in comparison to

    • Ah, so they're doing nothing then.

      Yep. Setting goals and planning for the future is definitely nothing. It's not how any organization has ever accomplished anything.

      We all know that god moves in mysterious ways. We need to just keep doing what we're doing, and wait for him to step in and intervene.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Shotgun ( 30919 )

      Exactly. With current price progression, you'd have to be a complete fool to invest in future fossil fuel prices in 2020. The cost of renewables has already crossed the threshold of being cheaper than fossil fuels, and is in a predictable steady decline.

      But, think of the virtue signalling value of making this declaration.

  • incompetent politicians and bureaucrats doing useless feel good stuff that will never matter to anyone. But hey they have the power, this is what they care about. Remember that next time you vote.
    In Virginia the inmates are running the asylum.

    Just my 2 cents ;)
  • This is more kicking the can down the road than a truly workable framework, aimed at scoring political points in an election year. The stated goals all have potential, but are very expensive ways of doing things when looked at in the eyes of reality. Green energy isn't that much of a priority right now when we're dealing with a pandemic, and predictions about the planet's doom are being tempered by a more imminent threat posed by disease. Statistical models have weaknesses. Weather forecasters know this

  • By 2050? (Score:3)

    by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Friday March 27, 2020 @08:46AM (#59877526)

    Hey, if I was a politician I'd sign that without thinking twice. Given the average age of the US politician, he is certainly no longer in office by then. Hell, it's half a miracle if he's still alive.

    Why do you think they don't give a fuck about global warming? It's gonna hit us long after they're out of office and most likely worm food.

    • Hey, if I was a politician I'd sign that without thinking twice. Given the average age of the US politician, he is certainly no longer in office by then. Hell, it's half a miracle if he's still alive.

      Why do you think they don't give a fuck about global warming? It's gonna hit us long after they're out of office and most likely worm food.

      Exactly. Any promise from a politician that has a delivery date beyond their term in office is meaningless. No law, executive order, or regulation, can impose obligations on some future holders of that office.

      When JFK made his "We choose to go to the Moon" speech in 1962 people believed him. That's because he was sworn in as POTUS in 1961 and he set a date as "by the end of this decade". If re-elected then he'd still be POTUS in January 1969. That gave him 7 years as POTUS to get the ball rolling for a

      • No law, executive order, or regulation, can impose obligations on some future holders of that office.

        No it can't, but it's one thing to sign a law in favour of something the general public think it's a good idea, and quite another to revoke it. There's a reason gay marriage hasn't been revoked in any country despite countries having changed political parties often at some point to the conservatives who are generally against it. Doing so is a political death sentence.

        It's one thing to say "We'll do something positive by 2050" Quite another thing to come into power and say "Fuck your positivism."

        Oh except fo

        • No it can't, but it's one thing to sign a law in favour of something the general public think it's a good idea, and quite another to revoke it.

          This executive order is not a good idea. Take a look at two of the stated goals.

          Keep power costs low and protect vulnerable and low-income communities.
          Build rooftop solar, offshore wind, and power storage.

          Relying on rooftop solar and offshore wind to lower CO2 emissions will not keep energy costs low. Look at how much they cost compared to other energy sources.
          https://www.ipcc.ch/site/asset... [www.ipcc.ch]

          Rooftop solar and offshore wind could cost double that of other low CO2 sources like onshore wind, hydro, nuclear, and geothermal. Given current costs of these energy sources it is quite possible to have a mix of them that can keep costs

  • Join the RGGI and develop a cap-and-trade system (Score:3, Informative)

    by magzteel ( 5013587 ) on Friday March 27, 2020 @08:54AM (#59877556)

    So whats the RGGI? Effectively it's a tax which generates a bunch of revenue that states can then distribute.
    What politician wouldn't love it?

    From Wikipedia:
    RGGI establishes a regional cap on the amount of CO2 pollution that power plants can emit by issuing a limited number of tradable CO2 allowances. Each allowance represents an authorization for a regulated power plant to emit one short ton of CO2. Individual CO2 budget trading programs in each RGGI state together create a regional market for CO2 allowances.[3]

    The RGGI states distribute over 90 percent of allowances through quarterly auctions.[4] These allowance auctions generate proceeds, which participating states are able to invest in strategic energy and consumer benefit programs. Programs funded through RGGI have included energy efficiency, clean and renewable energy, greenhouse gas abatement, and direct bill assistance.

    • Yeah, this is a complete tax scam. These traitors should be hung... After they get a fair trial in minecraft.

    • Effectively it's a tax which generates a bunch of revenue that states can then distribute.

      Sounds like yet another end-around state sovereignty.....

      I thought the Federal govt was supposed to be this conduit for stuff like this....at a limited level?

  • Virginia has become the first among the Southern US states to...

    When did Virginia become a southern state?

    • Virginia has become the first among the Southern US states to...

      When did Virginia become a southern state?

      That's a strange question to ask about the state that 90% of the Civil War was fought in and contained the South's capitol for the majority of its national existence.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by ddtmm ( 549094 )
        The civil war was over 150 years ago. Things change.

        • >"The civil war was over 150 years ago. Things change."

          Bingo. Virginia is a "Mid Atlantic" state, not really a "Southern" state. Has been that way for many, many years. I have rarely ever seen modern demographics mappings of any type label Virginia as "south" or "southern."

    • LOL @ this question

  • Goals are cheap, especially goals 30 years out. This is just political grandstanding. It must be an election year...

  • Mixed goals, and a prediction (Score:3)

    by magzteel ( 5013587 ) on Friday March 27, 2020 @09:12AM (#59877612)

    1. Join the RGGI and develop a cap-and-trade system.
    Will happen ASAP, because it is a tax which generates new revenue they can spend.

    2. Achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
    Could happen, anything is possible 30 years out

    3. Keep power costs low and protect vulnerable and low-income communities.
    Joining the RGGI raises energy costs which adversely impacts the vulnerable and low income communities

    4. Build rooftop solar, offshore wind, and power storage.
    Wow, so forward thinking. I wonder why no one has thought of this.

    • 4. Build rooftop solar, offshore wind, and power storage.
      Wow, so forward thinking. I wonder why no one has thought of this.

      People have obviously thought of this. The people that looked into it should have rejected this idea.

      Did the authors of this order look at the costs of rooftop solar and offshore wind? This governor obviously didn't before signing it.
      https://www.ipcc.ch/site/asset... [www.ipcc.ch]
      Rooftop solar costs more than double that of hydro, onshore wind, nuclear, and geothermal. Offshore wind is just short of what rooftop solar costs. Further down in that document I linked to will show that rooftop solar produces double the CO

      • I have no idea why you always argue about stuff you have no clue about.
        My roof top has perhaps 200 square meters. Arguable one half mostly points to the north and only has direct sun in summer in the late morning and late evening ...

        Which hydro plant can I put on my roof? Oh ...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Shotgun ( 30919 )

        Have you looked at Virginia, though? A large portion of their population lives in remote areas with very poor power distribution. When you're comparing those costs, you should not leave out the need to pipe that power out to the people that need it. Rooftop solar is a good solution for those remote areas.

  • The operative word here is "goal", which is admirable, but really means nothing.
  • ...And in other newson this December 31, 2050, Virginia became the first Southern State to confirm they will NOT meet their goal of carbon-free electrical power this year. Now we turn to the weather...

  • It would be great if this is possible and if they can pull it off, however I'm glad it's their state and not mine because it could be disastrous if they're wrong.

    LK

  • If the goal is to lower CO2 then it would be most logical to place support behind energy sources shown to have the lowest CO2 output. If the goal is to keep costs low then it would be logical to choose the lowest cost sources. What's the plan again?

    1. Join the RGGI and develop a cap-and-trade system. The states that are already using similar strategies and that are a part of the RGGI have experienced healthy economic effects overall. Moreover, the hope is that the addition of Virginia to a heavily supplied market will only boost competition. This is meant to drive the clean energy transition forward even faster.
    2. Achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
    3. Keep power costs low and protect vulnerable and low-income communities.
    4. Build rooftop solar, offshore wind, and power storage.

    How do various energy sources rank in CO2 emissions? Let's see what the IPCC says. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/asset... [www.ipcc.ch]

    The top three are so close it's difficult to rank them definitively. Those are nuclear, onshore wind, and offshore wind. Fourth is hydropower

  • Now that's just fuckin lazy. Anyone can declare anything to happen in 30 fuckin years. Cold fusion? Base on mars? Interstellar flight? A legitimate government? You name it.

    How about: By this time *next year*?

    Yeah, stop making excuses. Fuck the daily grind. If everyone helps, it's done as fast as the base minerals can be dug up and disrributed.

    • If everyone helps, it's done as fast as the base minerals can be dug up and disrributed.

      For which you're going to need geologists. And also, places to establish those mines. Obviously that's not going to be in American's back yards - because they'll all get voted down. So they'll have to be abroad.

      At which point, you're going to discover that China has been signing development contracts world wide while America has been dreaming of their former hegemony. And boom - America has got nowhere to go for the res

  • VA one of the first southern states to fail to meet its decades-old pledge to be carbon-free by 2050.

    How are the Kyoto/Copenhagen/Paris promises going for other countries, again? What's the number of countries that have met their commitments?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Shotgun ( 30919 )

      I disagree. I almost guarantee they'll make the goal, but this proclamation won't have a damn thing to do with it. The price of solar is in steady decline.

  • Pipe dreams. Wake me in 2050 and tell me if they did it. If anyone remembers the "goal."

  • What's happened is that Northern Virginia, sometimes referred to as "occupied Virginia" has steadily expanded in population and geographic reach. This has turned VA from "red" to "purple" and perhaps will eventually make it solid "blue". When I was a teenager, Prince William County was totally redneck. I've moved away for quite some time, so I don't know what it's like now but I'm guessing NoVA has expanded quite a bit. It was always like Westward Expansion 2.0 in NoVA. I grew up watching our two-lane

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