Renewable Energy and Emissions Reductions

ABSTRACT

The influence of environmental legislation in many states has become common partners in creating a unique environment for renewable energy to step up to the plate. This environment offers opportunities that lead down many environmental paths and opens up economic conditions for marketplace advancement of renewable energy sources. Since 2000, more than 1100 MW of wind farm (WF) electrical power has been added or announced to be added to the Texas electrical grid. New Mexico is now experiencing the benefits of renewable energy, with more than 200 MW being installed by the end of 2003. New Mexico has even entered the marketplace with wind power crossing the borders of ERCOT in a daring bid to power the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) own laboratory in Houston with Green-e tagged blocks of renewable energy from Clovis, NM. Oklahoma will install more than 175 MW, finally opening its door to what could be a most notable crossroads in wind power development.

Now, overlay major environmental issues of another kind in water pollution and air pollution issues in rural and metropolitan areas coupled with changes in the national emissions inventory. The effect is that three new target areas come in the picture. These are concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) with new rules as of March 2003, publicly owned treatment works (POTW) who must now report emissions in more detail, and municipal solid waste landfills (MSW-LF) with the 2004 changes in landfill design of “bioreactors.” These older facilities create more than 500 million tons of manure, more than 110 million tons of municipal solid waste and more than 50 million tons of human waste for treatment. With more than 650 million tons of waste, energy projects on small and large scales are possible. The logistics are straight forward, and management in the industry does not always understand needs and methodology that must be followed to be a successful. The opportunities in developing resources lay in a shift in which regulations and recent shifts in environmental credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency for environmental progress.