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    Tuesday, September 12, 2006

    Gimme 2 for windpower Tuesday

    In a twist on ironic happenings meeting non-ironic conclusions the US EPA has become the first (and only) US federal agency to run on green power. Well, sort of, it plans to purchase 100% of it's national usage from green power providers, which is close to almost sort of the same thing. Why is this in a windpower heading? Mostly because there is a pretty picture of wind turbines on the EPA page that this statement was released on. I suppose, to be fair, that some of their power would have to be from wind too. It can't all be hydroelectric. Is nuclear considered green? More importantly, does the EPA consider nuclear energy "green"?

    This little "note" made me shudder a bit though.

    NOTE: Federal "cap and trade" programs in the United States set a maximum level, or “cap,” for total power plant emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in states approximately east of the Mississippi, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) nationwide. These programs distribute a fixed number, or the capped level, of tradable emission allowances—the right to emit one ton of the pollutant—to electric generating plants. Renewable energy generating plants typically do not receive allowances, though there are some exceptions. Only by receiving and retiring allowances do such facilities reduce capped pollutants.

    Nevertheless, the 299 million kWh of green power purchased annually by EPA reduces demand for conventional power generation and increases demand for the generation of renewable energy. If generated by conventional means, the amount of renewable energy purchased by EPA would emit 1,159,498 pounds of NOx and 1,511,453 pounds of SO2 (these figures derived by applying national average emission factors).

    Yikes!

    The second part for today is the wonder that is the information age via Amazon.com. Besides being able to purchase books DVD's you can also buy yourself a 12v 400w wind turbine for only $800.00!

    You know, I love the internet.

    # posted by Dru McKeown @ 7:56 AM
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