Decatur Clean Energy: What is it, why do we need it, and how should we select it?
As the City of Decatur develops a clean energy plan, it is holding information sessions and gathering citizen input on many areas. One question the City is asking is how to define clean energy? In the age of the Internet and pandemic, this is a little like asking people which vaccine they think they should take. It can be a fraught question.
First, because not everyone is an expert. (Shouldn’t we be asking energy experts? We are.) Second, because the question needs a why associated with it, and finally, a set of criteria for selection. In this post, we’re going to suggest a set of answers that can guide you in providing feedback.
The answer to why we need clean energy is because when we burn fossil fuels (for much of our energy need, such as our cars, our heating, and our electricity), we produce CO2, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas pollution (GHG) or heat traping pollution. Even small amounts of CO2 trap heat in our atmosphere. Every day, we spew over 110 million tons of manmade carbon pollution into our thin atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. This heat trapping pollution is rapidly warming the planet with dire consequences. Witness not only recent fires in the west, abnormal weather such as both droughts and flooding, and increased hurricanes, but also the number of days in Decatur where the temperature climbs above 95 degrees. Look also at the costs the state of Georgia has experienced, reaching over $10B in damages in recent years due to climate change.
At All in for Decatur 100 our definition of clean energy is energy that comes from renewable, zero to low emission sources that do not pollute the atmosphere when used, as well as energy saved by energy efficiency measures. An example is solar energy. And the lowest amount of heat trapping pollution is associated with energy we don’t use. Think of your cat sleeping in the sun, or a well-insulated home.
Electricity can be a source of low pollution energy depending on how it is generated. Many experts say we need to electrify everything as fast as possible to avoid the worst consequences of global heating. An example is transitioning to electric vehicles. Again, so long as this energy is generated in ways that we minimize GHG or heat trapping pollution.
While Georgia Power (GP) supplies most of our electrical energy, we can still make independent and city-wide choices in our energy. For example, driving electric vehicles or putting solar on our city buildings and schools. We can also urge GP to change to clean energy as well.
This brings up the next question, what criteria besides eliminating CO2 or other GHGs should we collectively use to select our energy sources? Things get a little more complicated here, and almost all discussions involve some set of implied tradeoffs. For example cost versus reliability. But if we agree that we must do something to lower our carbon pollution as a city and as citizens, then the number one criteria is lower carbon pollution. So our set of macro-criteria is as follows.
- Lowest carbon or GHG pollution produced
- Costs: Investment to build, energy source, end-of-life decommissioning, and cost to consumers
- Reliability
- Ease of scaling
- Risk of disruption
Almost every energy source has the potential to generate some pollution in its manufacture: i.e. mining of metals, refining, transportation, decommissioning, and so on. But some are better than others.
The common list of current energy forms All In for Decatur 100 prefers as clean energy are listed below in green. Amount of CO2 (the primary heat trapping pollutant) generated per unit of electricity is listed next since this is the most critical factor. Then the average unsubsidized cost of generation in $/MWhr. Followed by the percentage used in Georgia. Finally we’ve placed a qualifying comment.
*US Energy Information Administration- for Georgia
** IPPC reports
*** Lazard 2020 report
Many states are making strides towards low carbon energy. The state of Illinois just passed a very comprehensive clean energy plan. My former home state of Minnesota is at 30% clean renewable energy use compared to Georgia’s 9%. We have room to improve. While our state and power company may control some of our destiny, Decatur has always been a leader in the state of Georgia. Let’s start by giving our city a goal of going 100% clean energy by 2030. Give your input on the City survey here. https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6585655/Clean-Energy-Decatur Thanks for all you do.