PNW ENERGY

1
PNW ENERGY

1. What are the sources of energy for and in the
   PNW?
2. What are the uses, the pros, and the cons of each
   source?
3. What is the outlook for non-hydro-renewables?
4. What are the current and future roles of the PNW
   in the North American energy economy?

2
A few definitions

• Fossil fuels
• Solar-based energy sources
• Stocks
• Flows

3
Criteria for energy resource analysis

• Market price
• Regional sourcing autonomy helps local job and
  tax base. Foreign supply is strategic issue.
• Social and environmental externalities when
  production/utilization of a resource reduces
  social utility or environmental health of the
  general population (subjective) total cost
  market price externalities
• examples health impacts, habitat degradation,
  crop injury, climate change
• Reliability stability of supply
• Market price predictability, stability
• Decentralization of production/generation
  superior to centralized production (security,
  terrorism)
• Projected reserves/long-term supply limitations
• other

4
What are the sources of energy for the PNW?

• Hydroelectricity 37-43 of energy use., and
  83 of electricity generated. Exported to US SW
  in spring, summer, imports electricity in winter.
  
• Pros locally produced, no air pollution, low
  cost, some flex. in timing of gen. to blend
  with intermittent renewable sources (firming)
• Cons little growth likely, anadromous fish
  impacts, centralized production
• Petroleum 38-42 of consumption, dom. for
  transportation.
• Pros was cheapest source for transportation,
  excluding externalities
• Cons sourced outside of region, US strategic
  issues, air pollutant
• Natural Gas gt15 of cons., dominantly in
  industrial, home heating, electricity. Recent
  hydraulic fracturing breakthroughs have expanded
  N. American reserves, supply. Price down since
  2009
• Cons 70-80 from Alberta. LNG becoming
  globalized commodity. Low autonomy, security - US
  consumes 25 global supply, has 3? global
  reserves air pollutant, price highly volatile
• (note red ink material was current in 2007, not
  now)
• Pros cleaner than coal, cogeneration practical,
  can be decentralized for electricity generation,
  but generally isnt, used for firming
  intermittent power streams from wind, solar. (the
  bridge fuel)

5
PNW Sources of Energy (cont)

• Coal 3 PNW energy, most from MT, WY. Mostly
  used to fire electricity plants (baseload). Plant
  in Boardman, OR
• Pros High stability of price, low market cost
  3-4 cents/kw-hr, US projected reserves gt 100
  yrs.
• Cons bad air pollutant, limited regional supply
• Nuclear 2 regional energy cons., centralized
  production, high predictability of supply, used
  for baseload, no theoretical supply limitation,
  pollution/externalities??? Uses large amounts of
  water.
• Conservation reduces need to develop new
  supplies
• Pros in theory, can be integrated quickly,
  non-polluting, lowest cost way to meet energy
  needs
• Cons Jevons paradox
• Non-hydro renewables (cont)

6
Non-Hydro Renewables

• Biomass
• wood and waste
• biodiesel
• ethanol
• Local potential for poplar trees is large
• Wind
• Pros 4-5 cents/kw-hr., could become 20 of
  average NW grid load, some sold in fixed price
  future contracts, clean, improves rural
  employment tax base, no fuel cost
• Cons intermittent, considered visual nuisance
  by some, large investment up front, bird
  mortality
• Geothermal (baseload electricity heating)
• Solar Thermal, Photovoltaic (PV), Passive Solar
• PV 14-25 cents/kw-hr. ?
• Oceanic (Wave and Tidal)

7
Wave Energy (cont.)

• high energy density
• higher energy availability (80-90 of the time)
• higher predictability
• seasonal cycle is good fit with current PNW
  supply and demand (has winter max., while natural
  hydroelectric is winter minimum)
• most of US pop. lives lt50 miles from coasts