PPL Renewable Energy, LLC and the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority propose to construct and operate a 2 turbine wind energy project at the Frey Farm Landfill (FFLF) in Manor Township in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County to provide up to 3.2 megawatts of electricity principally to the adjacent Turkey Hill Dairy. Pennsylvania proposes to provide the project a $1.5 million grant, which would come from a formula grant Pennsylvania received from DOE pursuant to the Department's State Energy Program. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed construction and operation of the FFLF wind energy project and the alternative of not implementing this project.

The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) manages the research and development portfolio of the Vehicle Technologies (VT) Program for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). A key objective of the VT program is accelerating the development and production of electric drive vehicle systems in order to substantially reduce the United States' consumption of petroleum. Another of its goals is the development of production-ready batteries, power electronics, and electric machines that can be produced in volume economically so as to increase the use of electric drive vehicles (EDVs). Congress appropriated significant funding for the VT program in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5 (Recovery Act) in order to stimulate the economy and reduce unemployment in addition to furthering the existing objectives of the VT program. DOE solicited applications for this funding by issuing a competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0000026), Recovery Act - Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative, on March 19, 2009. This project, Next-Generation Lithium Ion (Li Ion) Battery Recycling Facility, was one of the 30 DOE selected for funding. DOE's Proposed Action is to provide $9,552,653.00 in financial assistance in a cost sharing arrangement with the project proponent, Toxco Incorporated (Toxco). The total cost of the project was estimated at $19,107,705.00. The overall purpose and need for DOE action pursuant to the VT program and the funding opportunity under the Recovery Act is to accelerate the development and production of various electric drive vehicle systems by building or increasing domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced automotive batteries, their components, recycling facilities, and EDV components, in addition to stimulating the United States' economy. This work will enable market introduction of various electric vehicle technologies by lowering the cost of battery packs, batteries, and electric propulsion systems for EDVs through high-volume manufacturing. DOE intends to further this purpose and satisfy this need by providing financial assistance under cost-sharing arrangements to this and the other 29 projects selected under this funding opportunity announcement. This and the other selected projects are needed to reduce the United States' petroleum consumption by investing in alternative vehicle technologies. Successful commercialization of EDVs would support DOE's Energy Strategic Goal of "protect ing] our national and economic security by promoting a diverse supply and delivery of reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy." This project will also meaningfully assist in the nation's economic recovery by creating manufacturing jobs in the United States in accordance with the objectives of the Recovery Act.

DOE prepared this EA to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act; Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 115) grant to Compact Power, Inc. to construct and operate a high-volume manufacturing plant to build advanced lithium-ion cells and batteries. The cells and batteries would be for use in automotive applications including but not limited to hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, pure electric vehicles for commercial purposes, and military hybrid vehicles, as well as for aviation, smart grid support, broadband backup power, and energy storage for renewable energy. DOE's Proposed Action is to provide $151 million in financial assistance in a cost-sharing arrangement with the project proponent, Compact Power, Inc. The total cost of the project is estimated at $303 million. Compact Power, Inc.'s proposed project would expand its domestic capacity to produce advanced lead-acid batteries for use in the transportation industry. Compact's 850,000-square-foot facility would be built on vacant land located mostly in the City of Holland, Allegan County, Michigan, with a small portion of the proposed site located in the adjacent Fillmore Township. This EA evaluates 14 resource areas and identifies no significant adverse impacts for the proposed project after consideration of the mitigation of impacts to wetlands. Beneficial impacts to the nation's air quality and transportation could be realized from implementation of the proposed project. In addition, beneficial socioeconomic impacts would occur from increased employment opportunities and spending in the affected local economies.

Cephas Industries (Cephas) is proposing to construct an open-loop biomass manufacturing facility in Richmond, Virginia. The demand for recycling construction and demolition (C&D) debris has rapidly increased in recent years prompting the construction of approximately 200 biomass manufacturing facilities nationwide, with more expected to be developed. Of particular value is the recycling of wood and woody material into biomass commodities that can be sold to end-users as an alternative fuel source. Studies have shown that the recycling of C&D debris serves to: produce energy, conserve landfill space, reduce the environmental impact of producing new materials, and reduce overall construction project expenses by lessening disposal costs. The Cephas Open Loop Biomass Manufacturing Facility is a shovel-ready biomass project that would support the C&D and recycling industries in metropolitan Richmond. The proposed facility would be located on approximately 5.2 acres within the Broad Rock Industrial Park, which is located within the Richmond City limits south of the James River (Appendix 1). Development of the facility would include constructing an approximately 33,000 square foot metal building from recycled materials that would house the operational equipment (Appendix 2). The facility would have the capacity to accept and process 250-500 tons of C&D debris on a weekly basis, of which approximately 35% is expected to be biomass fuel. Cephas applied for funding assistance from Virginia's State Energy Program (SEP) through the Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy (DMME). DMME selected this project to receive a grant from the SEP. States can apply their SEP funds to a variety of activities related to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Recently, much of states' SEP funding came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) of 2009 (Public Law 111-5, 123 Stature 115; Recovery Act), in which Congress appropriated $3.1 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) for SEP grants and from which Virginia received $70 million pursuant to a statutory formula for financial distribution. Virginia recently informed the Department that it proposes to use $500,000 of its SEP funds as a grant to the Cephas project. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) DOE must complete a review of potential environmental impacts of projects funded under the SEP before deciding whether to allow states to use their funds for the projects they select. DOE prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed biomass project and the no action alternative. This EA analyzes the following areas of potential environmental impacts: water resources, geology, topography, soils, vegetation, wildlife, air quality, noise, visual resources, archeological and historic resources, land use, environmental justice, and infrastructure.

Rockwood Lithium, Inc. is proposing to construct, operate, and maintain the Silver Peak Area Geothermal Exploration Project within Esmeralda County, Nevada to determine subsurface temperatures, confirm the existence of geothermal resources, and confirm the existence of a commercial geothermal reservoir at the proposed well sites within federal geothermal lease N-87008. An Operations Plan for the construction, operation, and maintenance of these exploration wells was submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tonopah Field Office (TFO) in July 2011 and finalized in November 2011. Geothermal drilling permits would be submitted for the drilling of the exploration wells. Should this exploration project encounter and prove that a suitable geothermal resource is present, Rockwood would pursue development of the resource with the intent of providing electrical power for their adjacent lithium processing facilities. Given the uncertainties associated with geothermal exploration and the fact that most geothermal exploration on BLM land does not lead to the identification of geothermal resources that prove viable at a commercial scale, future development of the resource is not considered reasonably foreseeable for the purposes of compliance with the NEPA. Under the terms of the Geothermal Steam Act, its revisions of 2007, and its implementing regulations and the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Geothermal Leasing in the Western United States and its Record of Decision of December 2008, BLM must respond to the proposed plans, applications and programs submitted by a geothermal lessee. BLM's need is to comply with its Statutory and regulatory obligations to respond to the Operations Plan submitted by Rockwood to conduct geothermal exploration and either approve the plan as submitted, approve the plan with required modification, or deny the plan. The BLM's project purpose is to provide Rockwood with an approved Operations Plan for geothermal exploration on their federal geothermal lease in the Silver Peak Area of Nevada. The plan would also ensure that development of the geothermal resource would be conducted without significant impact to the environment. This project would also further the purpose of Secretarial Order 3285A1 (March 11, 2009) that establishes the development of environmentally responsible renewable energy as a priority for the Department of the Interior. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), on behalf of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program, is providing up to $2 billion in federal funding nationwide under competitively awarded agreements to facilitate the construction of U.S. manufacturing plants (including increases in production capacity at existing plants) that produce advanced batteries and electric drive components. DOE is participating with BLM in the preparation of this EA to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing a grant under this initiative. Pursuant to a cost-sharing agreement with the project proponent, approximately $4.47 million in DOE financial assistance would be provided under the Proposed Action. The overall purpose and need for DOE action is to accelerate the development and production of various electric drive vehicle systems, through building or increasing domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced automotive batteries, battery components, recycling facilities, and electric drive vehicle components, in addition to stimulating the U.S. economy. The selected projects are needed to reduce the U.S. petroleum consumption through investment in and deployment of alternative vehicle technologies. Rockwood's proposed project will also assist with the nation's economic recovery by creating jobs in the U.S. in accordance with the objectives of the Recovery Act.

DOE prepared this EA to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing $1.6 million in financial assistance pursuant to a Congressional earmark to Boston Architectural College (BAC) for its Urban Sustainability Initiative for the Renovation of Public Alley #444. The financial assistance would be in the form of cost-shared funding. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of DOE's proposed action of providing the grant funding and the No-Action Alternative. In this EA, DOE evaluated potential environmental impacts resulting from the proposed project on air quality, geology and soils, biological resources - sensitive species, water resources, cultural/historic resources, traffic, noise, aesthetics and visual resources, and socioeconomic resources. The proposed project would be designed in compliance with all federal and state regulations, would reduce storm water runoff into the Charles River Basin and would become an ongoing tool for the BAC curriculum and community public education. The project would include the installation of 13 to 15 open loop geothermal wells to provide heating and cooling energy to BAC's facilities; the installation of a green screen trellis system, planting soils, concrete pavement, pavers, landscaping; and mechanical upgrades (plumbing and electrical) to accommodate the geothermal solution into the facilities. Operation of the geothermal wells would not result in any increase in noise in the vicinity. The aesthetics of Boston's Historic Back Bay District community would be enhanced with the addition of the green screen trellis system, planting soils, concrete pavement, and pavers. After consulting with Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) DOE has determinated that this project would not have an adverse effect on the historical Back Bay District. As part of the Green Alley Phase II, the green screen trellis system is a vine covered vegetated screen intended to provide an attractive visual amenity that benefits both the public and the institution by softening the appearance of two faces of an existing masonry block stair tower. Developing the geothermal wells on the BAC site would not significantly impact any population of plant or animal species. The project site is relatively small (less than 1.0 acre) and isolated from larger tracts of undisturbed land; nor does the area provide any unique habitats for special species. The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalist), an endangered species, is known to reside in Suffolk and Middlesex counties and in various locations throughout Massachusetts. However, given the localized construction area in the alley and the species' tendency to not stray from its wooded habitat, it is highly unlikely that the proposed action would have any negative impacts on the endangered Indiana bat species.

DOE prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess the potential impacts to the human and natural environment of its Proposed Action - providing financial assistance to Burns & McDonnell Engineering under a cooperative agreement. DOE's objective is to support the development of innovative technologies that when deployed commercially, will enable industry to reduce natural gas requirements for chemical feed stocks and increase opportunity fuels. Under the terms of the cooperative agreement, DOE would provide $1,655,945 for Burns & McDonnell Engineering to facilitate the development and demonstration of a biomass energy center at the Frito-Lay manufacturing plant. It would consist of a fuel storage area, a boiler building, and a pipe rack to connect the center to existing plant utilities. The center would use a traditional stoker fired (saturated steam) boiler, which would burn a combination of dried wood waste, green wood waste, and less than 7% of tire derived fuel. The boiler would have an output of up to 78.3 Million British Thermal Units per hour. The proposed biomass energy center would be integrated into the Frito-Lay manufacturing plant's existing site procedures and operations. The plant's existing air emissions permit would be revised and resubmitted to include the energy center. No other permit changes are anticipated to be needed. Currently undeveloped land (0.137 acres) would be developed to accommodate the energy center.

This book highlights recent advances in energy research. The chapters included in this volume include research on nuclear power reactors, specifically small modular reactors (SMRs) for electricity generation; stakeholder participation in local energy-planning and the possible ways of integrating stakeholder participation in current energy planning practices; a comprehensive review of energy sources, and the development of sustainable technologies to explore these energy sources; the modeling and analysis of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fired CCHP system, compared to the conventional method of generating useful energy, which is assumed to be a centralized electricity-only power plant; electrospray deposition method for fabricating organic photovoltaic cells; the application of energy-saving, passive strategies in occupied school building spaces; an evaluation of energy consumption in buildings with complex topology equipped with a HVAC system; and an evaluation of solar thermal technologies and applications.

India - home to one of the world's largest populations without electricity access - has set the ambitious goal of achieving universal electrification by 2017. 311 million people, a quarter of its population, remains without power, despite substantial efforts to increased affordable access for the poor. This study focuses on India's residential electricity subsidies, as viewed through a poverty lens. Addressing these issues is especially urgent since the residential electricity sector accounts for nearly a quarter of India's total electricity consumption. Comparison of two survey rounds (2004/05 and 2009/10) was used to assess changes in electricity consumption over time. The study approach analysed subsidy distribution by both below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) grouping, as well as income quintile, to allow for the wide variation in poverty rates states. The key findings in this study are that 87 percent of subsidy payments go to APL households instead of to the poor, and over half of subsidy payments are directed to the richest two-fifths of households. Furthermore, these estimates are conservative because they assume that BPL and APL households are accurately identified. Because APL households tend to consume more electricity, subsidies are skewed toward the upper quintiles. The major driver of these outcomes is tariff design. Few states have highly concessional BPL tariffs; in most, all households are eligible for a subsidy on at least a portion of their monthly electricity consumption. Combined with the fact that the poorest households consume relatively small amounts of electricity means that wealthier consumers with electricity access are typically eligible for just as much, if not more, subsidy as poorer ones. India's states have a variety of available options for improving their subsidy performance. Certain states model good practices that other states could consider adopting, for example, Punjab, Sikkim, Chattisgarh, and others. States may consider four model tariff structures that meet the twin, medium-term policy goals of high subsidy targeting and low cost. These are (i) creating BPL tariff schedules and eliminating subsidies from other schedules, (ii) delivering subsidies through cash transfers instead of tariffs, (iii) creating a volume differentiated tariff (VDT), and (iv) creating a lifeline tariff and removing subsidies from other tariffs.

Inadequate electricity services pose a major impediment to reducing extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Simply put, Africa does not have enough power. Despite the abundant low-carbon and low-cost energy resources available to Sub-Saharan Africa, the region's entire installed electricity capacity, at a little over 80 gigawatts (GW), is equivalent to that of the Republic of Korea. Looking ahead, Sub-Saharan Africa will need to ramp up its power generation capacity substantially. The investment needed to meet this goal largely exceeds African countries already stretched public finances. Increasing private investment is critical to help expand and improve electricity supply. Historically, most private sector finance has been channeled through privately financed independent power projects (IPPs), supported by nonrecourse or limited recourse loans, with long-term power purchase agreements with the state utility or another off-taker. Between 1990 and 2014, IPPs have spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and are now present in 18 countries. However, private investment could be much greater and less concentrated. The objective of Independent Power Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Five Key Countries is to evaluate the experience of IPPs and identify lessons that can help African countries attract more and better private investment. The analysis is based primarily on in-depth case studies carried out in five countries Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda that have the most extensive experience with IPPs. At the core of this analysis is a reflection on whether IPPs have in fact benefited Sub-Saharan Africa, and how they might be improved.

In 2008, Canadian pipeline company TransCanada filed an application with the U.S. Department of State to build the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Keystone XL would ultimately have the capacity to transport 830,000 barrels per day, delivering crude oil to the market hub at Cushing, OK, and further to points in Texas. TransCanada plans to build a pipeline spur so that oil from the Bakken formation in Montana and North Dakota can also be carried on Keystone XL. As a facility connecting the United States with a foreign country, the pipeline requires a Presidential Permit from the State Department. In evaluating such a permit application, the department must determine whether it is in the "national interest," considering the project's potential effects on the environment, economy, energy security, foreign policy, and other factors. Environmental impacts are considered pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, and documented by the State Department in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The final EIS was released for the Keystone XL pipeline permit application in August 2011, after which a 90-day public review period began to make the national interest determination. During that time the State Department determined that more information was needed to consider an alternative pipeline route avoiding the environmentally sensitive Sand Hills region of Nebraska, an extensive sand dune formation with highly porous soil and a shallow depth to groundwater recharging the Ogallala aquifer. The Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-78) required the Secretary of State to approve or deny the project within 60 days. On January 18, 2012, the State Department, with the President's consent, denied the Keystone XL permit, citing insufficient time under this deadline to properly assess the reconfigured project. Subsequently, TransCanada announced that it would proceed with development of the pipeline segment connecting Cushing, OK, to the Gulf Coast as a stand-alone project not requiring a Presidential Permit-a decision supported by the Obama administration. In April 2012, TransCanada submitted to Nebraska proposed pipeline routes avoiding the Sand Hills. Subsequently, on May 4, 2012, TransCanada submitted a new application for a Presidential Permit that includes proposed new routes through Nebraska. With the new permit application, the NEPA compliance process begins anew, although it may draw from relevant existing analysis and documentation prepared for the August 2011 final EIS. In the wake of the State Department's denial of the Presidential Permit, Congress has debated legislative options addressing the Keystone XL pipeline. The Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II (H.R. 4348) and the North American Energy Access Act (H.R. 3548) would transfer the permitting authority for the Keystone XL pipeline project to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, requiring FERC to issue a permit within 30 days of enactment. The Keystone For a Secure Tomorrow Act (H.R. 3811), the Grow America Act of 2012 (S. 2199), S. 2041 (a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline), the EXPAND Act (H.R. 4301), and the Energizing America through Employment Act (H.R. 4000) would immediately approve the original permit application filed by TransCanada.

The state of the Indian power sector today is an acknowledged constraint to the country s growth aspirations. This book examines the home-grown Indian experience with private sector participation in power, identifies emerging risks, and proposes specific actions for government consideration, so that the power sector may fulfill its important role in India s growth story. Seeking financing, efficiency, and project management skills from the private sector to complement public sector efforts, the state governments and the central government have invited private participation in power for the past two decades. They have followed a continuously evolving process starting with the independent power producer policy of the early 1990s, which sought only to attract new investment in generation. Despite these efforts, the rate of growth in energy supply has not kept pace with the growth in demand. Much more private sector investment and engagement in the sector is likely to be required to complement the government s own efforts to improve supply, quality, and reliability of power. The passage of the Electricity Act of 2003 was a signature achievement, moving the sector away from the previous route of negotiated Memoranda of Understanding with investors to a market-driven approach that forced potential investors to compete aggressively for generation, and later also transmission, contracts. Removal of generation licensing requirements and the introduction of competition under the Electricity Act elicited a significant private sector response in generation, a limited but respectable response in transmission (few transmission lines were tendered in the first place), and a varied but limited response in distribution. The quality of baseline data provided to the distribution franchisee about the state of the network and the customer base is a perennial problem. Lessons learned about methods for successful distribution franchising, including specified loss reduction trajectories, are gradually finding their way into standardized bidding documents. Different qualification requirements for bidders are emerging for different locations. In the future, franchisees may also need greater independent access to power supply for their service areas, for example, by combining generation and distribution through private players."

This SpringerBrief reviews currently applied and potential solutions for improving the efficiency and quality of rural electricity supply in India, a major bottleneck for agricultural development. It provides background on the current state of supply and reviews recent and ongoing research and development projects. One selected project, designed and conducted by the authors, is outlined in detail. The research findings, project implementation, and evaluation are intended to provide development practitioners, policy makers, and applied researchers with experience from the field. At the core of this Brief is the integration of technical and social solutions, emphasizing the role of collective action, and the merits and demerits of small-scale, technically simple measures.

Dieses Essential vermittelt einen grundlegenden Einblick in die Systemische Bionik als Grenzen uberwindende Disziplin. Der Autor erlautert auf leicht verstandliche Weise, welchen Wert die Bionik fur ganzheitliche Problemloesungen bietet und welche Rolle eine intakte Natur dabei spielt. Wegweisend und zielfuhrend bei diesem systembionischen Vorgehensmodell ist das Erkennen von Zusammenhangen in Natur und Technik.