ASU center will help shape state climate study
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Appalachian State University’s Energy Center had a hand in shaping recommendations on the economics of climate change that the state will consider in developing energy policies.

Dennis Grady, director of the energy center, was one of more than 40 people on the North Carolina Climate Action Plan Advisory Group, which is wrapping up its two-year work of providing ideas and data to spur actions that will reduce the state’s “carbon footprint” and lead to more regionalized energy production. One of the parts of CAPAG’s work is to explore the economics of any changes, an important element in getting energy producers and consumers to consider new approaches.

The group was organized by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which will make final recommendations to the General Assembly.

Grady was among those who presented information to a legislative task force on climate change last week.

CAPAG’s draft final report includes 56 proposals that, if adopted by lawmakers and fully implemented, could reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to about 1990 levels by 2020.

Most of the recommendations focus on energy conservation and could yield significant economic savings, though Grady said the group is still compiling all its data and it’s difficult to pin down exact economic impacts.

However, Grady said, “It’s very preliminary, but it points in the direction of positive impact by 2020. We’re importing all these fossil fuels, mostly coal from West Virginia and Kentucky. These ideas would keep money in the state and the multiplier effect is a basic fundamental of economics.”

Global climate change refers to changes in temperatures, climate, sea levels and other environmental factors due to emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and particles. The recommendations include increasing the amount of ethanol and biodeisel fuels, revising building codes to boost insulation and energy efficiency, expanding the renewable energy portfolio and promoting use of solar energy and gases captured from landfills.

Of the 56 ideas drafted by the group, Grady said three-fourths were already being used in other states and the technology was already in place to launch the proposals. “It’s not a question of technological feasibility, but of the political will and economic effects,” he said. “It’s not scientifically unrealistic but the political realism is difficult to estimate.”

CAPAG’s purpose is to develop recommendations for specific actions to help reduce or cope with climate change in North Carolina. The recommendations include measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and containing or removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. To that end, DENR sought a broad representation and CAPAG had all the major energy companies participating.

Grady was representing one of three energy centers in the state, but acknowledged the energy industry would play a key role in whatever political actions resulted from the group’s recommendations. “DENR understands that energy is a private-sector industry,” he said. “The goal was to be balanced and have everybody at the table.”

Academic institutions, agriculture, forestry, coastal developers, real estate, tourism and other business sectors were also represented on the committee, clearly stressing the “economic” portion of the group’s mission and the reality of the cost behind any policy changes.

According to CAPAG’s Web site, scientific measurements have documented a substantial increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere since the mid-1800s. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, black carbon and fluorocarbons, can trap heat in the atmosphere by reflecting radiated heat back toward the Earth. Even small increases in temperatures could cause major changes, including the melting of polar icecaps, rising sea levels, flooding of coastal lands, changes in ocean currents, and more frequent and stronger hurricanes and other storms.

While the state has taken some major environmental actions, such as the 2002 Clean Smokestacks Act, Grady said other states have been more aggressive in moving toward ideas presented in the report.

One of those ideas is a “public benefits fund,” in which each energy consumer contributes a small amount toward a fund for research and development of alternative energy and conservation. “This is used in other states already,” Grady said. “Each consumer pays about $10 a year and it goes to fund projects. About 15 states have one for things like research and weatherization for low-income families.”

DENR will be making its final report to the legislative task force at the end of November, and the ideas could be implemented in several ways. Some could be voluntary proposals, others done by executive order of the governor, and still others considered as bills, though no action is likely until next year.