Vermont’s Energy Future – 2011 Comprehensive Energy Plan (90% Renewable by 2050)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/CEP%20Overview%20Page_Final.pdf

[font face=Times,Times New Roman,Serif][font size=5]Comprehensive Energy Plan[/font]
[font size=4]Vermont’s Energy Future – 2011 Comprehensive Energy Plan[/font]

[font size=3]Fulfilling a first-year priority for Governor Shumlin, the Department of Public Service led a multi agency initiative to complete the state’s first Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP) since the late 1990s. The CEP is comprehensive, covering electricity, heating and process fuels, and energy in transportation and land use decisions.

A Snapshot of Our Current Energy Usage

Vermont currently obtains nearly a quarter of the energy it uses from renewable sources, due in large part to the fact that nearly half of our electricity is generated from renewable sources. Robust electric efficiency efforts in the past decade have also helped significantly– we are keeping our electric demand down and using many renewable sources to meet our need. However, we have made comparatively little progress on improving our energy usage in transportation and heating. We drive more than we did a generation ago, using fossil fuels to power our vehicles. Although biomass and solar thermal systems have made a dent in our fossil fuel heating usage, Vermont continues to be heavily reliant upon heating oil. We have not made enough progress in improving the comfort and affordability of our homes by reducing their energy usage.

The Vision for Vermont’s Energy Future

The CEP recommends that Vermont set a path to obtain 90% of our total energy from renewable sources by 2050.

Meeting this goal will require us to virtually eliminate Vermont’s reliance on fossil fuels, which we can do through enhanced efficiency and greater use of clean, renewable sources for electricity, heating and transportation. We recommend the mid- century goal while recognizing that we must pursue our goals responsibly, ensuring overall energy costs for our businesses and residents remain regionally competitive. But we must also act boldly to protect our environment and our economic security.

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[wtmusic]

1. Typical, no details. How "comprehensive".

Apparently for the next forty years VY will be replaced by heating oil, natural gas from Canada, and burning trees. And by 2050 if this renewables gamble doesn't pay off, it won't be our problem will it?

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Typical, you didn’t bother to look for them

http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/

[font face=Times,Times New Roman,Serif][font size=5]Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan[/font]

[font size=3]Final Comprehensive Energy Plan 2011

The Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP) addresses Vermont’s energy future for electricity, thermal energy, transportation, and land use. This document represents the efforts of numerous state agencies and departments, and input from stakeholders and citizens who shared their insights and knowledge on energy issues over the past ten months. The plan can be downloaded from this website or may be viewed at the Department of Public Service, 112 State Street, Montpelier during regular business hours.

• One Page Overview (6.5mb pdf) http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/CEP%20Overview%20Page_Final.pdf


• Volume 1 - Vermont's Energy Future (7.5mb pdf) http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/2011%20CEP_Volume%201.pdf


• Volume 2 - Facts, Analysis, and Recommendations (6.1mb pdf) http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/2011%20CEP_Volume%202.pdf


• Appendixes (3.6mb pdf) http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/2011%20CEP_Appendixes.pdf


• CEP Public Involvement Report II (1.0mb pdf) http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/CEP%20Public%20Involvement%20Report%20II%20FINAL.pdf

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[wtmusic]

3. It's typical when a subject line includes "comprehensive" that a link will point to more than fluff

and after pointing me to the same fluff - again:

http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/CEP%20Overview%20Page_Final.pdf

the result is exactly what I knew it would be - more dependence on fossil fuels and burning trees:

"By mid-century, Vermont should aim to expand its usage of natural gas from its present 5% foothold. Expansion of natural gas would, if environmental controls are heeded, provide carbon reduction benefit for every gallon of heating oil displaced, and it would allow room for the use of natural gas for peaking electric generation and for heavy-duty vehicle fuel."

"Although our forest resources require careful management to remain sustainable, it is clear that Vermont is poised to expand its use of biomass significantly in the coming decades."

"Continue to encourage residents, institutions, and communities not only to invest in energy efficiency but also to switch to biomass-based heating equipment and fuels, including wood- or crop-based solid fuels such as chips and pellets as well as blended liquid biofuels. Vermont is on the verge of becoming a national leader in community-scaled thermal systems—thanks to the Montpelier district heating project and other initiatives— and this should be encouraged as a means of replacing significant amounts of fossil fuel while ensuring advanced pollution controls to protect and improve air quality."

http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/sites/cep/files/2011%20CEP_Volume%201.pdf

No pixie dust required when the goal is riches for Shumlin's cronies (and a carbon disaster).

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Fluff

(Over 400 pages of it.)

[bananas]

5. At 25% renewable, they're already way ahead of most states.

Let's hope they shut down Vermont Yankee before it has a serious accident, the thing is literally falling apart.

[FBaggins]

6. That oversimplifies the situation.

Vermont Yankee is close to the other 75% (also WAY ahead of any other state). Of the 25% or so that's renewable, 80% of it is hydroelectric that certainly can't expand enough to cover it's share of the needed growth. Wind/biomass/etc need to expand almost 15-fold in order to make it work.

But 40 years is a long time and the state doesn't use much electricity. So it can be done.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. No.

Vermont Yankee may represent 75% of their electrical generation, but they’re not talking about just electrical generation.

[font face=Times,Times New Roman,Serif][font size=3]…

In 2009, the most recent year for which data was available from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Agency (EIA), 52% of Vermont’s energy use was met by petroleum-based fuels. Natural gas consumption, which is constrained by pipeline infrastructure, provided 6% of overall energy use. Other energy sources, which included nuclear energy and all renewable energy sources (hydro, biomass, wind, and solar) accounted for the remaining 42% of Vermont’s energy supply.

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