Electric Co-ops and Climate Change: Bridging the Technology Gap
Even as consensus solidifies around the need to reduce greenhouse gases, America’s need for electric power is growing. America’s electric cooperatives need to build more baseload electric power plant capacity.
Congress and states must now resolve hard issues: How do we reduce greenhouse gases? At what cost? In what time frame? Using what techologies?
Where NRECA stands
As cost-effective technology is not currently commercially available to capture and store CO 2 produced by coal-based power plants, NRECA believes that any realistic policy must include a substantial, prolonged research and development program.
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has identified seven critical areas for research and development in the electric power sector:
- renewable energy
- energy efficiency
- nuclear power
- advanced clean coal generation
- carbon capture and sequestration
- distributed energy
- plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Climate change is a global issue: American policy must encourage equal international efforts by all major emitting nations.
To learn more about NRECA’s position affecting Climate Change, please select the links below.
News:
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Flawed climate change policy could lead to "very expensive and unreliable power," warns FERC Chairman, Joseph Kelliher
April 4, 2008 - Kelliher sees advisory role for FERC in finding a balance between environmental and energy goals. more >>
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Estimates Cost of Lieberman-Warner Bill to Limit Greenhouse Gas Emissions
March 19, 2008 - S. 2191 projected to be nearly twice as expensive as either McCain-Lieberman (S. 139) or Bingaman-Specter (S. 1766). more >>
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Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Joseph Kelliher: Planning for Energy Supply and Addressing Climate Change a Balancing Act
March 11, 2008 - 2008 National Electricity Delivery Forum offers diverse perspectives on the role of electricity delivery infrastructure in addressing climate change, demand growth, and energy security. more >>
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A New Estimate by the Energy Information Administration Shows Annual Growth in Electricity Demand Dropping from 1.5 Percent, as Projected in 2007, to 1.1 Percent
March 10, 2008 - New lighting efficiency standards included in last year’s energy bill lowers a previous 2008 estimate of residential electricity usage in 2030, according to Senate testimony by Administrator Guy Caruso. more >>
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The New Carbon Principles: Banking on Climate Change Legislation
February 21, 2008 - “Banks and private utilities are even now planning how to mitigate the financial risks of impending climate change legislation. Co-op leaders must do the same for consumers,” says NRECA CEO Glenn English in Electric Co-op Today. more >>
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Alan Spen of Fitch Ratings Urges Utility Leaders to Act on Climate Change Issues
February 19, 2008 - Spen foresees a patchwork of climate change initiatives at the federal level, with greater activity at the state and local level in the near term. more >>
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NRECA congratulates the U.S. Congress on passage of H.R. 6, the “Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007”
December 20, 2007 - New federal energy efficiency provisions will help nation’s electric cooperatives keep members’ electric bills down. more >>
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New Report Raises Issues of Cost and Timing in Achieving Greenhouse Reductions
December 17, 2007 - A report by McKinsey & Company offers a perspective on how the U.S. could reduce carbon emissions, emphasizing the importance of energy efficiency, investment in technology and developing an economy-wide plan. more >>
NRECA Urges Congress to Support the Stronger Building Codes in the House Energy Bill (Section 9031 of H.R. 3221)
November 28, 2007 - NRECA has joined other electricity provider and user stakeholders in calling on Congress to support Section 9031 in the House Energy Bill (H.R. 3221) encouraging states to establish building codes to meet energy-saving targets of 30 percent after 2010 and 50 percent after 2020. more >>
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NRECA CEO Glenn English Testifies to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
September 19, 2007 - In testimony on the “Future of Coal under Carbon Cap and Trade,” English called for a significant investment in research, development, demonstration and deployment of carbon capture and storage technology. more >>
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EPRI Says R&D is Key in Curbing Emissions, Meeting Power Needs
August 16, 2007 -A new study by the Electric Power Research Institute contends that carbon emissions could be reduced 45 percent by 2030 with deployment of advanced electricity technologies. more >>
Related Resources On NRECA.coop:
Have Plug, Will Travel
Coming Full Circle on Carbon
Special Report: Reactor Renaissance
Special Report: Beating the Heat on Climate Change
Documents: