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According to the World Watch Institute
in Washington, D.C., electricity generation worldwide produces
more pollution than any other single activity. In the U.S., electric
power generation accounts for two-thirds of the country's emissions
of sulfur dioxide (a pollutant that causes acid rain) and more
than a third of the carbon dioxide (the leading cause of global
warming). Conventional electricity production also creates nitrogen
oxides (a cause of smog), mercury, nuclear waste and other environmental
pollutants.
There are many resources available to help us learn more about
the effects of this pollution and their detrimental effects. One
company that operates a certification program for renewable electricity
products presents information about each of the following items
produced from traditional sources of electricity production:
According to resource-solutions.org, coal and gas power plants emit:
36% of carbon dioxide (CO2), a climate change gas. Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Currently, carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas power plants are about 1 ton per person each year. Carbon dioxide is a major global warming gas. Global warming is a serious environmental threat that may contribute to coastal flooding, more frequent and extreme heat waves, more intense droughts, an increase in the number of severe storms, and the increased spread of infectious diseases.
67%
of the nation's sulfur dioxide (SO2) when combined with rain water,
creates acid rain. Acid rain damages the foliage of forests, crops,
and other plants, and eventually can kill the plants. It also
acidifies rivers and lakes causing them to be biologically "dead."
Acidification also alters the chemistry of soil, releasing harmful
metals into rainwater runoff and groundwater. Sulfur dioxide also
accelerates the decay of stone and paint, damaging many buildings
and monuments.
33% of mercury which contributes to contamination of soil and waterways. Mercury can circulate in the air for up to one year and can be transported thousands of miles from its source. Mercury accumulates in the fatty tissue of fish and is constantly being recycled in the environment as it moves up the food chain. Mercury causes permanent damage to the liver and central nervous system and can cause birth defects.
28% of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which react with sunlight to create ground level ozone and smog. Nitrogen oxide deposition causes algae blooms in lakes and streams. This depletes the water of oxygen, killing fish and other living organisms. Nitrogen dioxide has also been shown to cause pulmonary disease in animals.
Resource-solutions.org
further notes that coal-fired power plants are the single largest
source of emissions of particulate pollution - soot particles
made of ash (heavy metals, radioactive isotopes, hydrocarbons,
sulfates, and nitrates) that can transport and deposit trace metals
such as mercury hundreds of miles from their source. Particulate
matter is the major cause of reduced visibility (haze) in the
U.S. Soot stains and damages stone and other materials, damaging
many of our buildings and monuments. After traveling long distances,
particles settle on ground or water, making lakes and streams
acidic, changing the nutrient balance in coastal waters and large
river basins, depleting the nutrients in soil, damaging sensitive
forests and farm crops, and affecting the diversity of ecosystems.
The group named above, with many other organizations, asserts
that traditional forms of electricity generation is the leading
cause of industrial air pollution in the U.S. They contend that
producing energy from the resources named above takes a severe
toll on our environment, polluting our air, land and water. Most
of our electricity in the US and in Kentucky comes from coal,
nuclear, and other fossil fuels power plants.
While the Kentucky Council of Churches has not conducted independent scientific research to examine the severity and veracity of this information, the members of the KCC did adopt a policy statement in October of 1989 that calls for the conservation of natural resources. Believing that "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," (Psalm 24:1) member churches and other faith groups, at every level of their organizations, are called upon to enable and to encourage their constituents to engage in serious and sustainable study, reflection, and appropriate action based upon the theological issues relating to our human responsibility for the biosphere as stewards of God's creation. One such way of doing that is to purchase and create a demand for renewable energy units for our electricity providers.
Renewable electricity has lower or zero
air emissions, does not produce nuclear waste, and has other health
and environmental benefits. Owen Electric was one of the first
utilities in Kentucky to offer green power through the EnviroWatts
product program. There are currently at least eight other electric
cooperatives around the state that offer a renewable resource
option. Blue Grass Energy, Inter-County Energy, Bowling Green
Municipal, and Franklin Municipal are among those who are making
renewable green power options available directly to their customers.
Unfortunately distribution of this renewable energy is limited
to each cooperative's service territory, making EnviroWatts or
other similar green power products unavailable to most customers
in Kentucky at this time. Please call your local electricity provider
to learn more about whether renewable energy purchase options
are available directly from your local electric provider. You
may also want to check the Database of State Incentives for
Renewable Energy (DSIRE) http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm
to see what options are listed for your area. If your local
electricity provider does not make renewable energy available
to you, you can call or write to them, requesting that they begin
a renewable energy program that will help curb the depletion of
the earth's natural resources. Writing, e-mailing, and calling
is one way to create demand... purchasing renewable power where
it is available is another.
Until your electric company provides energy from renewable sources,
another option is available. Even if renewable energy is not
offered by your own electricity provider, you can still make electricity
from renewables available to other grids. Here's how it works:
When electricity from renewable sources is purchased directly
by Kentuckians whose utility comapnies offer such services, the
green power is charged as part of their electricity bill. Usually
renewable electricity is not delivered explicitly to their homes
or offices even though they are the ones paying for it. Instead,
the power from renewable sources is generated and supplied to
the grid that serves all customers in their regions. What one
pays for when buying green electricity is the benefit of displacing
other non-renewable sources from the regional electric grid. A
product like EnviroWatts certifies that additional green power
has been infused into the entire grid. Most companies charge for
the regular power that is supplied to the indivual purchasing
customer, then they add an additional charge to the bill for the
green power that they certify as having been added to the regional
grid. With a renewable electricity product from your electric
provider, you are buying both your own electricity and the additional
renewable energy certificates from the same company. If your local
provider does not offer a renewable electricity product, you must
still purchase your power from your provider, but you can still
purchase the certification of additional renewable energy from
another company.
When you buy certificates from someone other then your electricity provider, what you paying for is the benefit of displacing other non-renewable sources from the regional or national electric grid. You will continue to receive an electric bill from your current electricity provider for the service they provide you, just as you would if your own electricity provider offered the sale of energy from renewable sources. The overall environmental benefit of purchasing a renewable electricity product versus a renewable certificate product is exactly the same. The difference between a renewable electricity product and a renewable energy certificate relates to where the environmental benefits are occurring. For example, a Kentucky Utilities customer in Lexington cannot see the benefits in her own region because KU does not offer a green power product, but there is nothing stopping her from buying the environmental benefits for other grids. Certificate buyers still help fight global warming and reduce regional air pollution wherever the renewable generation occurs.
When you purchase renewable certificates, you are increasing demand for additional renewable generation - exactly the same as purchasing a renewable electricity product. When renewable electricity is generated, it displaces other conventional electricity generation, such as coal, oil, nuclear, large hydro or natural gas. For every kilowatt-hour of renewable electricity or renewable certificates you buy, there is one less kilowatt-hour of conventional generation that is occurring.
Much of the environmental benefit of renewable generation occurs regionally through the reduction of emissions that impact local air quality. If you are purchasing renewable certificates, it is important to take note of where the renewable generation is occurring. Although all renewable generation provides some regional environmental benefit, the benefit may not be occurring in your region. If this is important to you, try to find a supplier that is selling renewable certificates that are generated in or near your region. If you are most concerned about global climate change, the geographic location of the generator is less important. What is important is the type of renewable generation that you are encouraging with your dollars. For the most global climate change benefit, look for renewable certificates from emissions-free renewables, such as wind, solar PV, geothermal, and small and low-impact hydro.
If you decide to buy Tradable Renewable
Certificates (TRCs)You will continue to receive an electric bill
from your current electricity provider for the service they provide
you. You do not need to notify your electricity service provider
when you purchase TRCs, but doing so will increase their awareness
that renewable energy is important to their customers. Your new
TRC provider will bill you for your TRC purchase according to
the quantity you purchase and the contract, price, terms and conditions
they are required to present to you.
When deciding how much renewable energy to buy, many people consider
many different factors. One's current electricity usage is one
basis for deciding how many TRCs one might purchase. TRCs are
usually measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt hours (MWh),
which is also how your electric meter and your utility bill is
measured. Your electricity usage should be clearly noted on your
electricity bill. Some products are offered as a percent of your
electric usage and you will be asked to provide that number. Otherwise,
you can decide to off-set all or a portion or all of your electricity
usage by purchasing a corresponding quantity of TRCs. Some individuals
go even further and purchase enough TRCs to offset the environmental
impacts of driving, air travel, and gas home heating. "Carbon
calculators" can help you estimate the green house gas produced
from some or all of your activities and covert that into a specific
number of kWhs or MWhs of TRCs needed to offset these impacts.
One such example can be found at https://www.greentagsusa.org/GreenTags/calculator_intro.cfm.
Others simply buy as many TRCs as they can afford.
If your local electricity provider does not offer the ability to add electricity from renewable sources directly into your local grid, there are many places where you can buy Tradable Renewable Certificates. Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs) are also called Credits, Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), Tickets, and Tags. Http://green-e.org/your_e_choices/trcs.html lists many companies that sell Green-e Renewable Energy Certified products, with additional information about these products at http://www.resource-solutions.org/CRSprograms/trec/FinalSummary.pdf. The Kentucky Council of Churches does not endorse or encourage the use of any particular tag provider, nor do we wish to convey that we have determined that any provider mentioned or linked from this page has the legal right to sell the properties it advertises, is free from fraud, or is better for the environment than any other provider. Christians in this Commonwealth are encouraged to do their own research and to take full advantage of every environmental conservation method they can afford.
Links
on This Topic
The Database of State Incentives
for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm
Kentucky Division of Energy http://www.energy.ky.gov
Power Switch® http://www.tva.gov/greenpowerswitch/distributors.htm
Green-e http://www.green-e.org/your_e_choices/tva.html
Cleaner Automobile Emissions http://www.kycouncilofchurches.orgWWJDrive.html
US Department of Energy's energy certificate site http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/certificates.shtml#gcerts
US Department of Energy's energy information portal http://www.eere.energy.gov/
Financial Incentives
Production Incentive
Outreach Voluntary Programs
Green Pricing Programs
Outreach Program
Rules, Regulations & Policies
Net Metering Rules
Solar Access Law/Guideline
For More Information
about the Environment and Electricity:
TRC fact sheets:
· A fact sheet about Tradable Renewable Certificates
is available from the American Wind Energy Association at www.awea.org/greenpower/gp_how2.html
· The Office of Power Technologies fact sheet on tradable
certificates is here: www.eren.doe.gov/power/consumer/green_certificates.html
· The Regulatory Assistance Project explains TRCs
in their July 2001 newsletter: www.rapmaine.org/gpnews8.htm
Other resources
on TRCs:
· The Center for Resource Solutions has links to papers
and information about TRCs at www.resource-solutions.org/TRECs.htm
· The government's Green Power Network website has
a listing of companies offering TRCs: www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/intro.shtml
· A report about the implications of TRCs for deployment
of renewables in Europe is at the Energy Research Center for the
Netherlands website at: www.ecn.nl/unit_bs/gr_cert/impltgc/c99072s.html
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