scholarly journals West Virginia's Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act: The "Mountain State's" Latest Attempt to Quit its Addiction to Coal

Author(s):  
Alexander R. Paalborg

This note's purpose is to objectively analyze West Virginia's recently enacted Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act ("AREPA") to determine whether it is the most ambitious alternative and renewable energy legislation that West Virginia can enact given its current political climate. Although coal may currently provide substantial economic benefits to West Virginia, future reliance on coal resources will be detrimental to the state's overall welfare due to dwindling coal reserves and coal's hazardous effects on the environment and public health. Because of coal's negative public health and environmental effects, coalmining states face tremendous federal, state, and local pressures to implement cleaner energy production methods. In 2009, West Virginia enacted AREPA to quell some of these mounting concerns. The legislation, however, has an unusually permissive definition of "alternative" energy sources and technologies and has no minimum requirement for renewable energy. In order to truly diversify from coal, the West Virginia Legislature should amend its "renewable energy resources" standard to require that at least twenty percent of its energy portfolio come from actual renewable energy sources by 2025. The legislature must also amend AREPA to exclude many of the most heavily polluting "alternative" energy sources instead of ensuring their continued existence and harm to the state. Because of West Virginia's dwindling coal reserves, the state's wealth of renewable energy resources, and a growing anti-coal movement, the Mountain State should diversify fromcoal-based energy resources and establish an appropriate alternative energy portfolio standard that is more heavily geared towards truly promoting renewable energy.

Author(s):  
Suudan Gökçe Gök

The energy sector holds a crucial strategic importance for development and its sustainability. However, the energy reserves in Turkey are insufficient for the increasing energy demand. For this reason, the need for alternative energy sources has emerged. The fact that fossil fuels used in energy production will be exhausted and their damaging effects on the environment has made it inevitable for the world to use renewable energy. In Turkey, the following are the main energy sources used in electricity production: hydraulic sources, brown coal, natural gas, coal and fuel oil. The use of renewable energy sources in electricity production has shown a considerable development in the world over the past few decades. However, these energy resources have yet to be exploited to any large extent in Turkey. In this chapter, the range of potential renewable energy resources available for electricity production in Turkey will be analyzed in order to determine the necessary technical substructure to make these renewable energy resources more attractive.


Author(s):  
Suudan Gökçe Gök

The energy sector holds a crucial strategic importance for development and its sustainability. However, the energy reserves in Turkey are insufficient for the increasing energy demand. For this reason, the need for alternative energy sources has emerged. The fact that fossil fuels used in energy production will be exhausted and their damaging effects on the environment has made it inevitable for the world to use renewable energy. In Turkey, the following are the main energy sources used in electricity production: hydraulic sources, brown coal, natural gas, coal and fuel oil. The use of renewable energy sources in electricity production has shown a considerable development in the world over the past few decades. However, these energy resources have yet to be exploited to any large extent in Turkey. In this chapter, the range of potential renewable energy resources available for electricity production in Turkey will be analyzed in order to determine the necessary technical substructure to make these renewable energy resources more attractive.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-333
Author(s):  
Olga V. Shuvalova ◽  
Maria-Joana Stoyanova

Europe is transforming its energy balance and increasing the use of local renewable energy sources. Russia's economy depends on the export of fossil (non-renewable) energy resources. About half of the country's energy resources are exported, primarily to European countries. A change in the fuel and energy balance of European countries, as the main consumer of Russian energy resources, will affect the Russian economy. Therefore, Russia urgently needs to know the state of alternative energy in Europe. The purpose of this article is to assess the growth rate of the share of innovative alternative energy sources in the energy balance of Germany and Denmark, as leading countries. The background for the implementation of energy policy in the field of alternative energy is different. First of all, these are countries with developed economies. They need a reliable, uninterrupted supply of energy sources. The Danish government was the first among European countries to evaluate the potential of alternative energy and began to develop it. Denmark is the first country in Europe to use wind energy to generate electricity. In 1991, the first offshore wind energy plant in Europe appeared in Denmark. Germany started the construction of wind power parks only in 2008. Nevertheless, today Germany, along with China and the United States, is among the top three world leaders in terms of wind power capacity, and also has become one of the world leaders in terms of the total installed capacity of solar panels. In absolute terms, characterizing the development of alternative energy, Germany is the world leader, in relative terms - Denmark. Germanys economy is many times larger than Denmarks. Therefore, Germany cannot rebuild the fuel structure of its economy as fast as Denmark. The Danish leadership has set ambitious goals for the development of alternative energy. In 2050, 100% of the energy supplied to end consumers will be generated from renewable sources. Germany cannot rebuild its economy with this fast pace. In Germany in 2050, the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption will be 60%. Germany, unlike Denmark, initially relied not on the development of alternative energy, but on the development of nuclear energy. However, through consistent energy policies, it has become a world leader in alternative energy use. When Germany began to implement energy policy, it already had a prototype - Denmark. But then, as the study showed, the country chose its own path. And then Germany and Denmark developed alternative energy in different ways. Nowadays the international cooperation has a great importance. Germany and Denmark collaborate in regional and transregional projects in terms of renewable energy sources. North Sea Wind Power Hub is a successful example of their work together. The experience of Germany and Denmark has shown that alternative energy development programs do not exist by themselves. The alternative energy development program is only part of several other related programs. Among them are programs on the rejection of the use of nuclear energy (in relation to Germany), measures to increase the energy efficiency of economies, construction of infrastructure, changes in the organizational structure of energy, etc. Nowadays, many countries in the world pursue an energy policy in the field of renewable energy. In 2009, Russia also committed to increase the share of alternative energy sources to 4.5% by 2020. In the implementation of this policy, it is necessary to take into account the experience of Western countries. The difficulties faced by countries in the new energy sector do not allow us to talk about a decrease in their dependence on energy imports.


Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 1779
Author(s):  
Syed Rahman ◽  
Irfan Khan ◽  
Khaliqur Rahman ◽  
Sattam Al Otaibi ◽  
Hend I. Alkhammash ◽  
...  

This paper presents a novel, scalable, and modular multiport power electronic topology for the integration of multiple resources. This converter is not only scalable in terms of the integration of multiple renewable energy resources (RES) and storage devices (SDs) but is also scalable in terms of output ports. Multiple dc outputs of a converter are designed to serve as input to the stacking modules (SMs) of the modular multilevel converter (MMC). The proposed multiport converter is bidirectional in nature and superior in terms of functionality in a way that a modular universal converter is responsible for the integration of multiple RES/SDs and regulates multiple dc output ports for SMs of MMC. All input ports can be easily integrated (and controlled), and output ports also can be controlled independently in response to any load variations. An isolated active half-bridge converter with multiple secondaries acts as a central hub for power processing with multiple renewable energy resources that are integrated at the primary side. To verify the proposed converter, a detailed design of the converter-based system is presented along with the proposed control algorithm for managing power on the individual component level. Additionally, different modes of power management (emulating the availability/variability of renewable energy sources (RES)) are exhibited and analyzed here. Finally, detailed simulation results are presented in detail for the validation of the proposed concepts and design process.


10.23856/2705 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-51
Author(s):  
Lidiya Shergina ◽  
Alla Zhemba ◽  
Nataliia Revutska ◽  
Yulia Burma

The article is devoted to the issues of the functioning and development of energy in each country, caused mainly by the economic expediency of renewable energy and the requirements of energy independence. Also, the article examines the importance of replacing traditional fuels with alternative energy sources. The international experience of the countries in the field of efficient use of available natural resources of the fuel and energy complex and enhancement of the potential of the energy sector have been analyzed. A number of common characteristics and directions of energy efficiency improvement for European countries are highlighted. Alternative types of energy and measures necessary for their implementation have been offered. The potential resources of renewable energy sources have been analyzed. The article is devoted to the use of economical and ecological type of fuel - biofuel for Ukraine. On the basis of the analysis of the situation on the energy market, renewable energy is examine, which plays a compensatory role in global energy consumption in the conditions of growing exhaustion of non-renewable sources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Pimonenko ◽  
O. Lyulyov ◽  
N. Letunovska ◽  
O. Lytvynenko ◽  
A. Nazarenko

The article aims to study current trends in the use of solar energy in Ukraine and the world as one of the main directions of decarbonization of the national economy. The authors systematize the prospects, advantages and disadvantages of the development of renewable energy sources. They conducted a comparative analysis of the "efficiency" of solar energy in some countries and Ukraine. The authors determined that the leading position in terms of the share of energy consumed from renewable sources is occupied by countries with developed economies due to the availability of effective motivational mechanisms. From the experience of EU countries, the authors concluded that renewable energy sources form a prerequisite for obtaining additional socio-economic and environmental effects. In the presence of favorable market conditions, renewable energy sources can increase the level of energy security in the country and its energy independence. The article analyzes the legislation of Ukraine on stimulating the development of alternative energy. The authors proposed two opposed ways of further developing solar energy in Ukraine. In particular, the country can implement methods of using alternative energy, which developed countries have successfully implemented. Another area involves increasing research and innovation in implementing, using, maintaining, and utilizing energy-generating devices from alternative energy sources. Despite the polarity of the proposed directions for further development of renewable energy, in both cases, the state policy on attracting investment and promoting the use of energy from alternative energy sources is crucial. In addition, the authors noted the benefits for society from the development and implementation of alternative energy sources. The scaling up and promotion of energy production technologies from alternative sources can reduce carbon emissions, which has been an urgent problem globally.


2020 ◽  
pp. 117-133
Author(s):  
L.Hr. Melnyk ◽  
O.N. Derykolenko ◽  
Yu.O. Mazin ◽  
O.I. Matsenko ◽  
V.S. Piven

Energy security and independence is one of the key points in sustainable development. In modern conditions of rapid growth and development of technologies, more and more attention is paid to finding practical solutions for environmentally friendly and inexpensive energy production. For a long time, scientists from various fields of scientific activity around the world have been engaged in the development and use of alternative energy sources. The share of renewable energy sources in the generation of electricity around the world is growing steadily, which indicates an increase in the use of energy obtained from alternative sources, such as, for example, wind and sun. These trends testify to the desire of consumers to abandon the use of fossil energy sources and nuclear power plants as much as possible in order to ensure further sister development. Under the current conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for electricity worldwide has decreased, however, as the study shows, this pandemic has not affected the development of renewable energy. The article analyzes modern trends in the development of renewable energy, taking into account the experience of the EU countries and leading countries of the world in this area. As a result, it was concluded that in modern conditions, to achieve sustainable development, transformation processes are needed in such an important area as energy. Various processes in the global economy, which contributed to the intensive development of alternative energy sources, served as a powerful impetus for such changes. Many countries have made significant progress in the development of renewable energy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udochukwu B. Akuru ◽  
Ogbonnaya I. Okoro ◽  
Chibuike F. Maduko

The DESERTEC project, a European Union (EU) initiative to harness solar energy by means of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) from Africa for use in Europe, shows the enormous potential that exists in alternative energy sources for the sub-region once there is political will. The Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Corporation (TREC), a network of scientists and politicians who have taken it upon themselves to solve Europe’s energy problem using sun from Africa, conducted three studies which evaluated the potential of renewable energy resources in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the expected needs for water and power in EU-MENA between now and 2050 and issues relating to the construction of an electricity transmission grid connecting the EU and MENA (EU-MENA-Connection), with a formula to turn the North African desert sun into electricity and transport same to Europe. This paper harnesses the TREC fact-finding studies in order to estimate how much the same ideas can be applied in many other parts of the world, Nigeria in particular. Investigation reveals that this association exists with huge potentials for an energy-starved country like Nigeria in harnessing her abundant hot sun in the north, which could go a long way in meeting the energy needs in that part of the country and beyond. Other benefits include unlimited supplies of clean electricity, agricultural gains, and creation of new industries, new jobs and new sources of income.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana Clodnițchi ◽  
Alexandra Cătălina Chinie

Abstract When talking about the future of Europe we also think about alternative energy sources. It is up to national governments to decide how to encourage investments in this field in order to contribute to the 20-20-20 EU-objective. Until the network delivery cost for electricity produced from renewable sources will be comparable to the cost for energy from traditional sources ("grid parity"), the development of businesses and markets for electricity from renewable sources is going to be driven by support schemes. The state of the grids and the facility of grid-access constitute another two key factors influencing the development of this sector. Last but not least, the question of policy consistency is raised within the business community. Over the past years some support schemes have proved to be more effective than others, and grid conditions have also evolved. Policies supporting the development of renewables also changed at EU-level and at national levels. Based on statistics, scientific literature and the feedback of the business community, this study aims to analyse the development of renewable energy sectors in the European Union by comparing Germany’s and Romania’s experience. Also this study describes the current and expected future market situation in these countries relying on data gained from questionnaires and interviews with specialists in the renewable field.


Author(s):  
NGO TUYET

The article presents the main steps of model of forming regional cluster of renewable energy sources in Vietnam, including method of evaluating the possibility of creating regional cluster of renewable energy resources in Vietnam. The approbation of model in region Ninh Thuan – Binh Thuan.


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