West Virginia is Wild & Wonderful and Needs Careful Planning for the Future
Prepared by the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, West Virginia University, December 14, 2020
West Virginia’s Energy Future — A plan to ramp up renewable energy to decrease costs, reduce risks, and strengthen economic opportunities in the Mountain State.
Executive Summary from Full Report
At the end of this tumultuous and historic year, West Virginia’s electric utilities will publish plans showing the resources that they intend to use to generate electricity for West Virginians over at least the next decade.
In anticipation of those plans, this report regarding West Virginia’s Energy Future shares the following findings based on almost a year of research, economic modeling, debate, and expert feedback:
>> For at least five reasons, our electric utilities urgently need to consider a major ramping up of renewable energy and energy efficiency that begins today.
>> A major ramping up of renewable energy and energy efficiency in West Virginia over the next fifteen years would be cost-competitive versus our current trajectory of continued dependence on coal — while also delivering important additional benefits.
>> West Virginia’s ramping up of renewable energy and energy efficiency should be complemented with a federal reinvestment in miners, coal communities, and our new energy economy.
>> We can make the ramping up of renewable energy and energy efficiency in West Virginia work for everyone, including customers, current power plant workers and their communities, and our electric utilities.
Please read the complete Executive Summary in the full West Virginia’s Energy Future report. Report released on December 14, 2020.
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See also: Fusion Energy Is Coming, and Maybe Sooner Than You Think, Thomas Overton, Power Magazine, June 1, 2020
When British physicist Arthur Stanley Eddington first proposed in the 1920s that the sun and stars were powered by the fusion of hydrogen into helium, his idea sparked a rush of research and speculation into the possibility of bringing this energy source to earth.
The joke about fusion energy is that it’s 30 years away and always will be. But significant recent advances in fusion science and technology could potentially put the first fusion power on the grid as soon as the 2040s. The ITER project, under construction in February 2020, will be the first experiment to create a “burning,” or self-sustaining, fusion plasma.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I found that report rather bizarre reading — it reminded me of science fiction from the 1950s and 60s, in which you could read entire stories and never suspect the existence of female humans.
They seemed to go to a lot of trouble to avoid noticing the existence of GAS — which is supplanting coal even in WV, and is therefore a more important threat to the climate than coal.
Makes it look like it is now finally okay to attack coal in WV, as long as you do it politely, but gas is not to be mentioned.
Report: WV Shift to Renewable Energy Could Lower Bills, Boost Economy — West Virginia could gain more than 1,100 jobs if the state shifts from coal power to renewable energy by 2035, according to a new report.
By Diane Bernard, Public News Service, Appalachian Voices, December 18, 2020
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With more coal plants idling or shutting down during the pandemic, a new report makes the case for boosting West Virginia’s renewable energy and energy efficiency over the next 15 years.
Put out by the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at West Virginia University, the report shows the state could move away from coal and generate more than 70% of the state’s electricity using wind and solar power by 2035.
Jim Kotcon, political chair of the Mountain State’s Sierra Club said using renewable energy would be more cost-effective in the long run.
“The economics are very clear,” Kotcon argued. “Which is one reason why nationally, two-thirds of the new electric generation added to the grid has been from renewables for each of the last six years. So it’s time for West Virginia to catch up with where most of the rest of America is already going.”
American Electric Power, a major utility supplier in Appalachia, has already stated it aims to reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2035 and 80% by 2050. The company has gone from 70% coal-fueled in 2005 to 45% in 2019.
The report points to coal transition legislation passed by the state House of Delegates earlier this year as evidence of political commitment for the shift away from coal. But Kotcon contended more work needs to be done to meet the 2035 goal.
“The state Legislature has taken up some preliminary legislation authorizing the utilities to develop renewables,” Kotcon explained. “But we would need to move much faster than we have so far to achieve this.”
According to the report, 74% of U.S. coal capacity could be replaced by renewable energy with immediate cost savings, rising to 86% by 2025. It also predicts moving to renewable energy would create more than 1,100 full-time jobs in West Virginia.
https://appvoices.org/2020/12/18/report-wv-shift-to-renewable-energy-could-lower-bills-boost-economy/
Oxford PV Hits New World Record for Solar Cell
The ground-breaking cell produced by Oxford PV has been independently proven to convert 29.52% of solar energy into electricity. In contrast, standard silicon cells used on millions of homes globally have an average conversion rate of just 15-20% and a practical maximum conversion rate of around 26%. Solar is crucial in decarbonizing the world’s energy supply and is predicted to provide 50% of global electricity generation by 2050.*
The technology used in Oxford PV’s record-breaking cell involves coating ordinary silicon solar cells with a thin film of the material perovskite to better utilize photons across the solar spectrum. The synthetic perovskite material is affordable, sustainable and eventually could replace silicon entirely –35 kg of perovskite generates the same amount of power as seven tons of silicon.
In 2022, Oxford PV will be the first company to sell these next-generation solar cells to the public. Initial products, designed for residential roofs, will generate 20% more power from the same number of cells. With further development, Oxford PV believes future solar cells be improved significantly.
Frank P. Averdung, Chief Executive Officer at Oxford PV, said, “We are thrilled to be at the heart of the solar revolution and play a vital role in decarbonizing the world’s energy supply. We are currently at a global tipping point – climate change is dramatically worsening and the need to use alternative forms of energy has never been greater. Our solar cells are critical in accelerating the adoption rate of solar and tackling the ever-worsening issue of climate change. We have a clear roadmap to take this technology beyond 30%”
“Our solar cells and modules not only demonstrate record efficiency but have passed externally measured industry standard reliability tests from the International Electrotechnical Commission. The considerable progress we have made is thanks to our dedicated and skilled scientists and engineers in the UK and a validation of the entire global perovskite research community who have been contributing to making perovskite successful. Our innovative approach is a breakthrough for solar power efficiency and will be instrumental in paving the way for an all-electric future,” said Dr. Chris Case, CTO at Oxford PV.
* According to Shell’s “Sky scenarios” (2018)
https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/pv_solar/oxford-pv-hits-new-world-record-for-20201221/