By Rama Zakaria A new report by M.J. Bradley & Associates shows that coal-fired power plants are retiring primarily due to low natural gas prices and flattened demand, and that cleaner energy keeps our electric grid reliable. The report estimates that coal plant closures caused less than 20 percent of the overall decline in coal generation over […]

By EDF Blogs

By Rama Zakaria

A new report by M.J. Bradley & Associates shows that coal-fired power plants are retiring primarily due to low natural gas prices and flattened demand, and that cleaner energy keeps our electric grid reliable.

The report estimates that coal plant closures caused less than 20 percent of the overall decline in coal generation over the past six years, and it affirms a recent Department of Energy (DOE) finding that the major driver behind U.S. coal plant closures is economics – namely, cheap natural gas. M.J. Bradley’s report also shows that new clean tech may enable the grid to begin performing better than ever.

Major findings

The M.J Bradley report confirms conclusions by multiple studies that show these are the three main factors that caused coal to decline:

• Increased competition from cheap natural gas – accounting for 49 percent of the decline,
• Reduced demand for electricity – accounting for 26 percent, and
• Increased growth in renewable energy – accounting for 18 percent.

According to the M.J. Bradley report, the overall decline in U.S. coal generation is primarily due to using coal plants less, rather than permanently closing them.

Also, most recently retired facilities were inefficient and relatively expensive to operate. On average, coal units that announced plans to retire between 2010 and 2015 were 57 years old –past their intended life span of 40 years.

Meanwhile, existing coal plant use has declined from 73 percent capacity factor in 2008 to 53 percent in 2016. At the same time, the use of cheaper natural gas combined-cycle plants has increased from 40 percent capacity factor to 56 percent.

New report: Clean tech boosts electric grid as coal use declines
Click To Tweet

A clean grid is a reliable grid

As coal plants retire and are replaced by cleaner resources, there have been concerns about impacts on our electric grid’s reliability. Those concerns were also the topic of Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s so-called study of the U.S. power grid, even though a leaked version of the draft showed cleaner resources are creating new ways to maintain electric grid reliability.

'Baseload' is an outdated term used historically to describe how resources were being used on the grid, not to assess reliability.

As many studies have already indicated, “baseload” is an outdated term used historically to describe how resources were being used on the grid, not to assess reliability.

To assess the implications of coal retirements on the evolving resource mix, M.J. Bradley examined extensive existing research, including their own reliability report released earlier this year. These studies conclude that electricity in the U.S. remains reliable.

Clean tech boosts grid performance

The U.S. has long recognized the valuable grid services that new, clean technologies provide. Two examples are the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order on demand response and frequency regulation compensation.

More recently, FERC’s ancillary service reforms recognize that, with advances in technologies, variable energy resources like wind are increasingly capable of providing reliability services such as reactive power.

Grid operators – like California Independent System Operator and Midcontinent Independent System Operator – are using new technologies to create products and programs that encourage flexibility, which keeps the modern grid dynamic and robust.

It is important for regulators, system planners and operators to keep assessing modern grid needs and using technological solutions, along with market design and system coordination. Working together, America can have clean, healthy air and affordable, reliable electricity.

This post is adapted from the original on our Climate 411 blog.

By EDF Blogs

By Rama Zakaria

A new report by M.J. Bradley & Associates shows that coal-fired power plants are retiring primarily due to low natural gas prices and flattened demand, and that cleaner energy keeps our electric grid reliable.

The report estimates that coal plant closures caused less than 20 percent of the overall decline in coal generation over the past six years, and it affirms a recent Department of Energy (DOE) finding that the major driver behind U.S. coal plant closures is economics – namely, cheap natural gas. M.J. Bradley’s report also shows that new clean tech may enable the grid to begin performing better than ever.

Major findings

The M.J Bradley report confirms conclusions by multiple studies that show these are the three main factors that caused coal to decline:

• Increased competition from cheap natural gas – accounting for 49 percent of the decline,
• Reduced demand for electricity – accounting for 26 percent, and
• Increased growth in renewable energy – accounting for 18 percent.

According to the M.J. Bradley report, the overall decline in U.S. coal generation is primarily due to using coal plants less, rather than permanently closing them.

Also, most recently retired facilities were inefficient and relatively expensive to operate. On average, coal units that announced plans to retire between 2010 and 2015 were 57 years old –past their intended life span of 40 years.

Meanwhile, existing coal plant use has declined from 73 percent capacity factor in 2008 to 53 percent in 2016. At the same time, the use of cheaper natural gas combined-cycle plants has increased from 40 percent capacity factor to 56 percent.

New report: Clean tech boosts electric grid as coal use declines
Click To Tweet

A clean grid is a reliable grid

As coal plants retire and are replaced by cleaner resources, there have been concerns about impacts on our electric grid’s reliability. Those concerns were also the topic of Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s so-called study of the U.S. power grid, even though a leaked version of the draft showed cleaner resources are creating new ways to maintain electric grid reliability.

'Baseload' is an outdated term used historically to describe how resources were being used on the grid, not to assess reliability.

As many studies have already indicated, “baseload” is an outdated term used historically to describe how resources were being used on the grid, not to assess reliability.

To assess the implications of coal retirements on the evolving resource mix, M.J. Bradley examined extensive existing research, including their own reliability report released earlier this year. These studies conclude that electricity in the U.S. remains reliable.

Clean tech boosts grid performance

The U.S. has long recognized the valuable grid services that new, clean technologies provide. Two examples are the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order on demand response and frequency regulation compensation.

More recently, FERC’s ancillary service reforms recognize that, with advances in technologies, variable energy resources like wind are increasingly capable of providing reliability services such as reactive power.

Grid operators – like California Independent System Operator and Midcontinent Independent System Operator – are using new technologies to create products and programs that encourage flexibility, which keeps the modern grid dynamic and robust.

It is important for regulators, system planners and operators to keep assessing modern grid needs and using technological solutions, along with market design and system coordination. Working together, America can have clean, healthy air and affordable, reliable electricity.

This post is adapted from the original on our Climate 411 blog.

By Rama Zakaria A new report by M.J. Bradley & Associates shows that coal-fired power plants are retiring primarily due to low natural gas prices and flattened demand, and that cleaner energy keeps our electric grid reliable. The report estimates that coal plant closures caused less than 20 percent of the overall decline in coal generation over […]

By EDF Blogs

By Rama Zakaria

A new report by M.J. Bradley & Associates shows that coal-fired power plants are retiring primarily due to low natural gas prices and flattened demand, and that cleaner energy keeps our electric grid reliable.

The report estimates that coal plant closures caused less than 20 percent of the overall decline in coal generation over the past six years, and it affirms a recent Department of Energy (DOE) finding that the major driver behind U.S. coal plant closures is economics – namely, cheap natural gas. M.J. Bradley’s report also shows that new clean tech may enable the grid to begin performing better than ever.

Major findings

The M.J Bradley report confirms conclusions by multiple studies that show these are the three main factors that caused coal to decline:

• Increased competition from cheap natural gas – accounting for 49 percent of the decline,
• Reduced demand for electricity – accounting for 26 percent, and
• Increased growth in renewable energy – accounting for 18 percent.

According to the M.J. Bradley report, the overall decline in U.S. coal generation is primarily due to using coal plants less, rather than permanently closing them.

Also, most recently retired facilities were inefficient and relatively expensive to operate. On average, coal units that announced plans to retire between 2010 and 2015 were 57 years old –past their intended life span of 40 years.

Meanwhile, existing coal plant use has declined from 73 percent capacity factor in 2008 to 53 percent in 2016. At the same time, the use of cheaper natural gas combined-cycle plants has increased from 40 percent capacity factor to 56 percent.

New report: Clean tech boosts electric grid as coal use declines
Click To Tweet

A clean grid is a reliable grid

As coal plants retire and are replaced by cleaner resources, there have been concerns about impacts on our electric grid’s reliability. Those concerns were also the topic of Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s so-called study of the U.S. power grid, even though a leaked version of the draft showed cleaner resources are creating new ways to maintain electric grid reliability.

'Baseload' is an outdated term used historically to describe how resources were being used on the grid, not to assess reliability.

As many studies have already indicated, “baseload” is an outdated term used historically to describe how resources were being used on the grid, not to assess reliability.

To assess the implications of coal retirements on the evolving resource mix, M.J. Bradley examined extensive existing research, including their own reliability report released earlier this year. These studies conclude that electricity in the U.S. remains reliable.

Clean tech boosts grid performance

The U.S. has long recognized the valuable grid services that new, clean technologies provide. Two examples are the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order on demand response and frequency regulation compensation.

More recently, FERC’s ancillary service reforms recognize that, with advances in technologies, variable energy resources like wind are increasingly capable of providing reliability services such as reactive power.

Grid operators – like California Independent System Operator and Midcontinent Independent System Operator – are using new technologies to create products and programs that encourage flexibility, which keeps the modern grid dynamic and robust.

It is important for regulators, system planners and operators to keep assessing modern grid needs and using technological solutions, along with market design and system coordination. Working together, America can have clean, healthy air and affordable, reliable electricity.

This post is adapted from the original on our Climate 411 blog.

A new study out this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that trying to make supply chains more sustainable is not for the faint of heart, especially when it comes to food – and corn in particular. Companies are keenly aware that consumers care about where their ingredients come from […]

By Maggie Monast

Grain elevator. Credit: Flickr user Wilson Hui

A new study out this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that trying to make supply chains more sustainable is not for the faint of heart, especially when it comes to food – and corn in particular.

Companies are keenly aware that consumers care about where their ingredients come from and how they were grown, and that improving efficiencies along the supply chain can be good for business. But the raw ingredients at the end of those chains are typically produced by a vast network of farmers who bring their corn to regional grain elevators and then sell their crops to grain traders. This is just the start of a lengthy and complicated process that can be challenging for food companies to disentangle and understand, let alone influence to become more sustainable.

That’s why the title of a Bloomberg article about the new study, which focuses on a corn supply chain model developed by the University of Minnesota’s Northstar Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise (NiSE), is misleading – and counterproductive to advancing the exciting efforts taking place to empower food companies with information that can help them tackle the tough job of supply chain sustainability. 

Understanding corn’s footprint

Corn is grown across approximately 90 million acres in the United States – equivalent to the size of California. While corn production has grown much more efficient over time and farmers have made amazing strides in adopting a range of conservation measures, on average just 40 percent of the fertilizer applied to U.S. crops is absorbed by plants that season. This means the rest is at risk of running off into waterways or escaping into the air – which can lead to water and air pollution, as well as lost income for farmers.

Understanding corn’s environmental footprint is fundamental to generating solutions that help farmers improve efficiencies, reduce fertilizer losses, and ultimately improve productivity. This knowledge also helps companies to meet and measure the success of their sustainability commitments and goals, and to mitigate risks such as supply chain disruptions from extreme weather events.

Corn supply chain model

Predicted corn and animal movements for the 2012 ethanol, beef, hog and broiler industries.

Environmental Defense Fund wanted to find a way to make it easier for companies to evaluate their corn supply chain, so we reached out to NiSE, an organization with deep expertise in the complex agricultural supply chain, to develop a feed grain transport model that estimates emissions from grain farming.

EDF and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture both supported NiSE’s work to generate this model and give companies a starting point for understanding their grain supply chains.

I previously interviewed Jennifer Schmitt, Ph.D, director of the NiSE, who noted that the model is ultimately meant to show how corn and soy travel through the farm-to-feed-to-food pipeline in the U.S.

During this interview, Jennifer noted:

“The model, which uses publically available data, tracks corn and soy supplies from county-level crop production to county-level crop consumption, including feedlots and grower farms. It accounts for virtually all corn demand in the U.S. The model then estimates the additional movement of animals and their embedded feed grains to primary processing facilities. These facilities are connected to companies, making it possible to estimate the spatial sourcing of crops by meat producers.”

Because the model used publicly available data, it does not utilize any confidential company or farmer data, and does not go to the individual farm level.

How companies are using the model

As the Bloomberg article noted, Smithfield Foods has already used the model in its work with EDF and NiSE to set a goal of reducing the company’s greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025. Smithfield provided NiSE with information that helped them refine the greenhouse gas assessment that underpins the company’s sustainability targets. Smithfield can now use the model to make its sustainability investments in areas where they will generate the greatest and most cost-effective improvements.

As Jennifer told me last year:

“The more we as researchers, practitioners and companies themselves know about corporate agricultural supply chains, the better equipped we are to identify opportunities for increasing sustainability to scale.”

Companies that proactively make decisions based on information tailored to them instead of industry averages have a much better chance at identifying win-wins that benefit the environment, farmers, and companies themselves.

While no model is perfect, including this one, it is important to use it for its intended purpose – in this case, education and understanding. This is not a tool to use for tracking or accountability for supply chain impacts. The goal is to empower stakeholders with information that can drive sustainability improvements – something that we should all be able to get behind.

Related:

How Smithfield's landmark climate goal benefits farmers and the planet >>

3 ways NGOs can help sustainable supply chains grow >>

Unlocking the black box of agricultural supply chains >>

 

A new study out this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that trying to make supply chains more sustainable is not for the faint of heart, especially when it comes to food – and corn in particular. Companies are keenly aware that consumers care about where their ingredients come from […]

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) have been cultivated in Louisiana’s coastal waters since the mid-1800s. For the last 35 years, the industry has produced more oysters in Louisiana than any other state. In Louisiana, the oyster industry is smaller in size than the pogy or shrimp fisheries but is similar in value to crawfish or alligator harvests.  Understanding oyster habitat dynamics over space and time in the Pontchartrain Basin is important because of the cultural and commercial significance as well as ...

Read The Full Story

The post Finding the Sweet Spot: Studying Oyster Habitat Suitability in the Pontchartrain Basin appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) have been cultivated in Louisiana’s coastal waters since the mid-1800s. For the last 35 years, the industry has produced more oysters in Louisiana than any other state. In Louisiana, the oyster industry is smaller in size than the pogy or shrimp fisheries but is similar in value to crawfish or alligator harvests.  Understanding oyster habitat dynamics over space and time in the Pontchartrain Basin is important because of the cultural and commercial significance as well as ...

Read The Full Story

The post Finding the Sweet Spot: Studying Oyster Habitat Suitability in the Pontchartrain Basin appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) have been cultivated in Louisiana’s coastal waters since the mid-1800s. For the last 35 years, the industry has produced more oysters in Louisiana than any other state. In Louisiana, the oyster industry is smaller in size than the pogy or shrimp fisheries but is similar in value to crawfish or alligator harvests.  Understanding oyster habitat dynamics over space and time in the Pontchartrain Basin is important because of the cultural and commercial significance as well as ...

Read The Full Story

The post Finding the Sweet Spot: Studying Oyster Habitat Suitability in the Pontchartrain Basin appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

By EDF Blogs

By Ben Ratner and Ramon Alvarez, Ph.D. 

Three years ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) united with oil and gas industry leaders including Shell and Statoil to launch the Methane Detectors Challenge – a collaborative effort to catalyze the development and deployment of stationary, continuous methane monitors. With industry pilot projects now cropping up from Texas to Alberta, continuous methane monitoring on natural gas sites is on a pathway to become one of the core tools in the monitoring toolkit.

And that’s a good thing – 24/7 monitoring is the gold standard for emissions control, opening a new frontier in site-level insight. It will enable real time identification and repair of natural gas waste that pollutes the atmosphere, and the industry’s own reputation.

Now, another exciting area of innovation is emerging, as entrepreneurs, technologists, and academics pursue mobile approaches to monitor leaks. Whether by plane, helicopter, drone or truck, mobile monitoring offers the promise of surveying highly dispersed industrial facilities – including smaller and older ones – quickly and effectively. With an estimated one million well pads in the United States alone, the speed and coverage of monitoring matter.

Environmental Defense Fund takes oil and gas operators and local media for a demonstration of mobile monitoring technology from Apogee Scientific

Mobile methane monitoring for some sites could be a perfect complement to continuous monitoring for others, offering a 1-2 punch solution to comprehensively monitor and address emissions across a highly variable industry, with fit-for-purpose tools.

A new collaborative challenge to reduce methane

That’s why we are so pleased to support Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative by announcing the Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge (MMC). The MMC is the latest collaborative innovation project from EDF, partnering with Dr. Adam Brandt of Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, the principal investigator for MMC and one of the world’s leading scientists studying oil and gas methane emissions.

Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge – Now accepting applications →

The aim of the Mobile Monitoring Challenge is to rigorously test and compare the most promising new mobile technologies and approaches to quickly detect and quantify methane emissions – with extra interest in commercially scalable options.

Calling all methane monitoring entrepreneurs

Today begins a 45-day application period for technologists around the world who wish to participate in 15 days of field trials. Stanford and EDF, aided by industry and other expert advisors, will pick the most promising submissions this fall, and Professor Brandt’s team will oversee field testing with controlled releases of methane this winter and spring, culminating in a Stanford paper documenting results for the peer-review process.

Candidates for the Mobile Monitoring Challenge should have methane monitoring technology that:

• Is field ready
• Can be deployed on a mobile platform (e.g. drone, plane, car, truck, etc.)
• Is cost-effective and can quickly detect leaks at multiple sites
• Provides both detection and quantification

See the Stanford/EDF application process for full details.

With subsequent real world testing and demonstration, the leading mobile monitoring approaches coming out of this initiative may even support regulatory compliance, propelling greater emission reductions at even less cost – the classic win/win.

Three years ago, EDF was encouraged to receive dozens of technology applications from around the world for the Methane Detectors Challenge. With the ongoing sensor revolution coupled with the surge in methane emissions interest across North America and the world, we are even more optimistic today about what the future holds.

That’s because at EDF, we know that bringing the right stakeholders together to harness diverse thinking and innovative technologies is the next wave of environmental progress.

Let the challenge begin!

By EDF Blogs

By Ben Ratner and Ramon Alvarez, Ph.D. 

Three years ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) united with oil and gas industry leaders including Shell and Statoil to launch the Methane Detectors Challenge – a collaborative effort to catalyze the development and deployment of stationary, continuous methane monitors. With industry pilot projects now cropping up from Texas to Alberta, continuous methane monitoring on natural gas sites is on a pathway to become one of the core tools in the monitoring toolkit.

And that’s a good thing – 24/7 monitoring is the gold standard for emissions control, opening a new frontier in site-level insight. It will enable real time identification and repair of natural gas waste that pollutes the atmosphere, and the industry’s own reputation.

Now, another exciting area of innovation is emerging, as entrepreneurs, technologists, and academics pursue mobile approaches to monitor leaks. Whether by plane, helicopter, drone or truck, mobile monitoring offers the promise of surveying highly dispersed industrial facilities – including smaller and older ones – quickly and effectively. With an estimated one million well pads in the United States alone, the speed and coverage of monitoring matter.

Environmental Defense Fund takes oil and gas operators and local media for a demonstration of mobile monitoring technology from Apogee Scientific

Mobile methane monitoring for some sites could be a perfect complement to continuous monitoring for others, offering a 1-2 punch solution to comprehensively monitor and address emissions across a highly variable industry, with fit-for-purpose tools.

A new collaborative challenge to reduce methane

That’s why we are so pleased to support Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative by announcing the Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge (MMC). The MMC is the latest collaborative innovation project from EDF, partnering with Dr. Adam Brandt of Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, the principal investigator for MMC and one of the world’s leading scientists studying oil and gas methane emissions.

Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge – Now accepting applications →

The aim of the Mobile Monitoring Challenge is to rigorously test and compare the most promising new mobile technologies and approaches to quickly detect and quantify methane emissions – with extra interest in commercially scalable options.

Calling all methane monitoring entrepreneurs

Today begins a 45-day application period for technologists around the world who wish to participate in 15 days of field trials. Stanford and EDF, aided by industry and other expert advisors, will pick the most promising submissions this fall, and Professor Brandt’s team will oversee field testing with controlled releases of methane this winter and spring, culminating in a Stanford paper documenting results for the peer-review process.

Candidates for the Mobile Monitoring Challenge should have methane monitoring technology that:

• Is field ready
• Can be deployed on a mobile platform (e.g. drone, plane, car, truck, etc.)
• Is cost-effective and can quickly detect leaks at multiple sites
• Provides both detection and quantification

See the Stanford/EDF application process for full details.

With subsequent real world testing and demonstration, the leading mobile monitoring approaches coming out of this initiative may even support regulatory compliance, propelling greater emission reductions at even less cost – the classic win/win.

Three years ago, EDF was encouraged to receive dozens of technology applications from around the world for the Methane Detectors Challenge. With the ongoing sensor revolution coupled with the surge in methane emissions interest across North America and the world, we are even more optimistic today about what the future holds.

That’s because at EDF, we know that bringing the right stakeholders together to harness diverse thinking and innovative technologies is the next wave of environmental progress.

Let the challenge begin!

By EDF Blogs

By Ben Ratner and Ramon Alvarez, Ph.D. 

Three years ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) united with oil and gas industry leaders including Shell and Statoil to launch the Methane Detectors Challenge – a collaborative effort to catalyze the development and deployment of stationary, continuous methane monitors. With industry pilot projects now cropping up from Texas to Alberta, continuous methane monitoring on natural gas sites is on a pathway to become one of the core tools in the monitoring toolkit.

And that’s a good thing – 24/7 monitoring is the gold standard for emissions control, opening a new frontier in site-level insight. It will enable real time identification and repair of natural gas waste that pollutes the atmosphere, and the industry’s own reputation.

Now, another exciting area of innovation is emerging, as entrepreneurs, technologists, and academics pursue mobile approaches to monitor leaks. Whether by plane, helicopter, drone or truck, mobile monitoring offers the promise of surveying highly dispersed industrial facilities – including smaller and older ones – quickly and effectively. With an estimated one million well pads in the United States alone, the speed and coverage of monitoring matter.

Environmental Defense Fund takes oil and gas operators and local media for a demonstration of mobile monitoring technology from Apogee Scientific

Mobile methane monitoring for some sites could be a perfect complement to continuous monitoring for others, offering a 1-2 punch solution to comprehensively monitor and address emissions across a highly variable industry, with fit-for-purpose tools.

A new collaborative challenge to reduce methane

That’s why we are so pleased to support Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative by announcing the Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge (MMC). The MMC is the latest collaborative innovation project from EDF, partnering with Dr. Adam Brandt of Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, the principal investigator for MMC and one of the world’s leading scientists studying oil and gas methane emissions.

Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge – Now accepting applications →

The aim of the Mobile Monitoring Challenge is to rigorously test and compare the most promising new mobile technologies and approaches to quickly detect and quantify methane emissions – with extra interest in commercially scalable options.

Calling all methane monitoring entrepreneurs

Today begins a 45-day application period for technologists around the world who wish to participate in 15 days of field trials. Stanford and EDF, aided by industry and other expert advisors, will pick the most promising submissions this fall, and Professor Brandt’s team will oversee field testing with controlled releases of methane this winter and spring, culminating in a Stanford paper documenting results for the peer-review process.

Candidates for the Mobile Monitoring Challenge should have methane monitoring technology that:

• Is field ready
• Can be deployed on a mobile platform (e.g. drone, plane, car, truck, etc.)
• Is cost-effective and can quickly detect leaks at multiple sites
• Provides both detection and quantification

See the Stanford/EDF application process for full details.

With subsequent real world testing and demonstration, the leading mobile monitoring approaches coming out of this initiative may even support regulatory compliance, propelling greater emission reductions at even less cost – the classic win/win.

Three years ago, EDF was encouraged to receive dozens of technology applications from around the world for the Methane Detectors Challenge. With the ongoing sensor revolution coupled with the surge in methane emissions interest across North America and the world, we are even more optimistic today about what the future holds.

That’s because at EDF, we know that bringing the right stakeholders together to harness diverse thinking and innovative technologies is the next wave of environmental progress.

Let the challenge begin!

By EDF Blogs

By Ben Ratner and Ramon Alvarez, Ph.D. 

Three years ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) united with oil and gas industry leaders including Shell and Statoil to launch the Methane Detectors Challenge – a collaborative effort to catalyze the development and deployment of stationary, continuous methane monitors. With industry pilot projects now cropping up from Texas to Alberta, continuous methane monitoring on natural gas sites is on a pathway to become one of the core tools in the monitoring toolkit.

And that’s a good thing – 24/7 monitoring is the gold standard for emissions control, opening a new frontier in site-level insight. It will enable real time identification and repair of natural gas waste that pollutes the atmosphere, and the industry’s own reputation.

Now, another exciting area of innovation is emerging, as entrepreneurs, technologists, and academics pursue mobile approaches to monitor leaks. Whether by plane, helicopter, drone or truck, mobile monitoring offers the promise of surveying highly dispersed industrial facilities – including smaller and older ones – quickly and effectively. With an estimated one million well pads in the United States alone, the speed and coverage of monitoring matter.

Environmental Defense Fund takes oil and gas operators and local media for a demonstration of mobile monitoring technology from Apogee Scientific

Mobile methane monitoring for some sites could be a perfect complement to continuous monitoring for others, offering a 1-2 punch solution to comprehensively monitor and address emissions across a highly variable industry, with fit-for-purpose tools.

A new collaborative challenge to reduce methane

That’s why we are so pleased to support Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative by announcing the Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge (MMC). The MMC is the latest collaborative innovation project from EDF, partnering with Dr. Adam Brandt of Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, the principal investigator for MMC and one of the world’s leading scientists studying oil and gas methane emissions.

Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge – Now accepting applications →

The aim of the Mobile Monitoring Challenge is to rigorously test and compare the most promising new mobile technologies and approaches to quickly detect and quantify methane emissions – with extra interest in commercially scalable options.

Calling all methane monitoring entrepreneurs

Today begins a 45-day application period for technologists around the world who wish to participate in 15 days of field trials. Stanford and EDF, aided by industry and other expert advisors, will pick the most promising submissions this fall, and Professor Brandt’s team will oversee field testing with controlled releases of methane this winter and spring, culminating in a Stanford paper documenting results for the peer-review process.

Candidates for the Mobile Monitoring Challenge should have methane monitoring technology that:

• Is field ready
• Can be deployed on a mobile platform (e.g. drone, plane, car, truck, etc.)
• Is cost-effective and can quickly detect leaks at multiple sites
• Provides both detection and quantification

See the Stanford/EDF application process for full details.

With subsequent real world testing and demonstration, the leading mobile monitoring approaches coming out of this initiative may even support regulatory compliance, propelling greater emission reductions at even less cost – the classic win/win.

Three years ago, EDF was encouraged to receive dozens of technology applications from around the world for the Methane Detectors Challenge. With the ongoing sensor revolution coupled with the surge in methane emissions interest across North America and the world, we are even more optimistic today about what the future holds.

That’s because at EDF, we know that bringing the right stakeholders together to harness diverse thinking and innovative technologies is the next wave of environmental progress.

Let the challenge begin!

By Ben Ratner

Three years ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) united with oil and gas industry leaders including Shell and Statoil to launch the Methane Detectors Challenge – a collaborative effort to catalyze the development and deployment of stationary, continuous methane monitors. With industry pilot projects now cropping up from Texas to Alberta, continuous methane monitoring on natural gas sites is on a pathway to become one of the core tools in the monitoring toolkit.

And that’s a good thing – 24/7 monitoring is the gold standard for emissions control, opening a new frontier in site-level insight. It will enable real time identification and repair of natural gas waste that pollutes the atmosphere, and the industry’s own reputation.

Now, another exciting area of innovation is emerging, as entrepreneurs, technologists, and academics pursue mobile approaches to monitor leaks. Whether by plane, helicopter, drone or truck, mobile monitoring offers the promise of surveying highly dispersed industrial facilities – including smaller and older ones – quickly and effectively. With an estimated one million well pads in the United States alone, the speed and coverage of monitoring matter.

Environmental Defense Fund takes oil and gas operators and local media for a demonstration of mobile monitoring technology from Apogee Scientific

Mobile methane monitoring for some sites could be a perfect complement to continuous monitoring for others, offering a 1-2 punch solution to comprehensively monitor and address emissions across a highly variable industry, with fit-for-purpose tools.

A new collaborative challenge to reduce methane

That’s why we are so pleased to support Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative by announcing the Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge (MMC). The MMC is the latest collaborative innovation project from EDF, partnering with Dr. Adam Brandt of Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, the principal investigator for MMC and one of the world’s leading scientists studying oil and gas methane emissions.

Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge – Now accepting applications →

The aim of the Mobile Monitoring Challenge is to rigorously test and compare the most promising new mobile technologies and approaches to quickly detect and quantify methane emissions – with extra interest in commercially scalable options.

Calling all methane monitoring entrepreneurs

Today begins a 45-day application period for technologists around the world who wish to participate in 15 days of field trials. Stanford and EDF, aided by industry and other expert advisors, will pick the most promising submissions this fall, and Professor Brandt’s team will oversee field testing with controlled releases of methane this winter and spring, culminating in a Stanford paper documenting results for the peer-review process.

Candidates for the Mobile Monitoring Challenge should have methane monitoring technology that:

• Is field ready
• Can be deployed on a mobile platform (e.g. drone, plane, car, truck, etc.)
• Is cost-effective and can quickly detect leaks at multiple sites
• Provides both detection and quantification

See the Stanford/EDF application process for full details.

With subsequent real world testing and demonstration, the leading mobile monitoring approaches coming out of this initiative may even support regulatory compliance, propelling greater emission reductions at even less cost – the classic win/win.

How innovations in tech can help eradicate climate warming methane emissions – learn more
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Three years ago, EDF was encouraged to receive dozens of technology applications from around the world for the Methane Detectors Challenge. With the ongoing sensor revolution coupled with the surge in methane emissions interest across North America and the world, we are even more optimistic today about what the future holds.

That’s because at EDF, we know that bringing the right stakeholders together to harness diverse thinking and innovative technologies is the next wave of environmental progress.

Let the challenge begin!

Follow Ben on Twitter, @RatnerBen

Stay on top of the latest facts, information and resources aimed at the intersection of business and the environment. Sign up for the EDF+Business blog. [contact-form-7]

 

By Ben Ratner

Three years ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) united with oil and gas industry leaders including Shell and Statoil to launch the Methane Detectors Challenge – a collaborative effort to catalyze the development and deployment of stationary, continuous methane monitors. With industry pilot projects now cropping up from Texas to Alberta, continuous methane monitoring on natural gas sites is on a pathway to become one of the core tools in the monitoring toolkit.

And that’s a good thing – 24/7 monitoring is the gold standard for emissions control, opening a new frontier in site-level insight. It will enable real time identification and repair of natural gas waste that pollutes the atmosphere, and the industry’s own reputation.

Now, another exciting area of innovation is emerging, as entrepreneurs, technologists, and academics pursue mobile approaches to monitor leaks. Whether by plane, helicopter, drone or truck, mobile monitoring offers the promise of surveying highly dispersed industrial facilities – including smaller and older ones – quickly and effectively. With an estimated one million well pads in the United States alone, the speed and coverage of monitoring matter.

Environmental Defense Fund takes oil and gas operators and local media for a demonstration of mobile monitoring technology from Apogee Scientific

Mobile methane monitoring for some sites could be a perfect complement to continuous monitoring for others, offering a 1-2 punch solution to comprehensively monitor and address emissions across a highly variable industry, with fit-for-purpose tools.

A new collaborative challenge to reduce methane

That’s why we are so pleased to support Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative by announcing the Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge (MMC). The MMC is the latest collaborative innovation project from EDF, partnering with Dr. Adam Brandt of Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, the principal investigator for MMC and one of the world’s leading scientists studying oil and gas methane emissions.

Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge – Now accepting applications →

The aim of the Mobile Monitoring Challenge is to rigorously test and compare the most promising new mobile technologies and approaches to quickly detect and quantify methane emissions – with extra interest in commercially scalable options.

Calling all methane monitoring entrepreneurs

Today begins a 45-day application period for technologists around the world who wish to participate in 15 days of field trials. Stanford and EDF, aided by industry and other expert advisors, will pick the most promising submissions this fall, and Professor Brandt’s team will oversee field testing with controlled releases of methane this winter and spring, culminating in a Stanford paper documenting results for the peer-review process.

Candidates for the Mobile Monitoring Challenge should have methane monitoring technology that:

• Is field ready
• Can be deployed on a mobile platform (e.g. drone, plane, car, truck, etc.)
• Is cost-effective and can quickly detect leaks at multiple sites
• Provides both detection and quantification

See the Stanford/EDF application process for full details.

With subsequent real world testing and demonstration, the leading mobile monitoring approaches coming out of this initiative may even support regulatory compliance, propelling greater emission reductions at even less cost – the classic win/win.

How innovations in tech can help eradicate climate warming methane emissions – learn more
Click To Tweet

Three years ago, EDF was encouraged to receive dozens of technology applications from around the world for the Methane Detectors Challenge. With the ongoing sensor revolution coupled with the surge in methane emissions interest across North America and the world, we are even more optimistic today about what the future holds.

That’s because at EDF, we know that bringing the right stakeholders together to harness diverse thinking and innovative technologies is the next wave of environmental progress.

Let the challenge begin!

Follow Ben on Twitter, @RatnerBen

Stay on top of the latest facts, information and resources aimed at the intersection of business and the environment. Sign up for the EDF+Business blog. [contact-form-7]

 

Written by Jackie Semmens

Glacier National Park, Montana

 

Back in the spring, Montana had the opportunity to elect a new congressman after our previous one, Ryan Zinke, was appointed Secretary of the Interior. Greg Gianforte, a businessman who hadn’t previously held public office and unsuccessfully ran for governor in the fall, prevailed. Throughout the election, parents paid special attention to each candidates views on environmental issues, wanting to know how the candidates responses would affect their children’s future.

In Montana, I’ve found it doesn’t matter which party you belong to – everyone feels strongly about protecting the environment. When you are raising kids in a state that houses Glacier National Park’s soaring peaks and Yellowstone’s tumbling rivers, you understand the importance of preservation is paramount. In fact, our state constitution grants residents the right to a clean and healthful environment. But energy production has long been a fundamental part of the state’s economy, and debates between those protecting the environment and the energy sector routinely crop up.

Where my newly sworn-in Representative Greg Gianforte stands in these debates, however, is difficult to determine. As a mother, I am wary that his murky positions won’t guarantee my children that clean and healthy environment they are promised.

On the one hand, Gianforte has told us that he supports “clean coal,” telling Lee newspapers back in April, “Coal will continue to be a significant part of our nation’s energy portfolio and we must make investments in clean technology.”

But days before, we heard him praise President Trump for ending the Clean Power Plan (CPP), stating, “This is a decisive victory as we continue to fight the war on coal. I applaud President Trump’s decision to repeal the EPA’s job-killing energy regulations because it protects Montana jobs and gives Colstrip a fighting chance to keep the lights on.” The effect of this refusal to clean up our dirtiest energy source will have on our children doesn’t seem to factor into what he supports.

Gianforte’s belief that jobs will be saved by dismantling the CPP is misguided. While mining has historically been a significant part of our state’s economy, it now employs only 1,100 people across the state. Coal employment is declining across the country, and the CPP included provisions which would have helped retrain workers in coal-based towns like Colstrip.

I fear that Gianforte’s lack of support for clean energy initiatives may come down to his hazy views on climate change. In one interview, he acknowledges humans impact the earth’s climate, admitting “The climate is changing.” In another, he waivers, stating, “The climate is always changing,” adding he believes it has little to do with coal. Yet, coal produces more planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions than any other fossil fuel energy source.

As parents, we are also worried about the health and well-being of our children, so concern about the climate isn’t the only reason to support the Clean Power Plan. The CPP is estimated to cut carbon pollution 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Not only would this have poised the United States as a leader in reducing carbon emissions, it would have resulted in 3,600 fewer premature deaths, 90,000 fewer asthma attacks in children, and 1,700 fewer hospital admissions, which would save $45 billion a year in 2030.

I’ve heard Gianforte say, “I believe we can develop natural resources and protect the environment. We need to find that balance – too often it’s just one side or the other.” But whether our new Congressman will be able to find that balance in his policy remains to be seen.

I don’t want my children saddled with this “wait and see” burden. As the ultimate efficacy of clean coal initiatives remain to be seen, the dire effects of unmitigated pollution – asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke – are clear.

Montanan moms and dads like me aren’t going to just wait and see if our elected representatives will support reducing pollution – we are going to make our voices heard. Please join Montana moms and dads on Saturday, September 16, 9:00am-4:00pm for a “Play-In for Climate Action” in Helena, in conjunction with the Clean Energy Fair and Sun Run. Location: Lewis and Clark Library, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT. Contact Michelle at muberuaga@momscleanairforce.org for more details or to RSVP.

TELL CONGRESS: NOBODY VOTED TO MAKE AMERICA DIRTY AGAIN

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Written by Moms Clean Air Force

As moms and caregivers, we seek to protect our children. We advocate for clean air and solutions to climate change so that our children and grandchildren can lead healthy lives. So, today we are deeply dismayed that the Trump Administration has announced the end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The DACA program, enacted in 2012, protects from deportation proceedings the 800,000 children and youth who were brought to the United States as children by their immigrant parents. These young people are known as “Dreamers.” They work toward the American Dream – and their contributions strengthen our nation. Indeed, their generation will help us solve our most pressing problems.

Trump’s announcement is especially bitter given the massive Gulf Coast flooding. In the Harvey-ravaged Houston area, thousands of Dreamers may be seeking shelter, food, water, and medical attention. Will today’s announcement keep these Dreamers and their families from seeking desperately needed emergency services – because they are afraid of being caught by authorities? What will happen to these young people?

Tearing our families asunder is not an American value.

The Dreamers are our friends, our neighbors, our family, our coworkers, our future…and we stand with them.

Photo via America By The Numbers

JOIN THE FORCE

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