ENEP250 Final Exam

finite amount of fissile material found on Earth

Uranium-235

A facility where ethane from natural gas is processed into ethylene

oil and gas are not vulnerable to international supply disruptions

• mining companies cut down trees prior to explosion

• toxic waste from mountaintop removal can be used as ‘fill’ to fill waterway valleys

• destroys mountain ecosystems via explosives

limited land disruption

• boomtown effect

• seismic activity link

• methane leakage and burnoff

• NOT lease income for local land owners

Bituminous

Anthracite

Peat

Pennsylvania

generates electricity and heat at the same time

periods of highest demand

hydropower

nameplate capacity

84%

• interstate commerce clause

• necessary and proper clause

• NOT equal protections clause

state governments

legally binding, but doesn’t impose penalties

• Natural Resources Management

• Pollution Control and Environmental Quality

only 13%

• “not in my backyard movement

• requires constant wind to be an efficient as possible

• US electric grid is almost non-existent in high wind speed area

if an energy resource has a low energy yield, it cannot effectively compete in the market and must be subsidized.

the net energy yield

• high net energy yield

• low electricity costs

• widely available

• NOT a variable source of energy

• Renewable energy and

• Energy conservation & efficiency

• habitat loss

• west nile virus

• climate change

• NOT water pollution

• Extinct Species

• Endangered Species

Determinations are solely made based on the best scientific and commercial data available

• Limited infrastructure 

• Wind and solar energies are variable

  • Meaning they are not consistent or dispatchable (what you have is what you got, and you will oftentimes need a backup source)

• Wind and solar energies are difficult to store

  • Larger, more efficient batteries are expensive and take longer to make

• PURPA: Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act

• Summary: created a market for independent power producers, IPPs, and requires utilities to buy power from QFs at the avoided cost of generating additional power

  • Cannot discriminate against where the power is coming from in regards to small vs. larger facilities

• Pros:

  • Biofuels and their feedstocks can be produced almost anywhere (promoted energy independence)

  • Grasslands and forests are not cleared for feedstock crops

  • Easy to store, transport, use, and integrate into existing systems

• Cons

  • Widespread deforestation (mainly caused by agricultural expansion)

  • Release of soot from burning both fuelwood and charcoal causes health issues

• WINTER

  • double peak curve for morning and evening peaks based on home heating use

• SUMMER

  • single peak that rises during the day, peaking in late afternoon due to AC use
    

• Advantages

  • high net energy yield

  • large untapped potential

  • low cost electricity

  • low emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants

• Disadvantages

  • large land disturbance and displacement of people (Grand Coulee example)

  • extra land degradation across transmission corridors

  • disruption of downstream aquatic

• Advantages

  • high potential for growth

  • no direct emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants

  • lower costs with natural gas turbine backup, and source of new jobs

• Disadvantages

  •  low net energy yield and high costs

  • needs backup or storage system on cloudy days

  • requires high water use

  • can disrupt desert ecosystems

• Kelly’s Research focuses on petrochemicals and plastic production, with a focus on the processing aspect.

• A petrochemical is a chemical that is derived from oil and natural gas, while an ethane cracker describes a facility where ethane from natural gas is processed or “cracked” into ethylene.

• The process begins with natural gas taken to a processing plant, where methane gets filtered out and goes to a separate facility where they separate ethane.

• Ethane then goes to distribution and ethane cracker facilities.

• At the ethane crackers, the ethane is taken and put through the engineering process, coming out with plastic nurdles that are sent to downstream manufacturing to make plastic bags, containers, etc.

• There are quite a few environmental implications that come with this process, including human health risks for fenceline communities, more plastic waste through more plastic production, and increased demand for oil and gas, emitting greenhouse gasses.

• In Delaware specifically, Kelly talked about the plastic resin identification codes, and how different facilities accept different codes. For Delaware, codes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 are accepted, while 3 and 6 are not. We must pay attention to what we are recycling to ensure it is acceptable in Delaware!

• Advantages

  • Reduced “stalemate” or constant back and forth suing 

  • Improved relationships and trust between involved parties which lead to voluntary actions and agreements.

  • Expanded participation (involved more perspectives and therefore more likely to encompass wide variety of stakeholders)

• Disadvantages

  • Timely process (why  would this be a disadvantage)

  • Need All parties should be willing to participate to work

    • If one person refuses to cooperate, the whole process is stonewalled

  • The solution will not please everyone, as it is based on compromise

1. None - Possible to argue self-regulation/volunteerism/rely on market forces will solve issue

2. Education and Outreach. Teach public the importance of environment and how to care for it.

3. Standards and Enforcement. 

4. Market Tools and Incentives (more market-friendly than Standards + Enforcement). These include subsidies, tax externalities, cap + trade systems

5. Establish common property Rights/Institutions

• Fossil fuels

  • The US has abundant supplies of  fossil fuels

  • They are low-cost

• Renewables

  • Expensive need subsidies

  • Not available all the time (24/7)

  • Dependent on wind and sun or water that are impacted by climate change

  • needs lots of space

A resource with a low net energy yield can not compete and needs government subsidies. Energy sources with low yields have difficulty competing with less expensive fossil fuels. For example, Nuclear energy has enormous upfront costs and waste storage. Pros are C-free electricity and high power output vs cons in U is nor-renewable, upfront cost, waste

• Mitigation is an action that reduces emissions 

  • Ex. EV (electric cars)

  • Clean energy (windmills)

  • Energy efficiency such as LED lights

  Adaptation is an action to manage the risks associated with climate change

  • Disaster management plans (evacuation upgrades, notification policies local and state disaster plans)

  • Flood protection (restore wetlands, raise buildings)

  • Infrastructure upgrades (flood control barriers)