The University of Georgia Energy Scoop

So, where is UGA now as far as renewable energy goes?  In an hour long interview with our very own Ken Crowe, Director of Energy Services, Stanley Dieleman, a Southern Energy Network Efficiency Fellow, and Garrett Brewer, a UGA Graduate student with energy policy experience, were all able to get several ideas, policies, and future initiatives on paper. The main point of this meeting was to collect information and cold hard facts about our energy use. The information will be used to educate many new students who don’t have a clue as to what is being done on campus, and show them what we are doing, as a university, to fulfill our commitment to excellence here at UGA.

New centralized cooling plant for northwest precinct of UGA campus

So lets start with the big question, which seems to be on most people’s minds. How much is The University of Georgia actually spending on energy? Well, according to Crowe, somewhere in the ballpark of $28 million per year. Sound huge? The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill generates a bill of around $83 million per year. With this being said, it may sound like UGA is already leading the way in energy efficiency, but what I failed to mention before is that none of UGA’s energy comes from renewable sources. The University of North Carolina gets almost 25 percent from renewable sources. With a price tag of 3.4 additional cents per kilowatt-hour for renewable energy, the University of Georgia just cannot afford it. Instead, says Crowe, the University plans to invest money in its own renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels, which could be easily applied onto many university facility roofs. UGA has not fully committed to this yet, but plans are being made.

The big project this year, and into 2010, is the construction of a brand new centralized cooling plant for the new northwest precinct of campus. The plant will centralize the cooling process, leading to a huge reduction in energy usage. According to Crowe, the more efficient coolant units, in addition to the plant’s centralized location, will reduce UGA’s energy use by as much as 25 percent for the buildings served by the plant.

Besides implementing these projects, UGA and the physical plant will continue urging the university to reduce energy by passing numerous policies focusing on basic student and faculty lifestyles. This includes simple things, such as turning off lights, to more extensive measures such as not using certain steam facilities in the summer due to a decrease of facility usage. Campus energy use has decreased 5% over its level three years ago and is well on its way to achieving the Governor’s Energy Challenge. This means reducing energy use, per square foot of building space, to 15% by the year 2020.

I will add one last thought that has been brought up many times by students and faculty interested in our energy future. Will UGA hire a head figure to tackle our energy issues and establish new policies and initiatives? This figure would be commonly known as a Director of Sustainability. When asked what UGA plans to do as far as establishing an Office of Sustainability on campus, Crowe replies that President Adams will probably reveal his plans in January as he addresses the recommendations of the Sustainability Working Group’s report.  This group has compiled a catalog of existing sustainable programs and activities on campus and has recommended actions to further the practice of sustainability on campus.

The University of Georgia is starting to make headway with its energy conservation and policy, but it still lags behind many schools, which have invested much more into sustainability. Hopefully with new economic times and more funds to work with, UGA will finally make energy efficiency a priority.

Stanley Dieleman, Southern Energy Network Efficiency Fellow

Are You Hearing This, EPD?

by Maura Friedman, UGA Student Organizer

Though Power4Georgians, a coalition of Georgia electric membership corporations, is quick to tout dirty coal, on October 20th, the real source of power was the people.

About a third of the students and youth who took the hearing by storm.

At Tuesday’s Environmental Protection Division hearing, Georgia citizens had the opportunity to publicly voice comments on the proposed coal-fired power plant to be built in Sandersville, GA. People hailing from all backgrounds and corners of the state came out in full force to represent what they wanted the future of Georgia to look like. Nearly 8 out of every 10 who spoke agreed that the future should include clean air, fresh water, healthy kids, and, subsequently, no coal.

Members of communities across the state came together to remind the EPD that coal’s pollutants and health effects don’t just stay within city limits, they’re felt upwind and downstream as well, while Sandersville residents made it clear their livelihood wasn’t up for discussion either.

Most striking about the content of the hearing was the human component. Many who spoke included stories of their personal connection to the land. Sometimes we forget that polluting streams means a granddaughter can’t play in the water or a family can’t eat the fish their son catches. Polluting the air means residents can’t enjoy their own property or a young person leaves to raise a family somewhere safer. Using 16 million gallons of water a day to run a coal fired power plant means wells go dry, but more than that, it means a specific family loses their water access.

Although the promise of jobs to accompany the construction of the coal plant glimmered like fool’s gold, many had their eye on an even more economical prize. The resounding preference at the hearing was for renewable energy and green jobs, the creation of which provides an average of 6 jobs to every 4 jobs fossil fuel-dependent industry contributes. Moreover, sustainable energy does not ask communities to make the tremendous choice between jobs and health.

On Tuesday, the people spoke and their message, one against the damage coal brings to communities, resonated clearly. Now their fate, as well as that of their land and future generations is in the hands of the EPD as Georgia waits with bated breath.

-Maura Friedman

GA YES! Says “NO!” to Coal

by Brittany Forrestal – Southern Energy Network Activist and Intern

When it comes to climate issues in the state of Georgia, there’s a lot of work to be done. I know this, you know this, and, as it turns out, we’re definitely not alone.

Last weekend, Georgia Youth for Energy Solutions (YES!), the new youth-organized Georgia branch of the Southern Energy Network, joined more than sixteen student organizers from across the state in Milledgeville, Ga, to launch a student organization dedicated to creating a coal-free Georgia. Students from Georgia Perimeter College, Oglethorpe University, Emory University, Mercer University, and the University of Georgia all showed up to represent their campuses and collaborate with other students to create a coal-free Georgia.

After hours of recruitment calls, a night of lunch-packing, and an early-morning drive to Georgia College and State University, we found ourselves exhilarated by everyone’s shared enthusiasm. Every single person present showed genuine interest and genuine excitement about the opportunity we have. We can stop coal in Georgia. We have great resources, we’re intelligent, and we’re passionate about our fight.

We spent the morning talking about the dangers of coal, discussing Georgia’s current coal situation, and brainstorming strategies and tactics to end coal in Georgia. The real highlight of the day, however, came after lunch, when we all loaded up and drove to Sandersville, Ga, which is the proposed home of coal-fired Plant Washington. We went to the local Kaolin festival in downtown Sandersville, where we handed out flyers and talked to locals about the dangers of coal. It was a soaring success; we were able to meet dozens of residents and find out where they stand and give them really important information about the plant, while enjoying the atmosphere of the festival and the beautiful weather.

After our Sandersville adventure, we wound up at a beautiful cabin in the woods, only a few miles from where Plant Washington is proposed to be constructed. There, we discussed final plans, formulated an action timeline for the next few weeks, and we agreed to continue working on this campaign both collaboratively and on our home campuses. It was an amazing day filled with amazing brainstorming by amazing students. Needless to say, I had a great time.

There is one thing in particular, however, that I’d like to mention. I think it’s safe to say that after visiting Sandersville and talking to its residents, we all felt a renewed obligation to fight this coal plant. I’ve known about this plant for a long time now and I’ve known about how dangerous and detrimental it will be if it is built, but it all seemed so abstract to me. I realized that this plant would affect me and millions of other Georgians, but I suppose I never felt personally connected to it. This weekend, that all changed. I saw the city, I saw the beautiful countryside where the plant is supposed to be built, and I felt a new urge to end coal in Georgia.

So now, I’m asking that you all help in the fight. On October 20, the Environmental Protection Division will have a hearing to give citizens an opportunity to voice their views on the coal plant. It’s open to the public and we need to get as many people as possible to show up and express opposition to the plant. The hearing is in Sandersville and it starts at 6pm, with a 5pm information session from residents and field experts. Please register here to attend the meeting. Bring friends! Bring family! Bring posters and t-shirts and an opinion. We’ll be there in all our anti-coal glory. Will you?

-Brittany

UGA students join global wake-up call

Eric Cohen and Stephen Feinberg demand real climate legislation from US leaders.

Yesterday at 12:18pm, UGA students gathered on campus for a fun, peaceful, “flash mob”. As synchronized phone alarms sounded, people held their phones in the air joining other groups around the globe in sending a flood of phone calls to world leaders urging climate action.

Why 12:18pm? The 18^th day of the 12^th month (December) is the final day of the UN climate meeting in Copenhagen where the world leaders must agree to an ambitious fair and binding treaty to avert a climate catastrophe.

Over 1000 similar events were held in more than 88 countries to deliver a resounding wake-up call to world leaders before they meet today in New York for critical climate talks.

Polls show 90% of people worldwide see climate change as a serious problem. Experts say a UN climate pact in Copenhagen in December risks failure unless world leaders revive bogged-down negotiations this week.

“The idea of a global climate wake-up call got going just a few weeks ago, and it’s snowballing into a massive mobilization of millions around the world who want leaders to do more to stop runaway climate change,” said Kelsea Norris, a member of the Southern Energy Network.

Cristina DuQue and Maura Friedman give their senators a wake-up call.

“UGA students are taking part to help show the huge level of public concern that climate talks move far and fast enough to deliver a deal that will avert climate catastrophe and unleash a new green economy.”

A broad coalition of major environmental and anti-poverty organisations as well as faith, civic and youth networks – called the TCKTCKTCK campaign for the ticking-clock urgency of climate change – is backing the campaign effort.

Film and photographs from the day’s event will be compiled and shown to world leaders and at theUS premiere of climate film Age of Stupid, to be shown in 400+ theatres simultaneously. Audiences will also take part in flooding their government with calls to get climate talks on track and deliver a “fair, ambitious, and binding” new climate treaty.

Students from the Southern Energy Network will continue to put on events like this to push for climate legislation federally and right here in Georgia. Their next meeting will be on Oct 10^th. To find out more or get involved, contact SEN Georgia Organizer Rebecca Van Damm at Rebecca@climateaction.net .

July 28: Take Action Against Coal in Georgia

Aerial image Plant Branch, located in Milledgeville, GA.

There’s finally a glimmer of hope in the quest to restructure energy sources in the Southeast. More than a year after a judge ruled to halt the construction of the Longleaf coal plant in south Georgia, an appeals court has upheld her the decision that the plant’s excessive emissions is a hazard to the health and safety of Georgia citizens.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore wrote in her initial decision (from July of 2008) that “the plant as permitted [by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources] would annually emit large amounts of air pollutants, including eight [million] to nine million tons of carbon dioxide…[and] since CO2 is ‘otherwise subject to regulation under the [Clean Air] Act,’ a PSD [prevention of significant deterioration] permit cannot issue for Longleaf without CO2 emission limitations.”

As noted by David Biello of Scientific American magazine, this is the first time that excessive CO2 emissions have been cited as a deciding factor in denying a permit for coal plant construction. If nothing else, this decision means that environmental concerns are moving up the governmental ladder and into our courts where precedents will be set that lay the groundwork for a sustainable national future.

Rather than denying the permit altogether, though, the appellate decision  has ordered a case review that will require the Longleaf construction proposal to contain stricter emissions targets and more environmentally-sound technology. By questioning the validity of the permit and ordering a further case review, Georgians now have an opportunity to build strong opposition to the Longleaf plant construction. The anti-coal movement is already strong – with hundreds of Georgians and several organizations already on board – but now that we’ve got more time, we can mobilize our voices and share our knowledge.

A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, at 6pm at Early County High School. At this hearing, members of the local and regional community will offer their opinions about the plant and its effect on the environment. Administrators will be present, public officials will be present, but most importantly, Georgia citizens must be present to express what they know about coal and its negative health and environmental effects.

What we know is this – that coal is by far one of the most environmentally-destructive resources available. Coal mining alters our planet’s landscape, transporting the coal to plants uses a tremendous amount of gas, and the process of burning coal produces millions of tons of CO2 emissions in our region alone. There are already more than one hundred plants in the Southeast and rather than constructing new plants, we need to be spending our money investing in safe, sustainable alternatives to coal-fired power plants.

Let’s attend this hearing and spread the word about wind, solar, hydrokinetic, and geothermal energy. (links to fact sheets that I’m more than happy to prepare.) We need to use this opportunity as a vehicle to unite our voices and fight against dirty coal. Clean energy is the future and it is imperative that we share this sentiment with our friends, families, and communities.

So come to the hearing and say your piece. Invite friends, relatives, and neighbors and encourage them to join the fight for clean energy and a safe, sustainable future.

Plant Washington Air Permit Hearing

On the heals of shutting down our nations capitol coal plant and 12,000 young people attending Powershift last week, Sandersville GA residents and friends of Washington County came together to voice strong opposition to the proposed Plant Washington power plant. The hearing last night gave direct democracy a chance to tell Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Power4Georgians that investing in a dirty fossil fueled future is not the right way for Georgia.

Around 300 people came last night and packed into an auditorium at Sandersville Technical College. During the Q&A many voiced strong opposition to the proposed plant. Of the 20 questions asked (though many more sought to have their questions answered) 15 were in opposition to the plant.

Just today, 2 more coal plant plans were dropped, 1 in Nevada and 1 in Iowa. A new record in our fight against dirty energy, 2 plants going offline! Hopefully we can build on this momentum and shut down Plant Washington. Please contact Rick LaTorra for more info on how to get involved.

No Coal Lotta Love

After spending millions of dollars to promote the oxymoron that is “Clean Coal”, the coal industry couldn’t shield its investment from a massive coal-ash spill at a power plant in Tennessee just before Christmas. Concerned citizens from all over the U.S. are standing up and declaring coal will always be a filthy energy source and we need to invest the precious time we have into safe, renewable, and clean energy.

The past two months have been a nightmare for the coal industry. First there was the Tennessee spill shortly before Christmas. On New Year’s Day, a coal train derailed in Otero County, Colorado. On Jan. 9, a leak at a second TVA waste pond at the ironically named Widows Creek Power Plant in Alabama spilled some 10,000 gallons of gypsum slurry, that same day a coal train operated by National Coal Corporation overturned, dumping 1,100 tons of coal along the New River in Scott County, Tenn.

SEN & LRAM Day of Action

On Sunday February 8, the Southern Energy Network & Let’s Raise a Million partnered to install and give away Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs in the

Donnelly Park neighborhood of West End  Atlanta. LRAM is a ecological project that conducts complete energy efficient “clean bulb” retrofits and energy audits at no cost for residents of modest means while informing residents of the economic and environmental benefits of energy conservation.

Misty Novitch and William from creyation @ Morehouse

Dynegy backs off funding coal plant

Based in Houston Texas, one of the largest owners and operators of power plants in North America has decided to dissolve a 2-year-old joint venture with New York-based LS Power Associates, ending its participation in at least five planned coal-fueled facilities around the country that would have produced an estimated 30 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

This decision may halt the development of their $2 billion, 845 MW Coal-Fired Longleaf Plant in Earl County GA.

Funding these plants would have made Dynegy a major builders of controversial carbon generators. These generators would exacerbate climate destabilization caused by industrial carbon dioxide emissions and intensify health-threatening pollution in surrounding communities.

Southern Energy Network has been engaged in the fight against Dynegy for more than a year with hundreds participating in call-in days to Dynegy, seventy attending a hearing on the plant and 30 folks traveling all the way to Texas to protest at the Dyengy Shareholders meeting and protest this and other Dynegy coal plants around the country.  We hope to see this trend continue with more coal investors pulling their investments out of dirty and risky coal plants.

Click here for more information on how you can get involved in stopping Dynegy’s proposed plants.

Corruption, Coal, and Cobb EMC

Even as courts wade through the appeals being made over the permits granted to Georgia’s first coal plant proposal in over 20 years, and young peole are in the streets protesting new fossil fuels facilities, Cobb EMC (Electrical Membership Cooperative) is pushing through with its plans to build a second dirty coal burner in the state.

Their plans though, have not gone uncontested.  Students from around the state have assisted community members in forming the local Fall-Line Alliance for Clean Environment, and have taken various action to stop the plant.  Recently, concerned Students with Georgia Students for Sustainability joined other Cobb EMC customers, unhappy with recent allegations of corruption within the board and lack of transparency for members, voted on Sept. 4th to cancel the plans and oust the current board. Lawyers for the cooperative say, of course, that no motions passed at the meeting were binding.