Mr Sustainable

Three years after the disaster, the ruptured core of the nuclear reactor is still giving off roughly one million watts worth of heat, according to Fairewinds Energy, a nuclear safety advocacy group based in Burlington, Vermont.  Soils in the surrounding area, and may food crops grown in Japan, have been poisoned with nuclear contamination.  And radioactive water continues to leak out from the crippled nuclear plant.  Can you believe that supporters still sometime trumpet nuclear as “clean power?!”

The fragility of the electric grid was highlighted.  Solar, by providing energy generation at many places around the state (e.g. right on the roof top of your house or business) means you are not at the whim of the grid. 

The cost of climate change, is being felt now, not in the future.  Large storms like SuperStorm Sandy drive home the point that we cannot sit back and let the future happen to us: we must plan now for our future, and in terms of electricity generation this means a renewable energy transition now.

There are many advantages of distributed generation.  Distributed generation strengthens our electric system and provides greater reliability, especially during natural disasters.

In case nay-sayers have told you can’t have solar because it’s just too expensive, do a web search for this article on Bloomberg

Bloomberg.com: “German Power Tumbles to Record Low as Solar Damps Demand”

Jan 16, 2013 By Julia Mengwein

The Nordic countries –Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland –as a group exceeded 63% renewable power in 2012.

Germany’s “Renewable Energy Transformation” requires 80% renewable electricity by 2050. It is ahead of schedule, surpassing 26% in the first half of 2012. The RE Transformation has produced over 370,000 jobs; the German economic research institutes say it has been a net benefit to the economy, and the country’s economy is by far the strongest in Europe (world’s 4th largest economy overall, and the largest exporter).

Most European Union countries have ambitious, binding RE targets. High‐Penetration PV in New Jersey and Germany.

New Jersey leads the U.S. in PV penetration. Currently PV penetration is: ~ 4.5% peak generating capacity ~ 1.5% annual energy.

Germany leads the world. German power snapshot: German power: 80 GW peak load and 36 GW min. load 32 GW solar and 30 GW wind generating capacity Solar has on occasion reached 50% of the country’s total load Renewable electricity reached 26% in first half 2012.

Note: A solar power system in New Jersey produces 38% more power than the same system would in Germany!

New Jersey can – and should — establish a requirement of 80% renewable electricity by 2050.

With the EPA’s new coal-fired power plant and air pollution rules, coal power is in trouble. PJM, the nation’s largest grid operator, estimates that 20 GW of coal plants are at high risk of retirement in its territory (New Jersey’s statewide maximum load is 20 GW). New nuclear power is more expensive than solar on a KWH basis, more costly and more risky as an investment, and far more dangerous. Oyster Creek retires in 2019.  Fracked gas drilling injects unknown chemicals into the ground when may have just as bad climate change impacts as coal.  For our future – and the lives and health of ourselves and our children – we must choose solar and wind and start transitioning our energy sector.

The Global Warming Response Act requires an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, there is no plan or policy framework in New Jersey that would result in compliance. In order to comply, it is likely that emissions associated with electricity production would have to be reduced by more than 80%. Coal and nuclear are on the wane, natural gas supplied by fracking may have the same greenhouse gas footprint as coal, and thus, the only viable and acceptable alternative are renewables – clean, renewables, like solar and wind.

Until recently, New Jersey was a leader in the United States in renewable energy, and in solar in particular.  New Jersey ranked second in the amount of solar installed, behind only California.  Unfortunately, in the past few years, as a result of failed public policy, New Jersey has lost its leadership ranking and thousand of jobs in the solar industry.  New Jersey needs more solar to regain those lost solar jobs, promote the economy, and reduce the pollution and adverse health effects that come with the burning of fossil fuels.  

New Jersey has fossil fuel and nuclear power plants that are at or near the end of their useful lives and scheduled for closure.  It is a perfect time to commence a transition to a renewable energy future by ramping up solar and wind to take the place of new fossil fuel or nuclear plants. 

Through long-term planning, the entire energy industry can start pointing at incremental milestones that will bring us eventually to an energy sector where most of our electric power is generated by clean, renewable, non-polluting sources. 

We need to establish a requirement of 80% of electricity by 2050 generated by such renewable energy.  By setting this requirement now, we will give every market participant reasonable notice and opportunity to plan and succeed.  And it gives potential investors the incentive to support the effort and commence the transition.

Jon Wellinghof, Chairman of FERC: “Solar is growing so fast it is going to take over everything”

And isn’t that a GREAT thing!

NJ FREE is a broad‐based coalition of organizations and individuals whose goal is to help lead New Jersey to take a decisive step in the creation of a sustainable society.

NJFREE seeks legislation in New Jersey requiring that the state achieve 80% Renewable Electricity by 2050, with an intermediate requirement of 30% Renewable Electricity by 2025. We also seek a requirement that the total electric usage in New Jersey be reduced by 20% by 2025 relative to 2012 usage, and be reduced by 30% by 2050 relative to 2012 usage.

 This goal is ambitious and would require many changes in the way New Jersey approaches energy development and management, but the rewards are great and would ensure that New Jersey is ready for the energy future. New Jersey is uniquely positioned among all the U.S. states to do it, given that until recently, it was a leader in renewable energy in the country. Moreover, Hurricane Sandy delivered a painful wake‐up call to our state. The time to act is now to reduce the threat of climate change, and building a renewable energy economy is central to any effective response.

 Members of NJFREE include: American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE); Climate Mama; Environment New Jersey; Grandmothers, Mothers, and More for Energy Safety (GRAMMES); Greenfaith; League of Women Voters of Ocean County; Mid‐Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association (MSEIA); Mitsubishi Electric U.S.A.; Mr Sustainable; New Jersey Environmental Federation; New Jersey PACE; Potter & Dixon; Sierra Club – New Jersey; Unitarian Universalist Church Legislative Ministry, New Jersey; and U.S. Green Building Council – New Jersey.

 Greenpeace wrote the following: The Fukushima nuclear disaster showed us once again that nuclear reactors are fundamentally dangerous. Not only do they cause significant damage to the environment, the health of populations and to national economies, the heavy financial cost of a meltdown is inevitably borne by the public, not by the companies that designed, built, and operated the plants. None of the world’s 436 nuclear reactors are immune to human errors, natural disasters, or any of the many other serious incidents that could cause a disaster. Millions of people who live near nuclear reactors are at risk. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people continue to be affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, especially the 160,000 who fled their homes because of radioactive contamination, and continue to live in limbo without fair, just, and timely compensation. Read more. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/nuclear/safety/accidents/Fukushima-nuclear-disaster/  Isn’t it time for a renewable energy transition?!