On the Rocks, with a Twist

Good morning and happy Friday,

In this week’s headlines, the UN chides the World Economic Forum for a conflict of interest at Davos, Exxon knew … well, a lot, and Burning Man is suing to block a clean energy project in Nevada.?

Read on for more.

On the Rocks, with a Twist

Hearing that a proposed wind farm has encountered opposition is not news. In the case of the Iowa-based Wind Prime project, however, there’s a twist – the pushback isn’t rooted in anti-wind sentiments. Rather, it’s coming from renewable energy advocates (including big tech companies) who argue that the massive project doesn’t offer the most cost-effective solution. Here’s what you need to know:??

• Proposed by MidAmerican Energy, the Wind Prime project would combine 2,042 MW of wind and 50 MW of solar. As a regulated utility, MidAmerican must obtain Iowa Utilities Board approval to develop the project, which depends on the IUB finding that the utility’s investment is an appropriate and prudent use of ratepayer funds.
• Consumer advocates argue that it is not, on two counts: first, they question whether utility ownership is the most cost-effective approach, given that the IRA is presumably going to unleash gigawatts of renewable energy development that will result in PPAs with lower per-MWh costs than a utility-owned project;
• Second, they argue that a (predominantly) wind-only proposal is more expensive: “Consultants hired by the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Sierra Club and Iowa Environmental Council did their own modeling using post-Inflation Reduction Act costs and concluded that a portfolio of wind, solar and battery storage paired with accelerated coal retirements would ‘conservatively’ save MidAmerican consumers $120 million compared to the utility’s proposal.”

??? The Takeaway

Time to re-crunch those numbers? Critics of the project are calling for “a thorough review of MidAmerican’s portfolio and potential alternatives” and say that “the real goal of the massive investment in more wind energy is boosting company profits.” “[A]pproving Wind Prime as-is creates a wind-coal system that does not provide 100 percent clean energy and instead keeps five coal units running for 20 years or more, despite their advanced age, high costs, poor suitability for a high-renewable grid, and the presence of cheaper alternatives.”

Orwellian Energy Policy

If you were hoping that the days of “alternative facts” were in the rearview mirror, sorry to disappoint – they’re alive and well in Ohio, at least in terms of energy policy. On January 6, Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill defining natural gas as “green” energy, an “Orwellian” label that’s at odds with climate science. Here’s a quick trip through the looking glass into this world of upside-down logic:

• One motivation for this move is at least partially understandable: natural gas is “the Buckeye state’s largest energy source,” prompting Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) to opine that “It’s green. It’s clean. And it’s abundant right under our feet, right here in Ohio.”
• However, “Ohio’s new law is anything but homegrown, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post.” Behind the scenes, the American Legislative Exchange Council and The Empowerment Alliance, both “dark money” organizations with ties to the fossil fuel industry, provided assistance to Ohio lawmakers pushing the legislation.
• Adding to the absurdity of the situation, “the legislative language that defined gas as green took an unusual path through the Ohio Senate, where it was an amendment to a bill focused on poultry purchases. Dubbed the ‘chicken bill,’...at the last minute, Republicans tacked on unrelated amendments aimed at assisting the fossil fuel industry...by the time the bill reached DeWine’s desk, it was ‘stuffed’ like a chicken, its backers acknowledged.”

???? The Takeaway

This is no time to play chicken. While it’s true that natural gas plants emit fewer GHGs than coal plants, when the full lifecycle of the fuel is considered, it isn’t much better. Further, methane is a much more potent GHG than carbon dioxide, with a global warming potential 27-30 times greater than CO2. For this reason, “climate activists have urged politicians and journalists to stop using the term ‘natural gas’ and instead use the phrase ‘methane gas.’” Whether writing energy policy or communicating its benefits to the communities that consume it — words matter.

• Wisdom, Justice, Moderation: Can Georgia utilities keep up with solar?
• Compressed Air: World's largest compressed air energy storage facility in CA is moving ahead.
• Here Comes the Sun: New solar projects are landing on Wisconsin's farmlands.
• Juiced: Wind farms deliver economic jolt to mid-west counties.

• NY Governor Kathy Hochul announces three large-scale solar siting permits
• Duke Energy acquires 175 MW Pike Solar in Colorado Springs
• Longroad begins construction on 285 MW/860 MWh solar + storage project in Arizona
• Klickitat County enacts six-month moratorium on 160 MW solar development
• ENGIE’s 200 MW South Dakota wind project approved

Recycling Hope

The ability – or more precisely, the lack of ability – to recycle wind turbine blades has been a bête noire of the industry in recent years as damaged blades are replaced and older turbines are repowered. Washington-based Global Fiberglass Solutions promised many customers that it would recycle their unwanted blades, but thus far hasn’t done so, resulting in headaches and eyesores in Iowa and Texas.

Fortunately, Iowa-based REGENFiber says its “proprietary technology and 100% mechanical processes deliver truly eco-friendly solutions to a major supply chain challenge faced by the wind energy industry.” The company launched a pilot at a facility in Des Moines in 2021, and says commercial-scale blade recycling will start “in the second half of 2023.” A second blade recycling facility is under construction in Fairfax, IA, and “once commercial-scale operations …reach full production levels,” the company “anticipates recycling more than 30,000 tons of shredded blade materials annually.”

The process turns decommissioned wind turbine blades into scrap materials that “are processed into fibers that can be used for asphalt and composite products” like concrete and mortar. Jeff Woods, director of business development at REGENFiber’s parent company Travero, said “Recycling blades without using heat or chemicals while simultaneously keeping them out of landfills or being burned supports the sustainability goals of both the wind industry and customers receiving the recycled products.” Here’s to the next generation of oh-so-neat cyclical blade concrete!