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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] from High Country News; Bankruptcy expected for Arch Coal, a reflection of industry woes
by James Kotcon 11 Nov '15

11 Nov '15

Stock in Peabody coal was selling for over $1000 per share in 2011, not it is at $13.00 Arch Coal was at $3600 in 2011, now it is at $1.50. The WV Legislature is convinced that "Coal's Best Days Are Ahead!" Thanks to Paul for the story at the link below. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 4:02 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] from High Country News; Bankruptcy expected for Arch Coal, a reflection of industry woes To: Coal Alerts <coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Bankruptcy expected for Arch Coal, a reflection of industry woes <http://list.hcn.org/t?r=3391&c=3558&l=1&ctl=6B6C:9DD3FCF87D66B19654BB1AB8D5…> Climate policies make a rebound for coal unlikely. -- Paul Wilson Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing Sierra Club Military Outdoors 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle JUSTICE, ONLY JUSTICE, SHALT THOU PURSUE. Deuteronomy 16:20 -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org.

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Fwd: I'll be retiring-- Internal Job Announcement - Director, Virginia Chapter
by James Kotcon 06 Nov '15

06 Nov '15

FYI. JBK ----- Original Message ----- *From:* Glen Besa <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org> *To:* CONS-FRED(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG *Sent:* Thursday, November 05, 2015 10:02 AM *Subject:* FYI : I'll be retiring-- Internal Job Announcement - Director, Virginia Chapter Hi folks, dear colleagues, After almost 20 years with the Sierra Club, I'll be retiring the end of May 2016. It's been a great ride, and I expect to stay active as a volunteer--too much fun holding politicians accountable, especially climate deniers. In any case, the VA Chapter is beginning an intensive search for my replacement. Below is the internal posting that will go public next week. There is no anticipated successor at this stage so please forward to interested persons. We are fortunate to have a fairly stable $700,000 annual budget and 9 dedicated staff so this is a big job in a perpetual swing state--Dems just got their butts kicked on Tuesday--ugh! I will not see you at the colloquium because I'll be at the Paris climate talks (on my own dime--not the club's). I hope to see many of you before I retire or in some voluntary capacity after I retire. Thanks, Glen ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: HRD <hrd(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Wed, Nov 4, 2015 at 5:16 PM Subject: Internal Job Announcement - Director, Virginia Chapter To: SierraClub HRD <hrd(a)sierraclub.org> *Announcement of Job Openings for Internal Employees:* *JOB:* *Director, Virginia Chapter* For full details and to apply as an internal applicant*: https://chj.tbe.taleo.net/chj01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=SIERRACLUB&… Internal Deadline: *11/11/15* Category: *4* Region: *2* Union: *Chapter/Non-Rep* *Only current Sierra Club staff or recall candidates may apply using the link included above. External applicants must apply via Sierra Club's careers website (www.sierraclub.org/careers) after the internal deadline passes. -- Human Resources Department Sierra Club National Headquarters Shar-De Herr: 415.977.5615 Brett Johnson: 415.977.5586 Fax: 415.977.5796 ***You can now submit HR issues via the HelpDesk! Please create a ticket via HelpDesk (https://helpdesk.sierraclub.org <https://helpdesk.sierraclub.org>)** OR by emailing HR.Help(a)sierraclub.org <HR.Help(a)sierraclub.org> directly*. *Please only choose one option when submitting your issue.*** ***Please allow up to 5-7 business days for HRD to review and respond to any request and/or inquiry sent to this address. If you haven't heard back within this time frame, please follow up as needed.*** *NOTE: This communication contains information that is confidential, and proprietary to The Sierra Club. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and delete it from your system. * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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Costs iof Harrison Power Plant - See We Told You So.
by James Kotcon 04 Nov '15

04 Nov '15

Full story at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151103/GZ01/151109834 Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Testimony highlights costs of Harrison Power Plant purchase By Andrew Brown, Business Reporter The full cost of the Public Service Commission’s decision to approve MonPower’s takeover of the Harrison Power Plant north of Clarksburg is now being revealed. On Monday, testimony from the PSC staff, the state’s Consumer Advocate Division and the West Virginia Energy User’s Group was filed as part of MonPower and Potomac Edison’s ongoing expanded net energy case. The testimony details the companies’ request for an additional $144.5 million to cover the cost of coal supplies, energy purchases and 17 months of operating expenses for the Harrison plant, which MonPower purchased for $1.1 billion in 2013 from FirstEnergy, its parent company. As it stands, the proposal could increase the average residential customer’s monthly bill by more than $7 a month, and industrial electric customers in the state could see their rates increase by 19.6 percent on average. All of the parties in the case offered up adjustments to the $144.5 million request, based on a number of factors. The PSC staff suggested delaying some costs and reducing the current request by more than $17 million. The consumer advocate’s office proposed a reduction of $30.9 million to account for pension costs and current coal purchase contracts. And the West Virginia Energy User’s group proposed shrinking the request to a $65.7 million increase. According to the various testimony, a large part of the $144.5 million request stems either directly or indirectly from MonPower’s deal to take over the remaining 79 percent of the Harrison plant that it didn’t own in 2013 — an arrangement critics warned the commission not to approve. More than $44 million — roughly 31 percent — of the proposed increase is the result of underestimated operating costs at the Harrison plant, including $22.6 million charged during an outage in December 2014. Officials with the West Virginia Energy User’s Group questioned whether all of those under-recovered costs are fair and whether some of those operating expenses should have been handled before MonPower’s takeover. “A significant portion of the under-recovery is associated with what appears to be deferred maintenance while the units were owned by Allegheny Generating Company,” the energy user group’s testimony states. At the same time, testimony filed by the consumer advocate and FirstEnergy officials points out that the company’s choice to take over the roughly 1,983 megawatts of capacity at the Harrison plant has not paid off like the company expected in 2013. FirstEnergy officials had hoped that the takeover would benefit their customers in West Virginia by selling excess electricity from their coal-fired power plants onto the regional market, which would have brought down costs for MonPower and Potomac Edison customers in West Virginia. But because of lower-than-expected prices for wholesale electricity and increased competition from gas-fired power plants, MonPower has not been able to sell as much energy as it estimated. The consumer advocate’s testimony points out that between July 2014 to June 2015 MonPower produced an additional 4,829 gigawatt-hours beyond what their customers in West Virginia needed, and throughout much of that time, the company was not netting as much profit from that excess electricity as it would have liked. As an example, the company estimated it would make about $42 million from the regional markets in July and August of this year, but in reality, MonPower only netted $29 million in those two months, according to the consumer advocate’s testimony. Company officials have said that they expect the purchase of the Harrison plant to benefit customers in the long run. But that outcome is dependent on wholesale prices going back up, as a result of market conditions and new rules put in place by the PJM Interconnection, the company that controls the grid for West Virginia and 12 other states. The consumer advocate division didn’t challenge the companies’ forecasts that show wholesale sales increasing for MonPower, but it did question if the company could accurately predict the regional market. “If PJM energy prices recover, the company will be in a position to achieve additional net PJM energy revenues,” the consumer advocate’s testimony stated. “However, if PJM energy prices remain low, it is difficult to see how the company will be able to reap substantial revenues from the PJM market.”

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Harness the Sun
by Duane 28 Oct '15

28 Oct '15

“Harness the Sun” for the Earth in West Virginia by S. TOM BOND on OCTOBER 28, 2015 WV SUN meetings scheduled Commentary on “Harness the Sun” by S. Tom Bond, Lewis County, WV A recent issue of Science, the Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, ran a book review titled “A bright future,” a review of a book called “Harness the Sun, America’s Quest for a Solar-Powered Future,” by Philip Warburg. It concerns the amazing progress and prospects for the future of solar. “A Bright Future” says the solar is scaling up faster than cell phones did. In Australia solar rooftop installations have been adopted at 10 times the rate of California, a similar climate. In some places 90% of the homes have it. In 2013 China added more solar capacity than the U. S. has since. Photovoltaic has popped up everywhere from inner city, to tribal lands to military bases. In remote locations like wells, electric fences and road signs it allows the use of electronics without power lines. Solar is the fastest growing energy source Solar has fallen in price more than 100 fold since 1975, and 80% in just the last five years. Warburg, the author of “Harness the Sun,” explains both photovoltaic and concentrating solar plants, which use mirrors to reflect the sun’s light on boilers in an easy to understand way. He goes into government subsidies, and how financial arrangements can be made to make solar available to renters and low income people. He covers “net metering,” which allows homeowner to sell the excess power back to the grid. He also explains domestic solar power politics, and trade disputes. Some interesting facts come out is that there is a potential for 5.5 trillion watts being generated on land in the U. S. that is contaminated “brown fields” and not suitable for many other uses. Rooftops, brownfields and commercial buildings could provide a great deal of the area needed, but the area around dedicated installations could be pastured. This appeals to me as a farmer because it would keep the grounds clear (remember the White House lawn pastured sheep in WWII) and would have no effect on the production of electricity, plus would produce beef, mutton or goat meat. It could also be wildlife habitat, for example. Solar efficiency has risen from 13.5% in 2008 to 21% at present. Then there is the matter of global warming potential and toxic emissions. Solar has very little, if any. Most cost accountings do not place a value on them in comparison. Warburg claims they must be considered to make solar comparable. However, the reviewer points to the increase in efficiency and notes that several more recent accountings, namely “Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Laurence Berkley National Laboratory, and half-dozen major financial houses have found that utility grade solar, now averaging under a nickel, generally beats gas plants’ lifetime cost per kilowatt-hour even without carbon or the volatility of gas cost.” This value estimate includes the federal solar subsidy (which is set to fall from 30% to 10% after 2016).” However “permanent subsidies for non-renewable energy” are generally larger. The reviewer notes some additions he would like to see. One is the resilience of solar. Some 90% of the billion watts of solar in New Jersey survived Hurricane Sandy. As a result, new installations are being designed to work without being hooked to the grid in emergencies. There is no discussion of ways to accomplish storage. Flexible loads, distributed thermal storage, and other substitutes for electrical storage should be considered. We now have lithium batteries at the point they can be purchased for home use – at prices just over $7000, but that is expected to fall rapidly.) Third, business models need to be transformed to include renewable energy. This author wishes to include two more. One is the nature of the work. Hydrocarbon burning is capital intensive, low labor and low skill labor, for the most part. Men spend a lot of time away from their wife and family, working atrocious hours in very seriously dangerous and dirty jobs. Many are the equivalent of “high plains drifters” made famous by the movie of that name starring Clint Eastwood. Alternative energy is more highly skilled, doesn’t require living away from home, work is eight on, five days a week, and much safer. The other is that the neighbors of the extraction industries’ huge installations have no negotiating power against what those industries want to do, and must endure noise and night lights as well as air and water borne chemicals, uglification of the neighborhood, and loss of property values. These are costs externalized on people living in the neighborhoods where the industry establishes itself. On the other hand alternative energy is smaller in scale (or in appropriate places like deserts or mountain tops) and do not involve characteristics so intrusive on the senses, health, esthetics and pocketbook. # # # # # # # # # # WV SUN ground rules: 1. Be respectful. 2. Keep discussions focused on solar energy. 3. No advertising. I’m super excited to be headed up to the lovely town of Thomas for an info session at the historic Buxton & Landstreet building at 571 Douglas Road, October 28th at 7 PM. Corey Chase, a small business owner and resident of Thomas has organized the Tucker County Renewables Cooperative and they will be hosting us and getting the word out around town. I have also been in touch with April Keating in Upshur County and she is helping reserve time and space in Buckhannon for a meeting on November 12th at the Public Library. So, help promote that meeting. We also want a meeting in Elkins for Randolph County. Questions:solarteam@wvsun.org See also: www.wvsun.org/solar-coops/tucker Sincerely, Karan Ireland, October 27, 2015 << Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net >>

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Gov. Tomblin says WV will do a SIP for the Clean Power Plan
by James Kotcon 27 Oct '15

27 Oct '15

Undecided about whether to ask for a two-year extension. The really interesting part is what Bill Raney says: "Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said he agreed with Roberts that the state should ask for the two-year extension in implementing the Clean Power Plan, but it was too soon to say if the state should submit its own plan. “We don’t know if it’s even possible to submit a plan that we can be on board with,” Raney said in an interview." Full story at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151027/GZ01/151029571 JBK >>>>> Tomblin will submit plan to comply with Clean Power Plan By David Gutman, Political Reporter ROANOKE, W.Va. -- Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin intends to submit a state plan for West Virginia to cut greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, bucking calls from state and national Republicans to ignore the environmental regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan requires each state to cut carbon emissions from power plants by a certain amount, but leaves it to states to decide how to reach those goals. If states do not submit plans, they are threatened with the federal government implementing a plan for them, likely some sort of carbon cap-and-trade system. Republicans, most prominently U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have called on governors across the country to refuse to submit state plans. Tomblin said West Virginia would not follow that advice.“If we do not [submit a plan], like some have suggested and some are doing around the country, obviously EPA will say, ‘OK, if you don’t have a plan you’re going to buy our plan,’” Tomblin said in an interview following his speech at the state Energy Summit at Stonewall Jackson Resort. “I’d prefer to have a plan in place when the time comes. If they don’t agree with it then we’ll at least have a starting point where we can talk.” The Clean Power Plan was finalized -- published in the federal register -- on Friday. That same day, West Virginia and 23 other states, along with several coal companies, sued the EPA to block the regulations. The United Mine Workers of America is also a part of that litigation. Despite that, UMWA President Cecil Roberts said Tuesday that he also thinks the state should go forward with developing its plan to comply with the regulations, intended to help the U.S. secure an international agreement to fend off the worst effects of climate change. Roberts called for a state-implemented plan to build a new fleet of power plants, co-fired by coal and natural gas, that would use carbon capture and storage technology to meet the EPA’s new greenhouse gas emission standards. “Shaking our fists at Washington, D.C., and retreating behind our mountains simply won’t cut it anymore,” Roberts said in prepared remarks. “It doesn’t solve the problem.” States must submit plans, or ask for a two-year extension, by late next year. Roberts pushed for taking the extension, a decision Tomblin said he is still considering. The finalization of the Clean Power Plan started a 180-day countdown, during which time the state Department of Environmental Protection must complete a feasibility study on the prospects of a West Virginia compliance plan. Under a law passed earlier this year, based on model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a national conservative group, that study must be submitted to the Legislature, which must approve any state plan. Tomblin said he hoped the Legislature would be receptive to the plan his administration comes up with. “To do nothing, or just ignore the EPA, in my opinion is something we should not do. They are the federal regulatory agency,” Tomblin said. “If we can show that we put a lot of time and study into a plan for West Virginia, we would have a better chance of hopefully lessening the pain that they may inflict upon us.” Tomblin’s openness to comply comes as the state’s congressional delegation continues to fight the regulations. On Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, along with 45 other senators, introduced a resolution to block the Clean Power Plan, just the latest piece of legislation they have pushed to block the EPA. All such legislation would face an almost certain veto from President Barack Obama. In his speech, Roberts told the crowd of mostly energy executives and lobbyists that, no matter the result of lawsuits against the Clean Power Plan, the next president will still be bound by the Supreme Court’s 2007 decision giving the EPA authority to regulate carbon emissions. “We can’t ignore that fact,” Roberts said. “Over the next 40 years different presidents will use that authority in different ways.” Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said he agreed with Roberts that the state should ask for the two-year extension in implementing the Clean Power Plan, but it was too soon to say if the state should submit its own plan. “We don’t know if it’s even possible to submit a plan that we can be on board with,” Raney said in an interview. Roberts called for the Legislature to take advantage of a 1985 law that allows a state agency to issue public bonds to construct new power plants, using a public-private partnership.

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Re: Mary Anne Hitt's latest: New Report Finds U.S. Leads the World in Moving Beyond Coal
by James Kotcon 27 Oct '15

27 Oct '15

Latest article from the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal director, and West Virginia's own, Mary Ann Hitt. This is awesome news and hope for the planet! Jim Kotcon >>> THU OCT 22, 2015 AT 01:00 PM PDT We Are Changing the World: New Report Finds U.S. Leads the World in Moving Beyond Coal <http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/22/1437467/-We-Are-Changing-the-World…> byMary Anne Hitt <http://www.dailykos.com/user/Mary%20Anne%20Hitt>Follow <http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/22/1437467/-We-Are-Changing-the-World…> forDK GreenRoots <http://www.dailykos.com/blog/DK%20GreenRoots> - - - 12 Comments / 12 New <http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/22/1437467/-We-Are-Changing-the-World…> This is what changing the world looks like. A new report out <http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/climatechange-g-idUKL8N12L1BB20151…> this week finds the U.S. leads the industrialized nations of the world in shifting away from coal, a feat even more remarkable because we are home to the world's biggest fleet of coal plants. This remarkable progress has been over a decade in the making <http://www.politico.com/magazine/politico50/2015/mary-anne-hitt-bruce-nilles>, and was made possible by Beyond Coal activists who first stopped utilities from building a wave of new coal plants, and then proceeded to win dozens of campaigns to retire existing coal plants across the United States and replace them with clean, renewable energy. Even better, the news comes in the lead-up to international climate negotiations in Paris this fall <http://actinparis.org/>, where the U.S. is positioned to lead thanks to this unprecedented progress on coal and clean energy. As the report <http://www.e3g.org/news/media-room/japan-isolated-as-usa-leads-the-way-in-g…> released by E3G puts it, the U.S. is "leading a clear move away from coal evident across all G7 members" (with one exception - Japan). That's because, since 2005, 184 proposed new coal plants, valued at $273 billion, have been cancelled at various stages of development. Retirements of existing coal plants are gathering pace, with 205 plants representing 84 gigawatts of capacity already confirmed for retirement. And that progress will accelerate over the coming months, as we work toward our goal of securing replacement of half the nation's coal plants with clean energy by 2017 <http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2015/04/doubling-down-bloomberg-philanthr…> . This report confirms what I’ve been living and breathing for many years now: Communities who want clean energy and no more dirty coal power are a force to be reckoned with. They comprise a sophisticated network of grassroots activists across America <http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/05/inside-war-on-coal-000002> who are moving the global needle on climate, carbon pollution, and clean energy. Together they have been successfully challenging coal operators who are trying to prop up aging plants, and they are unstoppable, because they’re driven by the very real and present danger coal poses to our climate, clean air, and clean water. Overall, coal is the largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S., as well as the nation's largest source of mercury, sulfur dioxide, and toxic water pollution. We recently announced the retirement of the 200th coal plant <http://content.sierraclub.org/coal/200> nationwide (we're now up to 204), which represents the phase out of nearly 40 percent of the 523 U.S. coal plants that were in operation just five years ago. attribution: None Specified While we knew this was big news domestically, this new report confirms that it’s a big deal for the planet as well. The work of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign and more than 100 allied organizations to retire these plants and replace them with clean energy has enabled the United States to lead the industrialized world in cutting global warming pollution, and has put the White House on firm footing to push for a strong international climate accord in Paris at the end of this year. As the report states <http://www.e3g.org/news/media-room/japan-isolated-as-usa-leads-the-way-in-g…> , The USA is leading the charge despite facing the largest challenge given the scale of its existing coal use. With 288GW of capacity, the scale of the coal fleet in the U.S. is more than twice the size of the other G7 members combined. Nevertheless, the USA is making the most positive progress of all the G7 countries; recent retirement announcements amount to more than 84GW by 2020, with new policies reducing coal pollution and setting the framework for investment in clean energy. I continue to be in awe of our tireless activists nationwide – they are not only cleaning up our air and water, but they’re also giving our climate a fighting chance. And they’re working hard to ensure that coal power is replaced by clean, renewable energy. In the lead-up to Paris, this grassroots rebellion <http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/04/beyond-coal-plant-activism> is moving the global carbon needle, and I’m so grateful for everyone involved in this game changing campaign. TAGS ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Heather Moyer <heather.moyer(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 4:21 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Re: Mary Anne Hitt's latest: New Report Finds U.S. Leads the World in Moving Beyond Coal To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Coal-Volunteers < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Media <media-list(a)sierraclub.org> Sorry, Huffington Post link is this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/we-are-changing-the-world_b_83… --- Heather Moyer Senior Content Producer 202-675-6276 Sierra Club 50 F Street, 8th Floor Washington, DC 20001 On Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 4:09 PM, Heather Moyer <heather.moyer(a)sierraclub.org > wrote: > Hi folks, > Beyond Coal director Mary Anne Hitt's latest column is now live - and it's > about a report out this week showing that the US is leading G7 nations in > moving beyond coal. Please help share it! > > *Retweet:* > https://twitter.com/sierraclub/status/657286899342659585 > > *Possible tweets:* > We Are Changing the World: New Report Finds US Leads the World in Moving @ > BeyondCoal <https://hootsuite.com/dashboard#>: bit.ly/1W77Zph > <https://t.co/bovOt4ZKke> (by @maryannehitt > <https://hootsuite.com/dashboard#>) #coal > <https://hootsuite.com/dashboard#> > > Report Finds US Leads the World in Moving Beyond #Coal; "Made possible by > @BeyondCoal activists" says @maryannehitt: bit.ly/1W77Zph > > > *LINKS* > *Compass:* http://bit.ly/1W77Zph > > *Daily Kos: * > http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/22/1437467/-We-Are-Changing-the-World… > > *HuffPost:* > http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/22/1437467/-We-Are-Changing-the-World… > > --- > Heather Moyer > Senior Content Producer > 202-675-6276 > > Sierra Club > 50 F Street, 8th Floor > Washington, DC 20001 > -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org.

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First Energy ENEC case
by James Kotcon 16 Oct '15

16 Oct '15

EEWV has intervened in this case before the PSC, and is requesting help to fund an expert witness from ACEEE. In August, First Energy filed a request for a $165 million rate increase. Most of this is associated with under-recovered costs for the Harrison Power plant acquisition due to lower than projected electricity prices at PJM (see we told you so). They are also proposing to reduce funding for their energy efficiency programs. They have a rate surcharge to cover the cost of EE programs, but have collected more than they spend, so instead of spending more on EE, they propose to cut the surcharge. EEWV (as WV-CAG) has intervened in this case ( case number 15-1351-E-P) and needs an expert witness to testify. They have identified someone from ACEEE, but do not have the funds to cover this cost. They are asking if we can contribute $10,000. This is one of the major issues for the Chapter's Energy Efficiency campaigns, and has the potential to produce a lot more EE than most of our other projects, but we have not intervened in the case, and I think that opportunity has passed. The deadline for filing the testimony is Nov. 2 with a hearing Nov. 19-20, so if we are going to be involved, we need to do something soon. Is this something we can afford? Is this something we should do? How else can we get our members involved? Jim Kotcon

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Re: [EC] Governor Tomblin Appoints Kara Cunningham Williams to Public Service Commission
by James Kotcon 12 Oct '15

12 Oct '15

Allan, April, et al.: We are currently pushing various political bodies to support full funding of the President's Power Plus Plan. That would provide a billion dollars for Abandoned minelands clean-up, more money for economic diversification, and a couple billion to shore up miners health and retirement funds, etc.. Unfortunately, this has run into opposition from the Coal Association who thinks that any support for funding for "economic diversification" means you support a death sentence for coal. So most of our congressional delegation is either silent or actively opposes bringing billions in federal funding to the coal fields. (Where is Senator Byrd when we need him?) Nevertheless, we must support economic transition in the coalfields or we will have abandoned those communities to the tender mercies of the coal companies. An opportunity to speak to the PSC may be coming up soon, as the utilities must file their "Integrated Resource Plans" with the PSC in about 10 weeks. At that point, the PSC will open a case to take public input, and I think this will be an important venue to get the PSC to think long-term about where the electric industry is going in the next 5-10 years. The PSC has directed the utilities to describe how they will address the Clean Power Plan in their IRP, so this promises to be a fairly comprehensive and important case. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: April Pierson-Keating <aprilkeating(a)gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2015 9:25 PM To: Citizens Climate Lobby of West Virginia Cc: James Kotcon; EC(a)osenergy.org; Mark.Kresowik(a)sierraclub.org; bridget.lee(a)sierraclub.org; bbraun(a)compositetranstech.com; garyz(a)wvcag.org; janet.ovec(a)gmail.com; fyoung(a)mountain.net Subject: Re: [EC] Governor Tomblin Appoints Kara Cunningham Williams to Public Service Commission Great ideas, Allan. I want to be part of it. Whatever JB comes up with, please let me in on it. -april On Friday, October 9, 2015 at 1:02:19 PM UTC-4, Allan Tweddle wrote: James Disappointing, but not surprising. We have known that the Governor preferred to find a woman from outside Charleston. But as a lawyer with Steptoe & Johnson, are there any conflict issues? That firm is heavily involved with the utilities and coal industry. And, with all due respect for the legal profession, he has appointed “another lawyer?” With no background in the technologies, and especially with the current ant-net metering posture that is pervasive, there is no one is in the PSC to press for embracing the future energy technology and economic trends that are well underway...instead of accepting AEP & friends to thwart progress. I’m admittedly prejudiced, but there needs to be a non lawyer voice, preferably an engineering voice either on, or in front of the PSC. So isn’t it time to pull together a very vociferous ground swell of citizenry that demands progress...instead of clinging to the past and preventing progress? All the environmental organizations, plus AARP, plus Union of Concerned Scientists, plus who else? I may seek an opportunity to testify in the PSC debate over net metering, as the current trend is to embrace the Koch Brother’s ALEC approach to defeat all efforts for growth of solar energy nation wide. I’ve also asked John Christiansen if he has any detailed statistics of the physical potential of solar in West Virginia...a market analysis so that I/we could present the economic potential to the Governor, and Legislature, with loud and consistent public statements, op-eds, etc. Preaching to the choir won’t do it. We must loudly educate the non coal aligned citizens of WV that as coal continues to decline, solar has real economic potential for the state to 1. offer miners a place to be retrained... 2. maybe attract our young talent to stay in the State with jobs aligned with the future 3. stimulate economic growth... 4. including tax revenue... 5. reduced unemployment... 6. be a way to comply with the CPP,...rather than wasting tax dollars suing the EPA.. Any thoughts? Allan From: James Kotcon Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 12:05 PM To: WV Chapter Energy Committee ; Mark Kresowik ; Bridget Lee Subject: [EC] Governor Tomblin Appoints Kara Cunningham Williams to Public Service Commission FYI. JBK http://www.governor.wv.gov/media/pressreleases/2015/Pages/Governor-Tomblin-… 10/9/2015 Page Content CHARLESTON, W.Va. (October 9, 2015) – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today announced the appointment of Kara Cunningham Williams to the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC), effective immediately. Williams will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Commissioner Jon McKinney. “There are a number of important issues pending before the PSC, which is why I took the time to find the most appropriate person for this important job,” Gov. Tomblin said. “Kara’s professional background and community involvement in both the Lewisburg and Charleston communities make her experienced and knowledgeable on a variety of issues that come before our state’s PSC. She will be a great asset to the Commission moving forward.” A graduate of Washington & Lee University and Harvard Law School, Williams began her career in a commercial litigation practice at Hunton & Williams in Washington, D.C. In 1999, she returned home to West Virginia, where she worked at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. During her time at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, she served on the Recruiting and Ethics Committees, while practicing commercial litigation before state and federal courts and agencies. Williams has also served as an adjunct lecturer at West Virginia University College of Law, teaching courses in Payment Systems and Appellate Advocacy. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Public Service Commission, and I appreciate Governor Tomblin’s confidence in me to serve the people of West Virginia,” Williams said. “I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners in this new role.” Williams shares her personal time and community service in both Lewisburg and Charleston. Since 2006, she has served as a volunteer at the YWCA of Charleston, where she is a past President of the Board of Directors. In addition, Williams currently serves on the Board of Directors for Carnegie Hall, Inc. in Lewisburg, where she has chaired the Legislative Affairs/Arts Advocacy Committee and served as a member of the Finance Committee. Williams’ term expires June 30, 2017. In addition to appointing Williams, Gov. Tomblin reappointed current Commission Brooks McCabe to a term that expires June 30, 2021. Contact Information 304-558-4977 ________________________________ _______________________________________________ EC mailing list E...(a)osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec

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Utilities want higher charges placed on rooftop solar customers
by frank young 10 Oct '15

10 Oct '15

"To be sure, any customer who purchases less electricity than the average is 'subsidized,'" Young wrote. "It is the average rate structure, not net metering, that shifts costs among retail customers." http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151005/GZ01/151009735/1102

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Governor Tomblin Appoints Kara Cunningham Williams to Public Service Commission
by James Kotcon 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

FYI. JBK http://www.governor.wv.gov/media/pressreleases/2015/Pages/Governor-Tomblin-… 10/9/2015 Page Content CHARLESTON, W.Va. (October 9, 2015) - Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today announced the appointment of Kara Cunningham Williams to the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC), effective immediately. Williams will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Commissioner Jon McKinney. "There are a number of important issues pending before the PSC, which is why I took the time to find the most appropriate person for this important job," Gov. Tomblin said. "Kara's professional background and community involvement in both the Lewisburg and Charleston communities make her experienced and knowledgeable on a variety of issues that come before our state's PSC. She will be a great asset to the Commission moving forward." A graduate of Washington & Lee University and Harvard Law School, Williams began her career in a commercial litigation practice at Hunton & Williams in Washington, D.C. In 1999, she returned home to West Virginia, where she worked at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. During her time at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, she served on the Recruiting and Ethics Committees, while practicing commercial litigation before state and federal courts and agencies. Williams has also served as an adjunct lecturer at West Virginia University College of Law, teaching courses in Payment Systems and Appellate Advocacy. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Public Service Commission, and I appreciate Governor Tomblin's confidence in me to serve the people of West Virginia," Williams said. "I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners in this new role." Williams shares her personal time and community service in both Lewisburg and Charleston. Since 2006, she has served as a volunteer at the YWCA of Charleston, where she is a past President of the Board of Directors. In addition, Williams currently serves on the Board of Directors for Carnegie Hall, Inc. in Lewisburg, where she has chaired the Legislative Affairs/Arts Advocacy Committee and served as a member of the Finance Committee. Williams' term expires June 30, 2017. In addition to appointing Williams, Gov. Tomblin reappointed current Commission Brooks McCabe to a term that expires June 30, 2021. Contact Information 304-558-4977

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Interesting graphs on how each state's power mix has changed in past 10 years
by James Kotcon 19 Sep '15

19 Sep '15

Click on the link from Mary Ann to see how WV compares to surrounding states in electricity generation. Jim Kotcon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com> Date: Sat, Sep 19, 2015 at 1:44 PM Subject: Re: [Coal Volunteers List] Interesting graphs on how each state's power mix has changed in past 10 years To: Ned Ford <ned.ford(a)fuse.net> Cc: coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org Ned, it looks like the first chart on the link is the US total, and the numbers seem to match pretty closely with those from your chart, although it is not clear as this one ends in 2013. There have been some reports showing that fossil fuel use for electricity generation was up slightly in 2014, although that may have been weather related-due to the Polar Vortex and exceptionally cold winter in the eastern US. I note that West Virginia is falling further and further behind other energy-producing states like Texas, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Illinois, in RENEWABLE energy generation. Thank you for sharing. Jim Kotcon On Wed, Sep 16, 2015 at 2:02 PM, Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)fuse.net> wrote: > This is particularly good because it is based on MWh generation, and > avoids the mistake a lot of efforts make, which is to base assumed > generation on the relative shares of capacity. > > I wish they had included the total U.S. I'm pasting a graph that shows > total U.S. data over a similar period. > > - Ned > > > > On 9/16/2015 1:17 PM, Mary Anne Hitt wrote: > > Hello Beyond Coal team, > > I wanted to pass along this very interesting set of graphs, created by > NPR, on how each state's power mix has changed over the past 10 years, from > 2004 - 2014. Fascinating to see the the fall of coal and the rise of > renewables in so many states. While it's not all good news, especially the > rise of gas in some places, the trends are pretty remarkable (and to my > brothers and sisters in WV and KY, there's nowhere to go but up!). I > thought you might enjoy geeking out on these as much as I did. > > > http://www.npr.org/2015/09/10/319535020/coal-gas-nuclear-hydro-how-your-sta… > > Cheers, > Mary Anne > > -- > Mary Anne Hitt > Director, Beyond Coal Campaign > Sierra Club > Blog <http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/coal-director/> | Twitter > <http://twitter.com/#%21/maryannehitt> (@maryannehitt) > > 304-876-7064 (w) | 540-239-0073 (c) > www.beyondcoal.org > > -- > To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: > <https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/> > https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ > > To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the > subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "#Coal-Volunteers" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. > To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. > > > -- > To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: > https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ > > To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the > subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "#Coal-Volunteers" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. > To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. >

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“Just Saying No” Won’t Stop the Clean Power Plan
by James Kotcon 19 Sep '15

19 Sep '15

It is looking more and more like WV will continue to oppose EPA's Clean Power Plan (Well, Duh!). There is still no clear answer as to whether DEP will move forward with a State Implementation Plan, but such a Plan would need legislative approval, which seems highly unlikely. In the event that WV does not submit either a SIP, or a Request for a SIP extension by Sept. 6, 2016 (less than a year away), a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) will be imposed. Below is an excellent summary of what a FIP would look like (This was written by the Sierra Club's attorney, Elena Saxonhouse, and some of you may remember her from our work on the PATH line and the coal-to gas plant in Mingo County).. While the exact details will not be clear for a while, the general outlines are emerging. I encourage you to read this over, as we will need to be well-informed to be effective in the current political climate. http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2015/09/just-saying-no-won-t-stop-clean-p… At this time, EPA has not yet published the final rule in the Federal register, and it seems likely not to do so until sometime into October, so DEP is unwilling to start planning until they have the exact wording in front of them. On the other hand, the DC Circuit Court this week threw out AG Patrick Morrisey's lawsuit against the CPP because the final rule has not yet been published. In addition, EPA will not have final details of the FIP rule until sometime next year, but it is already clear that a FIP will leave WV with less flexibility, fewer incentives, and less of a role for energy efficiency, all of which will increase costs to ratepayers. But n the end, EPA's rule is likely to survive, and the FIP will likely be implemented under approximately the same timetable, so all the posturing by our political leaders may score political points with the coal industry, but is unlikely to change the outcome. Jim Kotcon

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Fw: Come to the stream protection hearing Sept 17
by James Kotcon 16 Sep '15

16 Sep '15

FYI: I attended the Pittsburgh, PA hearing last Thursday. We organized a bus with 11 people from Morgantown, and 8 more from Waynesburgh and Washington, PA. The OSM allowed 2 minutes per speaker, but also had rooms set up for individuals to give comments to an OSM rep, or to submit written comments. Due to a press conference, most of us did not sign up until just before the hearing started, so we went later in the evening. Robert Murray of Murray Mining was present, and used the event to blast the Obama Administration, claiming that the OSM rules were blatantly illegal and an attempt to kill the coal industry, cripple America, and destroy our way of life. He was followed by a couple dozen of his employees who largely repeated the Murray Mining mantra. It was clear that Murray had bussed in a large number of miners (50-100), but they were mostly respectful. They all got up to leave when Murray left an hour into the hearing, and it appears they were just there because they were paid to be. But since most of them went first, they tended to get more press, so it was good to get our press conference in early. One issue that came up repeatedly was the request for a 180-day extension of the comment period. ODM has already extended it by 30 days (to Oct. 26), so this appears to be an attempt to delay the rule until after the Obama Administration leaves office. While I support public comment, it is important to keep in mind that we have already waited many years for this rule, and each day of delay is another day of polluted water, another day that the problems become worse, another stream that dies, and another family that loses their water. OSM needs to act now, not analyze this to death. For another story on the Pittsburgh hearing, see the story by Don Hopey at the link below. http://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2015/09/11/Both-sides-sound-of… [http://www.post-gazette.com/libercus/default/graphics/PGFacebook_ICON_1500x…]<http://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2015/09/11/Both-sides-sound-of…> Both sides sound off at hearing on new federal stream protection rule | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The OSMRE says adoption of the rule would protect about 6,200 miles of streams nationwide over the next two decades. Read more...<http://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2015/09/11/Both-sides-sound-of…> Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: WVEC - Bill Price <bill.price(a)wvecouncil.org> Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 7:33 AM To: James Kotcon Subject: Come to the stream protection hearing Sept 17 [Donate]<http://wvecouncil.org/> West Virginia Environmental Council Action Alert Sep 16, 2015 View / Comment Online<http://wvecouncil.org/come-to-the-stream-protection-hearing-sept-17/> [Donate] <http://wvecouncil.org/join/> Hi to all those who care about West Virginia's streams Over the past two weeks, OSM has held hearings in Lexington, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Denver on the draft stream protection rule that will help protect our most valuable natural resource: water. As a Sierra Club representative, I personally attended the Lexington and St. Louis hearings and can say that people are being heard when they step up and say that clean water is vital to our economy and our lives. The number of speakers in support of the rule has increased at each hearing. In St. Louis citizens matched the number of industry executives and polluter allied politicians. It's great to see the increased momentum as the series of hearings continues. We are not done yet! On Thursday, September 17th the hearing will be held at the Charleston Civic Center. This is the final hearing in the series and we should make it the best. I'd love to see you there supporting clean safe water and letting the Office of Surface Mining know that we support the efforts to protect our streams. The hearing begins at 5pm. You are welcome to attend our pre-hearing event at the Holiday Inn Express across the street beginning at 3pm. We will have some food, be able to prepare our comments and find out more about the hearings. Thank you! Bill Price, President West Virginia Environmental Council >From the WVEC Action Alert E-mail List Subscribe or Unsubscribe Online<http://wvecouncil.org/archive/action-alerts/>

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Stream Protection Rule Hearing in Pittsburgh - Sept. 10
by James Kotcon 27 Aug '15

27 Aug '15

Here is more info on our bus trip to Pittsburgh. We will leave from the WVU Coliseum Parking lot at 1:30 PM. We are working with the Center for Coalfield Justice and there will be stops at Waynesburg and Washington, PA. There will also be free t-shirts and food for bus riders. To sign up on the bus, go to the link below: http://coalfieldjustice.org/blog/protect-our-streams-protect-our-communitie… Or send me your name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and tee-shirt size (S, M, L, XL, or XXL). If you have several people, let me know how many seats to reserve for you and your group. At this point, we plan a press event at the hearing, and would like a good turn-out for that. Thee will also be picketing outside, so bring a posterboard with slogans such as - Protect Our Water, Protect Our Future - Protect Our Streams, Protect Our Communities - OSM: Pass Strong Stream Protections NOW - Stand with coalfield communities - We all live downstream - HONK if you want clean water! - King coal has got to go! So log on and sign up at: http://coalfieldjustice.org/blog/protect-our-streams-protect-our-communitie… Tell your friends, colleagues, neighbors and co-workers. Jim Kotcon 304-293-8822 (office) 304-594-3322 (home) P.S. Perfect is Good, Done is Better. Make the Commitment. Sign up NOW! http://coalfieldjustice.org/blog/protect-our-streams-protect-our-communitie…

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Public Hearing on Rule to Protect Streams from Mining, Pittsburgh, Sept. 10
by James Kotcon 24 Aug '15

24 Aug '15

I borrowed the text below from the Allegheny Group web page. The Beyond Coal Campaign wants to organize a bus from Morgantown for the hearing. I am collaborating with the CCJ folks in Greene County for a bus that would leave Morgantown, (probably from the WVU Coliseum at 1:30 PM), with stops in Waynesburg and Washington, PA to be at the hearing from 5-8 PM. Current plans include food and free t-shirts (Our Water, Our Future) for people on the bus. Analysis of the rule, and laymen talking points will be out later this week.Please pass the word to anyone who might be interested, invite a friend, and join us on the bus. A A link to a Google-Form for bus sign-up will be coming soon. And drop me a line to let me know who is planning to join me! Just 17 days to go till the hearing! Jim Kotcon 304-293-8822 (OFFICE) 304-594-3322 (HOME) >>>>> Public Hearing on Rule to Protect Streams from Mining, Pittsburgh, Sept. 10 <http://alleghenysc.org/?p=25631> September 10, 20155:00 pmto9:00 pm <http://alleghenysc.org/?attachment_id=20892> Photo: Mountain Justice A scientifically-based <http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/08/15/Environmentalists-coal-op…> new Stream Protection Rule <http://www.osmre.gov/programs/rcm/streamprotectionrule.shtm> proposed by the Office of Surface Mining will protect more than 6,000 miles of streams from the impacts of both surface and underground coal mining. With only six hearings scheduled in the country, here in Pittsburgh the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule at: *5:00 to 9:00 pm, Thursday, September 10* Double Tree Hotel in Green Tree 500 Mansfield Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15205 The Center for Coalfield justice is partnering with the Sierra Club to provide free transportation to and from Pittsburgh for the hearing. Included in the proposal is improved monitoring and data collection of water quality, but of concern to environmentalist groups dealing with mountain top removal in Appalachia is the maintenance of the buffer zones between mining operations and streams <http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2015/07/groups-urge-stronger-p…>. In 2008 the Bush administration modified the Buffer Zone Rule to provide a ‘minimum’ distance. After a court case in February 2014 the 100 feet wide buffer was restored. Now the OSM proposes to weaken the Buffer Zone Rule.

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Drill Baby Drill study
by Beth Little 21 Aug '15

21 Aug '15

http://shalebubble.org/drill-baby-drill/ This is a fascinating report. The abstract is below along with a paragraph from the Executive Summary about Shale gas. It comes from the website http://fracdallas.org/ which has so much info (like all the local citizen bans on fracking, the thousands of pipeline accidents, etc) that I don't know where to start. Abstract It's now assumed that recent advances in fossil fuel production - particularly for shale gas and shale oil - herald a new age of energy abundance, even "energy independence," for the United States. Nevertheless, the most thorough public analysis to date of the production history and the economic, environmental, and geological constraints of these resources in North America shows that they will inevitably fall short of such expectations, for two main reasons: First, shale gas and shale oil wells have proven to deplete quickly, the best fields have already been tapped, and no major new field discoveries are expected; thus with average per-well productivity declining and ever-more wells (and fields) required simply to maintain production, an "exploration treadmill" limits the long-term potential of shale resources. Second, although tar sands, deepwater oil, oil shales, coalbed methane, and other non-conventional fossil fuel resources exist in vast deposits, their exploitation continues to require such enormous expenditures of resources and logistical effort that rapid scaling up of production to market-transforming levels is all but impossible; the big "tanks" of these resources are inherently constrained by small "taps." Shale gas Shale gas production has grown explosively to account for nearly 40 percent of U.S. natural gas production; nevertheless production has been on a plateau since December 2011 -80 percent of shale gas production comes from five plays, several of which are in decline. The very high decline rates of shale gas wells require continuous inputs of capital-estimated at $42 billion per year to drill more than 7,000 wells-in order to maintain production. In comparison, the value of shale gas produced in 2012 was just $32.5 billion. The best shale plays, like the Haynesville (which is already in decline) are relatively rare, and the number of wells and capital input required to maintain production will increase going forward as the best areas within these plays are depleted. High collateral environmental impacts have been followed by pushback from citizens, resulting in moratoriums in New York State and Maryland and protests in other states. Shale gas production growth has been offset by declines in conventional gas production, resulting in only modest gas production growth overall. Moreover, the basic economic viability of many shale gas plays is questionable in the current gas price environment.

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Town hall meeting with Senator Manchin September 4
by Sally Wilts 15 Aug '15

15 Aug '15

Kingwood Civic Center, 11 am, doors open 10:30am. For info 304-329=0090 or jdahlia(a)prestonnj.comThe editor. John Dahlia just published his editorial that few in Congress understand the war on coal and what a staunch defender of coal Manchin is.Do we want to try and attend? Not a warm reception for those of us in favor of the Clean Power Plan.

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Will Clean Power Plan Chart WV's Energy Course?
by frank young 04 Aug '15

04 Aug '15

Jim Kotcon, energy committee chair with the <https://westvirginia.sierraclub.org/> Sierra Club West Virginia Chapter, says the plan should reduce the amount of electricity produced by coal in the state to between 70 and 80 percent, which he sees as a start toward energy diversity. "There are already plans for more wind energy, new natural gas-fired power plants and so on," he says. "I think that's good for West Virginia." http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2015-08-04/environment/will-clean-power-pla n-chart-west-virginias-energy-course/a47448-1

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Demand response legal challenge.
by James Kotcon 20 Jul '15

20 Jul '15

A recent DC Circuit Court decision invalidated a FERC rule allowing Demand Response resources to be bid into wholesale markets. FERC had developed a rule to regulate how demand response by customers could be bid into wholesale markets, which they regulate. The Electric Powers Supply Association appealed, arguing that retail sales are regulated by states individually, and FERC did not have authority to impose a federal rule. Generally, states have been slower to adopt time-of-use pricing practices, so the FERC rule allowed individual customer DR resources to be aggregated and bid at a pre-approved rate in wholesale markets. The EPSA argues that DR is nothing like power generation, thus FERC should not have authority to regulate it. Obviously, EPSA wants to sell more electricity (especially the really high priced electricity they can sell at peak demand times), and objects to efforts to reduce demand. The story below describes an appeal to the US Supreme Court. It is not clear whether the Court will accept the case, or when they might rule. Does anyone else think this might affect the Solar Holler model, or our efforts to get DR into WV utility IRP plans? Jim Kotcon http://breakingenergy.com/2015/07/14/ferc-grid-operator-others-file-supreme… [http://breakingenergy.sites.breakingmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/20…]<http://breakingenergy.com/2015/07/14/ferc-grid-operator-others-file-supreme…> FERC, Grid Operator, Others File Supreme Court Briefs In Demand Response Case « Breaking Energy - Energy industry news, analysis, and commentary The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a grid operator, states, and other parties just filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could decide whether Americans have access to low-cost, clean and reliable electricity. The case, EPSA v. FERC, revolves around demand response, a resource that helps keep prices low and the lights on - and does so while also being environmentally friendly. In 2013, for example, demand response saved customers in the mid-Atlantic region close to $12 billion. And during the polar vortex, which threatened the North-East with freezing cold in 2014, the same resource helped prevent black-outs. The clean energy rule at issue in this case is called FERC Order 745. EDF has been writing about this demand response case throughout the past year. We've been fighting for low-cost demand response and we'll keep fighting in the Supreme Court. History of the Case The case involves a FERC rule that allows demand response - a low-cost, clea Read more...<http://breakingenergy.com/2015/07/14/ferc-grid-operator-others-file-supreme…>

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New Senator Markey Statement on The Stream Buffer Zone Rule
by william.depaulo 19 Jul '15

19 Jul '15

http://politicalnews.me/?id=34454&keys=COAL-MINING-STREAM-BUFFER Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note® II, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

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Link to Utica Shale story amd my EE response.
by James Kotcon 15 Jul '15

15 Jul '15

Just FYI. What I should have said is that we need to keep most of the fossil fuels we have already found in the ground, so finding more is a really poor investment of resources. JBK http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view§ion=5-News&item=WVU-Releases-Study-o…<http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=WVU-Releases-Stu…> [http://www.wdtv.com/content/images/Jobs-Economy/gas(1).jpg]<http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=WVU-Releases-Stu…> WDTV.COM 5 News: WVU Releases Study on Utica Shale; Environmentalists Respond A two year study led by WVU researched the Appalachian basin for Utica shale exploration and presented what they're calling a "Utica Play Book" in... Read more...<http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view&section=5-News&item=WVU-Releases-Stu…>

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Fwd: Very interesting. The Mighty Southern to offer solar - going head to head w/third party installers.
by James Kotcon 15 Jul '15

15 Jul '15

Here is an interesting idea from the Georgia Chapter. Can we get AEP or First Energy to offer their own home solar program? There was an interesting editorial earlier this year which suggested that "if a utility has to fight battles against solar, they have already lost the war". The smart utilities win by figuring out how to serve their customers by providing what the customer wants. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Colleen Kiernan <colleen.kiernan(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Wed, Jul 1, 2015 at 1:52 PM Subject: Re: Very interesting. The Mighty Southern to offer solar - going head to head w/third party installers. To: CONS-FRED(a)lists.sierraclub.org --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I'm not sure if referring customers to solar contractors and home improvement loan banks really qualifies as a "solar program." I guess it's more of a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" posture. I still hope Sungevity gets here soon and we can kill it on the Sierra Club Solar Homes program! If so, first round is on the Georgia Chapter at the Colloq :D Colleen Kiernan Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director 404-607-1262 x224 sierraclub.org/georgia Click HERE <http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xwH75dZUf1g&offerid=343370.100…> to join Sierra Club today! On Wed, Jul 1, 2015 at 1:44 PM, Glen Besa <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org> wrote: > --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- > ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Wow. Adapt or die! Any insights Colleen? > > Sent from my iPhone > > Begin forwarded message: > > *From:* Bruce Nilles <bruce.nilles(a)sierraclub.org> > *Date:* July 1, 2015 at 12:06:34 PM EDT > *To:* "#Coal" <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org> > *Subject:* *Very interesting. The Mighty Southern to offer solar - going > head to head w/third party installers.* > > > SOLAR:Georgia Power rolls out state's first rooftop program -- 'we're > putting our brand behind it' > > Kristi E. Swartz <http://www.eenews.net/staff/Kristi_E_Swartz>, E&E > reporter > Published: Wednesday, July 1, 2015 > > Southern Co.'s Georgia Power rolled out details of its rooftop solar > installation program as the Peach State's new law allowing for solar > competition takes effect today. > > The law makes rooftop solar systems more accessible for residents and > businesses by permitting long-term financing arrangements to alleviate > pricey upfront panel costs. > > For Georgia, the law means letting competition into a state dominated by a > regulated utility. As expected, Georgia Power is getting into the business > in its own way, through an unregulated subsidiary. > > Initially, this means the utility will sell and install rooftop solar > panels, said Norrie McKenzie, Georgia Power's vice president of renewable > development. It will not finance or lease them right now, he said. > > That may change as time goes on, he said. At this point, Georgia Power's > unregulated Energy Services group will work with subcontractors to sell and > install the panels. > > The utility also will refer customers to a "financing partner" to get a > so-called personal home improvement loan, McKenzie said. > > The company continues to finalize the subcontractor list and did not > release names currently on it. Any rooftop solar contract would be between > the homeowner and Georgia Power, however, not with the subcontractor, > utility executives clarified. > > "We're putting our brand behind it," said Ervan Hancock, Georgia Power's > manager of renewable development implementation. > > Georgia Power also is updating and expanding the portion of its website > about rooftop solar. The site walks customers through a series of questions > about their home, roof and monthly electric bill to determine whether to > move forward with installing solar panels. > > Additional steps include talking with a "solar energy expert" at Georgia > Power who will review a customer's bill to determine how much money will be > saved with a rooftop solar installation. Customers may be referred to one > of the roughly two-dozen certified solar contracts on the company's > website, or work with the Energy Services group, McKenzie said. > > "By the time you get to the point where you want to buy a system, we will > walk the customer through to make sure it is really a value or not," he > said. > An opening for solar providers > > Georgia's law throws open the door for national solar providers to enter > the state, though some such as SolarCity and Sunrun are calling for > additional policy changes. A few national solar players have entered the > Southeast whether or not third-party solar financing has been available. > > NRG Energy has pushed into the residential solar market in North Carolina, > a state that prohibits such long-term financial arrangements (*EnergyWire* > <http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/02/25/stories/1060013976>, Feb. > 25). Sunrun recently announced a move into South Carolina, which last year > enacted a wide-ranging renewable energy law that includes third-party > leasing. > > Any of those companies now are welcome in Georgia and can enter into > leasing arrangements with homeowners or businesses where the monthly > payment is based on the solar system's production. Those companies still > cannot directly sell power, McKenzie said. > > "The lease payments are based on output," he said. "Only a utility can > sell power." > > The solar financing law marks a continued transformation of Georgia and > the Southeast from a place that was resistant to renewables to one that has > a patchwork of pro-solar policies for residents, as well as utility-scale > operations that have added solar to the grid. > > A surge in solar installations in Georgia over the first three months of > 2015 also spurred nearly 3,000 new jobs and burnished the state's status as > an emerging hot spot for clean energy in the Southeast (*ClimateWire* > <http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060021074/>, June 30). > > Georgia Power also is close to having 1 gigawatt of solar on its grid by > the end of next year. The state had roughly 11 megawatts five years ago. > > "This rooftop solar business is just the next evolution of us," Hancock > told *EnergyWire*. > Twitter: @BizWriterKristi <https://twitter.com/BizWriterKristi> | Email: > kswartz(a)eenews.net > <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=kswartz@eenews.net> > > -- > Bruce Nilles > Sierra Club > 415-977-5640 (o) > 608-712-9725 (c) > www.beyondcoal.org > twitter: @brucenilles > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To > unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: > CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv > Lists support site for more information: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club > Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the > Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at > http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

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Solar Open House
by frank young 02 Jul '15

02 Jul '15

SOLAR OPEN HOUSE Sunday, July 12th 1-4pm @ the home of Dan Harrington & Autumn Long 2127 Big Elk Rd, Wallace WV 26448 You are invited to a solar open house here at our farm! Come check out our new net-metered solar PV array and find out more about going solar! Light refreshments will be provided. Questions? Call or email Autumn: 304-796-4677 autumnlong11(a)gmail.com Feel free to share this invitation on social media and with anyone who wants to learn more about residential solar power.

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Just released: New report on water toxics, coal plants, and health
by Paul Wilson 18 Jun '15

18 Jun '15

Check out this new report and fwd to others. fyi, paul w. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mary Anne Hitt <maryanne.hitt(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 12:25 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Just released: New report on water toxics, coal plants, and health To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Coal-Volunteers < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Hello Beyond Coal team, Today, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sierra Club, Environmental Integrity Project, Clean Water Action and Earthjustice are releasing a report entitled "Selling Our Health Down River." We're releasing the report in advance of EPA's September deadline to issue a final rule for coal water toxics, including mercury, arsenic, and lead. The report highlights the public health benefits of a strong final standard. It makes the case that EPA must finalize strong toxic water pollution safeguards to protect the rivers, lakes, and streams where Americans fish, swim, and get their drinking water. Our press release is here <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.sierraclub.org%2Fpress-r…>, and the report is attached. I'll have a blog up about the report shortly that Heather Moyer will circulate, which you can share on social media and with your networks. Casey Roberts from our Environmental Law Program was one of the authors of the report, and our federal policy and communications teams did a lot of work on the report as well. Thanks to everyone who helped get this over the finish line! I hope all of you will find it to be a valuable resource for your work. Our communications team in DC is working hard today to get this out through all their channels. If you have additional questions or ideas about how to use the report locally, please reach out to your campaign representative or your regional press secretary. My best, Mary Anne -- Mary Anne Hitt Director, Beyond Coal Campaign Sierra Club Blog <http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/coal-director/> | Twitter <http://twitter.com/#!/maryannehitt> (@maryannehitt) 304-876-7064 (w) | 540-239-0073 (c) www.beyondcoal.org -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club Military Outdoors Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle JUSTICE, ONLY JUSTICE, SHALT THOU PURSUE. Deuteronomy 16:20

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"misguided strategies of environmental funders"
by frank young 17 Jun '15

17 Jun '15

Why the Environmental Movement Is Not Winning A new report places the blame on misguided strategies of environmental funders. By Peter Montague <http://www.alternet.org/authors/peter-montague> February 24, 2012 A searing new report says the environmental movement is not winning and lays the blame squarely on the failed policies of environmental funders. The movement hasn't won any "significant policy changes at the federal level in the United States since the 1980s" because funders have favored top-down elite strategies and have neglected to support a robust grassroots infrastructure. Environmental funders spent a whopping $10 billion between 2000 and 2009 but achieved relatively little because they failed to underwrite grassroots groups that are essential for any large-scale change,the report <http://www.ncrp.org/files/publications/Cultivating_the_grassroots_final_low…> [3] says. Released in late February by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy <http://www.ncrp.org/> [4], Cultivating the Grassroots was written by Sarah Hansen, who served as executive director of the Environmental Grantmakers Association <http://ega.org/> [5] from 1998 to 2005. Environmental funders mainly support large, professionalized environmental organizations instead of the scrappy community-based groups that are most heavily impacted by environmental harms. Organizations with annual budgets greater than $5 million make up only 2 percent of all environmental groups, yet receive more than half of all environmental grants and donations. The report makes the simple but profound argument that the current environmental funding strategy is not working and that, without targeting philanthropy at communities most impacted by environmental harms, the movement will continue to fail. "Our funding strategy is misaligned with the great perils our planet and environment face," Hansen writes. "Environmental activists and funders all share a gnawing sense that something has to change. No sensible environmental activist would argue that we, as a field, have done what is needed to respond to environmental degradation," Hansen said in an interview. Instead of funding community-based groups to generate ideas, strategies and political support for transformative change, environmental donors have thrown their weight behind narrow lobbying campaigns in Washington, D.C. -- for example, the failed inside-the-beltway campaign in 2009-2010 to pass "cap and trade" legislation to curb global warming. For their part, mainstream environmental groups hang pleas for environmental change on the apolitical hook of rational appeals, expecting that decision-makers confronted with powerful evidence will do the right thing. But this strategy has not worked because "a vocal, organized, sustained grassroots base is vital to achieving sustained change," the report asserts. How Does Change Happen? "In movements throughout history, the core of leadership came from a nucleus of directly impacted or oppressed communities while also engaging a much broader range of justice-seeking supporters." In other words, successful movements for social change -- anti-slavery, women's suffrage, labor rights, and civil rights -- have always been inspired, energized, and led by those most directly affected. Yet these are the very groups within the environmental movement that are starved for funds. Analysis of environmental grantmaking, 2007-2009, reveals that only 15 percent of environmental grant dollars are classified as benefiting marginalized communities, and only 11 percent are classified as advancing "social justice" strategies, such as community organizing. The report makes a distinction between internet activism or getting your neighbor to sign a petition, and real community organizing. "Community organizing builds power by helping people understand the source of their social or political problems, connect with others facing the same challenges and, together, take action to win concrete change." Community organizing is messy and takes time. The report also distinguishes between "national organizations that might parachute into local communities for one-time policy campaigns versus authentic, local organizations that not only work on those same short- term campaigns but, just as importantly, build long-term leadership and capacity in the community to amplify change in the future." The report points out that the U.S. is growing racially and ethnically more diverse each year and by 2042 will be majority people of color. "New immigrants may come from countries with robust histories of social change movements that, combined with the increasing racial diversity of America's communities, provide an opportunity to diversify the ethnic composition of the environmental movement," the report says. And: "Unlike many of the professional advocates in Washington, D.C., people of color, immigrants, poor people and young people often are living face to face with the devastating impacts of environmental degradation. These growing communities have the self-interest to do something and, increasingly, the collective power to potentially make real change but may lack the support or resources to organize." "In this context, it is arguable that any push for environmental change which fails to prioritize communities of color is a losing strategy," the report says. And, "Until the broader concerns... of all communities are on the radar of environmentalists, it will be hard for environmentalists to be on the radar of all communities." In a stunning revelation, the report offers evidence that, compared to the average of all philanthropic donors, environmental funders avoid supporting disadvantaged people: "There is a seemingly contradictory correlation: analysis shows the greater a funder's commitment to the environment, the less likely it is to prioritize marginalized communities or advance social justice in its environmental grantmaking." Advice for Environmental Funders The report offers a four-point roadmap for "funding the grassroots to win:" 1. Fund work that benefits communities of the future Environmental funders should earmark somewhere between 20 and 50 percent of their total giving to underserved communities. Nearly half of all children in the United States today are black, Latino or Asian American and by 2042, a majority of Americans will be people of color. This is a powerful new constituency ready to take action on environmental issues, the report says. "Prioritizing funding for lower-income communities of color is not only strategic given that these communities are becoming the majority and support environmental change, but also because change that targets the most impacted populations has a multiplier effect for society as a whole," Hansen writes. 2. Invest 25 percent of grant dollars in grassroots action Speaking directly to environmental funders, the report says, "We recommend that you allocate at least 25 percent of your grant dollars for social justice purposes, specifically with a focus on grassroots advocacy, organizing and civic engagement led by the communities most affected by environmental ills and climate change." "The way to build a broad movement around environment and climate solutions is to mobilize diverse communities of people around issues that are much closer to their self-interest (such as stopping toxic pollution, creating viable new jobs and reducing energy bills) and then work intentionally to connect those individuals and campaigns to a larger understanding of communal and global interests. Grassroots groups need resources to be able to engage effectively at all levels (local, state, national and international)." 3. Build supportive infrastructure As the highly-successful right wing in the U.S. can tell you, social movements grow large and powerful only when they are served by a deep infrastructure of organizations offering technical assistance and know-how. Local groups need to be able to find each other, share strategies, develop leadership, communicate their message, identify allies, and gain a wide range of skills. Such an infrastructure requires sustained funding and without it no movement can succeed. 4. Take the long view, prepare for tipping points "Supporting grassroots organizing may require a paradigm shift in a foundation's grantmaking strategy. Depending on how your philanthropy currently supports grassroots organizations or does not, this can mean shedding expectations of microscopic, quick deliverables and embracing the slow, patient process of movement building. Legal work to overturn Jim Crow laws began in the early 1930s with Thurgood Marshall representing the NAACP lawsuits in Maryland. Imagine if early funders of the Civil Rights Movement had tried to "evaluate the impact" of their grants in the ensuing 20 years - before the popular movement took hold. Movement building takes time. "In his important monograph Just Another Emperor: The Myths and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism, former Ford Foundation director Michael Edwards cautions that one of the downsides of increasingly infusing the nonprofit world with business ideals is that social change organizations are expected to churn out good, quarterly metrics. Extreme advocates of these ideas expect social change organizations to report mounds of data and compete with one another for funding based on "numbers" and "deliverables." But on February 1, 1960, sitting at a "Whites Only" lunch counter at a Woolworth's in Greensboro, N.C., there were only four African American students from a local college. Although those may not appear to be impressive metrics, consider the scale and scope of the movement they helped launch." Peter Montague is a historian and journalist whose work has appeared in Counterpunch, Huffington Post, the Nation and many other publications. He has co-authored two books on toxic heavy metals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mountain Party Executive Committee" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mountainpartyexcom+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to mountainpartyexcom(a)googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/mountainpartyexcom. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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