Not every week, but on occasion, I’ll have a post that’s accompanied by a short commentary. This week’s commentary is on nuclear (Link: Commentary: Nuclear Support). Continue reading “Weekly Post: Oct. 11-17”
Post written by Haley Daniel
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed new legislation, SB 350, to set renewable energy goals for the state to be reached by 2030. The new legislation builds off of California’s existing Renewable Portfolio Standard of 33%. SB 350 sets a new goal for 50% of energy to be generated from renewable sources by 2030 and for the rate of energy efficiency savings in California buildings to double by 2030. This legislation is part of an overall goal for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by the year 2030, and also before the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. The image below shows current trends and forecasted plans for the percentages of various renewable sources in California’s energy mix. Continue reading “California’s SB 350 Legislation”
My editorial on the Clean Power Plan, was published in James Magazine (pg. 10-12). The article discusses the goals of the Clean Power Plan and how EPA’s policy for the power generation sector are not what this country, or the world, needs to address the global CO2 issue.
In 1980, the year I was eligible to vote in my first presidential election, Ronald Reagan accomplished at least two things. He convinced a good number of people in my generation that the Republican Party had the best ideas for America, and he convinced a good number of people from an older generation, folks who were, perhaps, wavering in their political leanings, to accept conservative principles as the best way forward for America. Continue reading “Straight Outta Reagan”
Engineering Georgia is the official magazine of Georgia’s engineering industry. The July/August 2015 edition had a significant emphasis on energy in Georgia. I was invited to write an editorial on energy and environmental issues as well as comment on the additional units currently under construction at the Vogtle nuclear plant.
My editorial is here: Gattie Editorial (Engineering Georgia July-August 2015)
My comments on Vogtle are in the article on Georgia Power’s CEO, Paul Bowers.
Engineering Georgia Magazine is a nice publication and is available on-line.
Nuclear power generation is regularly attacked by individuals and groups who, on principle, believe that nuclear energy of any sort is simply bad for society. This is an exchange between me and a local Athenian. It’s brief, but represents my personal position and also reflects some technical shortsightedness on the part of some who engage in this issue. I was somewhat amused at the anti-nuclear guy’s proposal to “dig a deep hole, then boil the water near where the lava lives”.
Gattie Letter:
http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2014-04-03/gattie-alternative-energy-sources-unreliable
Original Letter:
http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2014-03-31/stelter-nuclear-power-wrong-strategy
Since 1997, CO2 emissions from power generation have trended downward in the U.S., Texas and Georgia, with Georgia having reduced its emissions by 30%. Reductions can be attributed in part to recent shifts from coal to natural gas as a primary energy source. These data are for electric utilities and Independent Power Producers only.
In June of 2014, EPA released its first draft of proposed carbon rules for the U.S. power generation sector. Also known as the Clean Power Plan, these rules represent the first of their kind for regulating CO2 as a pollutant and it uses Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act as its legal basis and justification. This is an editorial I wrote for the Athens Banner-Herald back in August 2014 regarding EPA’s carbon rules. My contention is that the rules present uneven challenges for individual states in the U.S., particularly for Georgia.
http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2014-08-16/gattie-us-needs-multifacted-approach-energy-issues
