Colorado investors open to both traditional, alternative energy, new poll shows - RealVail

DENVER, Colo. â€" Colorado investors want to see development of alternative energies, but are still open to traditional energies in their portfolio, according to Morgan Stanley’s Investor Pulse Poll, conducted among high net worth investors (investable assets of $100,000 or more) in late 2014.

Colorado high net worth (HNW) investors see a place for U.S. policy in addressing the nation’s energy challenges. Most (86%) agree that the U.S. should invest in technology and programs designed to increase energy efficiency. However, they are split on how to achieve this: 43% favor expanding production of alternative energies (wind, solar and biomass); 37% favor expanding production of traditional energies such as oil, gas and coal; and 18% suggest pursuing both energy types equally. Colorado investors are supportive of both alternative and traditional energies: 75% support the expansion of wind farms, 73% support fracking of shale deposits to develop oil and gas resources, 71% support expansion of solar farms and 69% support developing the Keystone Oil Pipeline.

Similarly, Colorado HNW investors see a place for investments in both types of energies: their top prospects in the Energy sector for 2015 are natural gas (79%), petroleum-based energies (67%), solar (53%), wind (46%) and battery-powered electric vehicles (45%). Compared with HNW investors nationwide, those in Colorado are more supportive of fracking (73% vs. 53%) and are less supportive of expanding solar farms and parks (71% vs. 80%).

On average, investors estimate that 17% of their portfolio is allocated toward the Energy sector.

COLORADO INVESTORS ARE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING THAN INVESTORS POLLED IN OTHER MAJOR U.S. CITIES

Colorado HNW investors are more supportive of fracking than investors across the country. When asked whether they support hydraulic fracturing to develop oil and natural gas resources, 73% of HNW investors in the greater Denver area responded as supportive. This figure compares with 37% in San Francisco, 47% in Los Angeles, 46% in Boston, 43% in Chicago, 48% in New York City, 64% in Atlanta, and 71% in Houston.

RATE OF RETURN TOP CONSIDERATION WHEN INVESTING IN ENERGY SECTOR

Rate of return (investment performance) tops the list of factors Colorado HNW investors consider when deciding whether to invest in the Energy sector, cited by 93%. More than eight in 10 want to see a track record of success and growth (84%), while 76% desire diversification, 70% consider energy independence and 66% consider environmental impact.

CLIMATE CHANGE SEEN AS IMPACTING PLANET MORE SO THAN PORTFOLIO

Nearly six in 10 Colorado HNW investors (57%) say that climate change is affecting the planet and 60% say that humans are having at least some impact on climate change. When it comes to their investments, three in ten (30%) report that climate change is affecting the value of their investments/portfolio.

MOST INVESTORS PLAN TO ENGAGE IN SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIORS

Fully 95% of Colorado HNW investors plan to engage in at least one (of 12) sustainable behaviors in the next three years. Relatively inexpensive options top the list of potential actions: 69% plan to conserve water, 64% hope to install more energy-saving light bulbs, 63% plan to become better at turning off lights when leaving a room, 62% plan to turn down the thermostat in the winter/turn up the thermostat in the summer, 54% hope to recycle more and 52% say they will turn to paperless billing. Still, there is interest in engaging in more expensive behaviors, as 45% anticipate replacing appliances with high-efficiency models, 38% hope to purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle, 28% plan to install better insulation in the home and 20% hope to buy “smart” products that use less energy. Just 3%, however, anticipate installing solar panels in the near future.

The Morgan Stanley Investor Pulse Poll was conducted via telephone interviews from October 14 through December 2, 2014, by GfK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. A total of 301 respondents in the greater Denver market were interviewed using a listed sample of landline phone numbers pre-identified as high net worth households ($100,000 or more in liquid investable assets). Respondents were required to be between the ages of 25 and 75 years old and to be one of the primary decision makers in the household for financial matters. Quotas were applied in order to obtain approximately one-third in each of the following categories: $100,000 to $499,000; $500,000 to $999,000; and $1 million or more in investable assets. Results were then weighted to age within each of these three asset classes using the Federal Government’s Survey of Consumer Finances data. The margin of error on the total sample is +/-5.6 percentage points on the total; the margin of error among subgroups is higher.

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Alternative energy plant lost in fire - Flathead Publishing Group

An experimental alternative energy plant on the F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. mill site was a total loss after an early morning fire on Saturday, Jan. 24.

Stoltze workers called in the fire at Algae Aqua-Culture Technology’s octagonal dome-shaped facility at 4:28 a.m., Columbia Falls fire chief Rick Hagen said.

The Columbia Falls, Whitefish and Badrock fire departments responded with three engines, five water tenders, a heavy rescue vehicle, a command vehicle and 24 firefighters. No one was injured.

“About half the building was burning when we arrived,” Hagen said. “There was no way we could do an interior attack, so it was a defensive effort with firefighters using hoses outside.”

Hagen said he spoke with the facility’s chief operating officer and was told the fire caused about $1 million in damage.

“We were able to save about 25 percent of the facility,” Hagen said.

The glassed-in dome was supported by a steel frame, but there was a lot of wood inside and lots of highly flammable polyurethane insulation panels, Hagen said. In addition, the attached lab building on the north side, where the fire is suspected of starting, had a stick frame, he said. The propane tank that provided fuel for the facility’s generator and boiler was not involved in the fire, Hagen said.

Fire trucks were not able to access the west side of the building, Hagen said, but that didn’t hamper firefighting efforts. Tenders shuttled water from a hydrant at the Stoltze mill.

Hagen, who is the fire marshal for Columbia Falls’ city and rural fire areas, said he’s confident the fire started accidentally in the lab building. Charcoal produced as part of the experimental alternative energy project had been placed in a plastic tote in the lab building and possibly re-ignited.

“There’s so much fire damage, we’re not 100 percent certain, but that’s what it looks like,” Hagen said.

Algae Aqua-Culture Technology laid the foundation for its 5,000-square-foot Green Power House in 2010. Initial funding included a $350,000 grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Steve Bullock toured the plant in October 2012 when he was campaigning for governor.

The brainchild of Michael Smith, a mathematician and physicist, the company’s goal was to convert wood waste from Stoltze into charcoal that could be used to feed algae growing in tanks inside the dome.

Sunlight was another energy source for the system. The harvested algae then was placed in a bio-reactor to produce methane and hydrogen, which could be burned to produce electricity.

Algae Aqua-Culture Technology’s plant, however, was never hooked up to the grid. According to Flathead Electric Cooperative spokeswoman Wendy Ostrom-Price, the Co-op never received power from the plant.

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Is artificial photosynthesis the next big thing in alternative energy? - Phys.Org

William & Mary chemist William McNamara is taking a "bio-inspired" approach to the world's energy crisis by turning to nature's very own chemical power plant: photosynthesis.

McNamara and his students are working on creating cleaner, more efficient and more cost-effective ways to harvest energy by mimicking the way plants use sunlight to create their own energy.

"If you look outside there are all these organisms that are doing exactly what we want to do. Plants take in sunlight, and they're able to make a fuel out of it in the form of sugars that they use to power themselves," McNamara said.

One of the most effective resources for harvesting "greener" energy uses sunlight as a natural energy source. Solar cells absorb sunlight to generate electricity, which can be used to power devices or stored in batteries.

Solar cells are a greener way of harvesting energy, but some major limitations inhibit the technology from replacing traditional energy sources. According to McNamara, one limitation is that when the sun is not shining, no electricity is being harvested and stored in batteries. This means only a certain amount of energy can be collected. In the dark, you are on battery power and experience a loss of efficiency. He added that solar cells also are very expensive and so traditional solar technology is not as widespread as it could be.

"These things are often driven economically as to what we use as a technology. It's not yet feasible for us to be using solar everything," McNamara said. "The pricing isn't as competitive as oil right now. It would take an overhauling of our infrastructure to make it more usable."

McNamara, assistant professor of chemistry, was inspired by the thought that nature had already created superior ways to use sunlight. His "bio-inspired" approach begins with sunlight and ends with hydrogen gas that can be used as a fuel.

Basically, he explained, the process runs a bit of solar power through water and a catalyst reduces protons to hydrogen gas, leaving some leftover water.

"If your catalyst is really efficient, you would produce more hydrogen gas then you could possibly use in an evening when the sun is not shining," McNamara said. "And there is a low carbon footprint."

Understanding of the reduction reaction necessary for reducing protons to hydrogen gas is well established, but McNamara says the current state of the science makes a marketable artificial photosynthesis device too expensive. The chemistry requires metallic catalysts and current researchers have found that some of the best and most efficient artificial-photosynthesis catalysts are made from expensive metals such as platinum and rhodium.

McNamara and his team of students are turning, once again, to nature's own solution to create a catalyst by using earth-abundant metals, such as iron. This would change the scale on which solar energy could be used, as metals like iron are very cheap. Each student is testing a different catalyst to see which combinations of earth-abundant metals produce hydrogen most efficiently. McNamara's interest in using earth-abundant metals to make catalysts comes from research into the chemistry of photosynthesis and other natural processes.

"Your blood hemoglobin doesn't use a precious metal. It uses iron because we've evolved with a lot of iron around us. Photosynthesis uses manganese because there's a lot of manganese on Earth," McNamara said. "We're trying to develop a catalyst to make hydrogen from water using earth-abundant, inexpensive iron. Iron is the most abundant transition metal on this planet, so it's obviously very inexpensive. It's everywhere."

Kathryn Mayer '15 joined McNamara's lab as a sophomore. Majoring in chemistry and pursuing a minor in environmental science, she is applying to graduate schools and hopes to become an atmospheric chemist, studying the stew of compounds that infiltrate the air we breathe.

In the meantime, Mayer works on artificial photosynthesis. She is one of three student co-authors on McNamara's paper "Hydrogen Evolution Catalyzed by an Iron Polypyridyl Complex in Aqueous Solutions," along with two 2014 graduates, Gannon Connor and Connor Tribble. The paper, published in Inorganic Chemistry, outlines the group's progress in iron-catalyst solutions to artificial photosynthesis.

McNamara has his students working with a number of abundant metals, including nickel and cobalt, but he says he likes the lab to concentrate on iron catalysts. Each metal is tested with one or more ligands, molecules that bind to the metal by sharing electrons. The ligands act as a kind of electrochemical volume knob.

"What I like about this approach is that I can physically tune the ligands to get them to do the reaction at a specific potential," McNamara said. "The potential is important because if the potential is very negative, it's going to require a lot of energy to do that reaction."

The lab is searching for the ideal metal-ligand complex for artificial photosynthesis, what McNamara calls "the sweet spot of efficiency and activity." In practice, that means a combination that will provide a long-lasting, stable reaction, allowing construction of a practical device that will go on splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen for months or years without requiring too much maintenance.

There are a lot of possible metal-ligand combinations, which is why McNamara has his students investigating as many likely pairs as possible. Mayer, for example, has been working on the iron-polypryridyl complex featured in the Inorganic Chemistry paper since the summer before her junior year.

"What's interesting about it is that iron complexes usually don't work in water, but this one does," she said.

Mayer explained that each investigation begins with synthesizing the ligand. In her case, the synthesis was fairly straightforward, although some ligand synthesis requires more than usual care.

"There are a couple of chemicals that are toxic in the air, so you have to work with them in the hood, using small amounts at a time," she explained. "Some of the chemicals are pyrophoricâ€"they combust on contact with the air. We use very tiny amounts and we're very cautious."

Once a ligand is synthesized, the experimenters can begin electrochemistry experiments. The catalyst goes into a small cell with a source of protonsâ€"usually an acidâ€"and solvent, then the chemists apply voltage.

"We're looking at electrons being transferred in the chemical process," Mayer said. "You analyze the data and you can tell what's happening at a very fundamental level."

Once the fundamental electrochemistry is understood, it's time for the experiment to see the light of dayâ€"but not literally. Even though the idea of artificial photosynthesis is to use natural sunlight, the lab requires the control offered by an arc lamp.

"After we understand the catalytic properties of the complex through the electrochemical experiments, we move on to photochemical studies. This is where it's more like real artificial photosynthesis. The catalyst is paired with a chromophore. It's like chlorophyll in plantsâ€"it's our synthetic equivalent to that. Our iron complex works well with fluorescein, which is a fairly cheap, nontoxic molecule. That's nice. We put that in a test tube together. It's sealed and we shine a light on it and we can measure hydrogen production."

McNamara's work was funded by a Virginia Space Grant Consortium New Investigator Award and also through a Multi-Investigator Cottrell College Science Award from the Research Corporation, with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Kristin Wustholz. The lab has a second paperâ€"with student co-authorsâ€"under review at Inorganic Chemistry, and McNamara is writing a third.

The use of catalysts based on common metals could be the key to a more affordable, cleaner energy source. McNamara explained that the use of highly available earth-abundant metals would provide an alternative for developing countries still relying on coal due to its low cost and accessibility.

"It's really hard to convince people in the developing world to use something that's very expensive to make energy when they are sitting on a ton of coal," McNamara said.

According to McNamara, one added benefit of using this method is that one of the byproducts of the reaction is clean drinking water.

"In a developing country, take dirty water from a river and split it to give you hydrogen, burn that and then distill off clean water that you can drink," McNamara said.

This technology could also serve many other purposes. McNamara explained that one such purpose could be allowing the space station to generate its own fuel using sunlight. Not only would it save space and resources, but it would also allow dirty water to be recycled in space.

"You don't want to be hauling up gallons of gasoline to store in tight quarters. This would allow for the space station to generate its own fuel and produce water on the side," McNamara said.

Although McNamara's research offers important solutions to some of the world's most pressing energy issues, he stressed that the most important thing is that we keep finding ways to improve how we harvest and use energy, no matter what the source.

"It is critically important that we research all areas of renewable energy. From a speed standpoint, maybe wind will come along faster than solar," McNamara said. "As long as we keep working on it."

Explore further: New step towards future production of solar fuels

More information: "Hydrogen Evolution Catalyzed by an Iron Polypyridyl Complex in Aqueous Solutions." Inorg. Chem., 2014, 53 (11), pp 5408â€"5410 DOI: 10.1021/ic500069c

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Nigerians turn to renewable energy as solution to power crisis - Deutsche Welle

Joseph Agesoji has to run his small generator so he can use the hair clippers at his barbershop. He lives in Mpape, a suburb of Abuja, Nigeria's capital city.

Mpape is largely an informal settlement in the hills just outside the highway that circles the Federal Capital Territory. With a population estimated to be around 2 million, it has grown from a village to a city in a span of about 30 years.

Agesoji says he has to spend a considerable amount for his barbershop

Every month, Agesoji pays about 1,500 Naira, ($10 or just under 9 euros) for grid electricity. However, sometimes he goes for weeks without it working. "Even when they bring light for us, it doesn't take much time before they take our light back," he said.

Often Agesoji has to pay $10 a week for generator fuel whether he has customers or not, just to keep the lights on.

Billions to generate power

Nigerians spend almost $5 billion a year on fuel to generate their own electricity, this alone keeps many in poverty. "We are working here. Every time we buy fuel for our [generators]. Everybody who has a shop has a generator. Even in the night, we don't have light," said Agesoji.

About two thirds of people in Nigeria have no access to grid electricity. That's more people without electricity than any other country in the world except India.

Some are now looking to renewable energies, such as solar as a way of transforming the country into one that gives people the power to thrive.

The Nigeria Alternative Energy Expo in Abuja has been held for the past four years in a row. It brings together local and international speakers, delegates and exhibitors to explore the possibilities for renewable energy in the country.

Stumbling blocks to renewable energy

Organizer Larry Edeh says he has felt some opposition to developing the industry because of those with an interest in keeping Nigerians buying generators and fuel.

"We've noticed that some key people are not so keen about investing in renewable energy because most of them have some investments. Some of their co-investors have invested a lot of money on generators," said Edeh.

Graft and mismanagement has been blamed for Nigeria's chronic power problems

"Some of them are seeing bringing renewable energy in as a threat to their business. But the truth of the matter is that we don't need generators because of the carbon emissions and air pollution."

Foreign investors are looking to Nigeria as a place to bring expertise from countries that already have a more developed alternative energy sector. Pieter Joubert is the production manager at Lumentech, a solar panel company based in South Africa. He is visiting as an exhibitor at the Nigeria Alternative Energy Expo to explore ways of expanding into other African countries, including Nigeria.

"It's a very, very big market and that is why we're expanding and hopefully we can improve people's lives right through Africa," said Joubert.

Lessons from South Africa

South Africa has a population of about 53 million and produces more than 40,000 megawatts of electricity. Nigeria produces about 4,000 megawatts for a population of nearly 175 million.

Joubert says coming to Abuja has opened his eyes to the potential of responding to that need. "I was mainly focused on keeping away from Nigeria, mainly because of all the corruption and things like that you have heard about on the news," he said. "This has been a good experience for me."

Larry Edeh, organizer of Nigeria's Alternative Energy Expo says he's meeting resistance

This need for electricity has led some Nigerians to take advantage of what renewable energy has to offer. Just over a year ago Saleh Auta, another shop owner had a $50 solar panel and light installed at his small shop through the government's renewable energy program.

"Before the light we used a generator. There was noise and smoke all over the house," he said. Auta says he used to spend most of his profits just keeping the lights on.

"I'm not spending money on light now. What I am spending money on now, is when I want to cook food."

Research on this article was made possible by a grant from the European Journalism Centre.

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Fire hits alternative energy plant - Daily Inter Lake

A fire destroyed the main powerhouse structure of Algae AquaCulture Technologies and caused $1 million in damage near Columbia Falls early Saturday morning.

F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber workers called in the fire at the experimental alternative-energy plant’s octagonal dome-shaped facility at 4:28 a.m., Columbia Falls Fire Chief Rick Hagen said.

The Columbia Falls, Whitefish and Badrock fire departments responded with three engines, five water tenders, a heavy rescue vehicle, a command vehicle and 24 firefighters. No one was injured.

“About half the building was burning when we arrived,” Hagen said. “There was no way we could do an interior attack, so it was a defensive effort with firefighters using hoses outside.”

According to Robin Kelson, the executive vice president of corporate development for the company, the powerhouse is a complete loss but the company will be able to continue production of some of its products.

“Operations are not suspended,” she said. “In one of the other buildings we have our pyrolysis machine with which we will continue to make biochar.”

Total monetary damages have not been established yet, she said, but it would take four months to rebuild the powerhouse and another two to get it fully operational again. 

Hagen estimated the losses at about $1 million.

Algae AquaCulture Technologies is an alternative energy company that is working with Stoltze as a possible energy supplier for the lumber company’s plant in the future. 

The company laid the foundation for its 5,000-square-foot Green Power House in 2010. Initial funding included a $350,000 grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.  

The powerhouse was housed in an glass octagonal dome supported with steel, but wood and highly flammable polyurethane insulation inside the building burned all but 25 percent of the facility, Hagen said. 

Hagen said he’s confident the fire started accidentally in the lab building. Charcoal produced as part of the energy project had been placed in a plastic tote in the lab building and possibly re-ignited.

“There’s so much fire damage, we’re not 100 percent certain, but that’s what it looks like,” Hagen said.

The main powerhouse used industrial waste such as wood chips from Stoltze â€" which owns the land and co-owns the technology company â€" to cultivate algae. The algae produces methane gas that can be used for energy. Other byproducts include hydrogen and a valuable organic fertilizer.

These products are the ones the company will have to wait to produce again because of the fire.

“We’ve been producing enough of our liquid product, REGENiSYS, that we have some stored away,” Kelson said. “We are still going to move forward with sales on that front.”

REGENiSYS, a “soil amendment” product, is sold locally and nationally.

The company, which employs nine people, could see this as a silver lining to a dark cloud.

“It’s certainly a setback, I’m not going to say it’s not,” Kelson said. “But this gives us an opportunity to implement redesigns we were looking toward in the future. It’s just maybe a bit quicker than we thought.”

Richard Hanners of the Hungry Horse News contributed to this story.

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House votes to repeal alternative energy act, 95-4 - Beckley Register-Herald

CHARLESTON â€" The West Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday passed H.B. 2001, a bill repealing portions of the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act. The legislation is the first bill passed by the House of Delegates in the the current session.

The House vote to repeal portions of the act was 95-4. The Senate voted Wednesday 33-0 to repeal portions of the bill.

The House bill was considered and passed out of both the Judiciary Committee chaired by Delegate John Shott, R-Mercer, and the House Energy Committee, chaired by Delegate Wood Ireland, R-Pleasants.

“Today’s passage of this legislation will free our state’s utility industry from a flawed regulatory scheme, help reduce the threat of electricity rate increases and provide greater opportunities for our hardworking coalminers," said House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha.

“I am pleased with the repeal of the cap and trade law, we have increased the likelihood that coalminers can return to work and have protected our citizens and businesses from larger electricity rate increases in the future,” said House Judiciary Chairman John Shott, R-Mercer.

“As I stated earlier today, if I were here in the 2009 during the original consideration of this bill, I would have voted against it. We cannot afford to put any ore regulations on coal or any other mining jobs. The EPA has continued to overreach, and it is time to draw a line in the sand and push back against these restrictions,” said Delegate Rupert Phillips Jr., D â€" Logan.

Delegate Josh Nelson, R-Boone, a third-generation coal miner, spoke in support of this bill stating, “A vote against repealing West Virginia’s cap and trade act is the very same thing as handing another coal miner his or her pink slip.”

Bill sponsor, Delegate Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer, stated, “For the past several years, I have asked government officials if the original legislation would result in less coal being mined in our state and if our citizens would pay more for their electricity â€" they have all answered yes to these questions.”

The sponsors of the bill include: Delegate Marty Gearheart, R -Mercer), Delegate Josh Nelson, R-Boone, Delegate Lynne Arvon, R-Raleigh, Delegate Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, Delegate Michael Folk, R-Berkeley, Delegate Brad White, R-Kanawha, Delegate Cindy Frich, R-Monongalia, Delegate Jordan R. Hill, R-Nicholas and Delegate Eric Householder, R-Berkeley.

Original story below:

CHARLESTON â€"The West Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday passed H.B. 2001, a bill repealing portions of the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act. The legislation is the first bill passed by the House of Delegates in the the current session.

The House vote to repeal portions of the act was  95-4. The Senate voted Wednesday 33-0 to repeal portions of the bill. 

The House bill was considered and passed out of both the Judiciary Committee chaired by Delegate John Shott, R-Mercer, and the House Energy Committee, chaired by Delegate Wood Ireland, R-Pleasants. 

The sponsors of the bill include: Delegate Marty Gearheart, R -Mercer), Delegate Josh Nelson, R-Boone, Delegate Lynne Arvon, R-Raleigh, Delegate Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, Delegate Michael Folk, R-Berkeley, Delegate Brad White, R-Kanawha, Delegate  Cindy Frich, R-Monongalia, Delegate Jordan R. Hill, R-Nicholas and Delegate Eric Householder, R-Berkeley. 

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House votes to repeal alternative energy act in 95-4 vote - Beckley Register-Herald

CHARLESTON â€" Although very few delegates spoke against passage of a bill that would repeal the state’s Alternative and Renewable Energy Act, debate and discussion went on for more than an hour before the House of Delegates voted 95-4 to undo a law many say was not effective in the first place. 

A similar Senate version of the bill passed unanimously earlier this week. Language of both bills will be integrated into one final version that could be on the governor’s desk as early as today. 

The Alternative and Renewable Energy Act of 2009 set benchmarks for utility companies to use alternative and renewable fuels â€" up to 25 percent of the energy they produced by 2025. The bill went into effect Jan. 1. 

Utility companies were already meeting the 2015 standards, according to FirstEnergy’s Sammy Gray, who testified at both Senate and House energy committees last week. Gray said his company would be fine with or without the standards, but did prefer a free market approach. 

According to a Public Service Commission report the Energy Act had little effect on coal jobs. 

“The coal industry and the future of coal-fired generation in the state will be impacted by factors that are unrelated to the Portfolio Act including changes in natural gas pricing and the rules proposed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency in June 2014,” the report said. 

Also, the report says the act does not mandate the use of renewables, but instead provides the option for utilities to use renewables as an  energy source. 

“The Portfolio Act enables West Virginia to utilize our diverse energy resource base,” the report said.

During the debate, delegates who work as coal miners spoke in favor of repeal.

“I came here to fight for repealing legislation just like this,” said Josh Nelson, R-Boone. Nelson said if repealing the act puts only one coal miner back to work, then it is worth the effort. 

Likewise, Randy Smith, R-Preston, said he ran for office because he took offense to the bill when it passed in 2009. 

“What did this bill say to us coal miners? Did it say, ‘we’ve got your back?’” he asked. “It’s a slap in the face of coal miners.”

Delegate Rupert Phillips, D-Logan, said the country was “built on coal.” Phillips said only .46 percent of energy in the country is produced by solar panels, while wind is at 4.3 percent. 

“Coal is around 38 percent,” he said, “but eight years ago it was 54 percent.”

Phillips said more than 100 years of coal is left to be mined in the state. 

The act did not leave coal out of the energy-producing equation, allowing waste coal, liquified coal and coal bed methane to be used as alternative fuels. 

FirstEnergy has about 1 million energy credits, said Delegate John Shott, R-Mercer. Pricing those credits at about $5 each, Shott said the utility company has a large asset that would benefit their customers with lower rates. 

Delegate Nancy Guthrie, D-Kanwha, said the 2009 act did not hurt the coal industry, but instead was a step in the direction of diversifying the state’s economy. Guthrie said that in order for the state to get its bond ratings to AAA, it would have to do just that. 

“Why aren’t we embracing every possible source (of energy)?” Guthrie asked. She said the state has an abundant supply of water and people are using solar and wind energies to reduce their utility costs. “Rates are coming down for those folks who are smart enough to get away from one source (of energy).”

“We are running out of coal, that’s why we’ve had so many layoffs,” she continued. “We are going to wear coal around or necks like a yoke that will drag all of us down.”

Amid shouts of “point of order!” from several delegates, Guthrie apologized, but maintained repealing the law was a “wrong-headed approach.”

Her comments drew fire from Delegate Gary Howell, R-Mineral, who held a piece of coal above his head while proclaiming coal to be the “diamond necklace hanging around the neck of West Virginia.”

Democrat Barbara Fleischauer, Monongalia County, noted the original bill includes the use of coal as an energy source. Fleischauer warned that, citing a West Virginia University professor, the Environmental Protection Agency could take over some of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection duties if West Virginia doesn’t begin to comply with its Clean Power Program. 

But, she said, she doesn’t believe the bill has anything to do with increasing or decreasing coal jobs. 

“I’m tired of all these myths being circulated as if they were fact,” she said. “In the last election those myths were used as a club. It’s time we stopped.”

Fleischauer said the act was a “baby step” toward admitting that the climate is changing. 

Guthrie, Fleischauer, Delegate Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, and Delegate Stephen Skinner, D-Jefferson, voted against the measure to repeal. 

Delegate Tim Manchin, D- Marion, said he would vote in favor of repealing the act. His constituents believe what they’ve been told about the act’s negative effect on the coal industry, he said. 

But, Manchin said, those constituents would never know if repealing the act had any effect because the House would not call for an economic impact study. 

“We had the opportunity to pass an  environmental impact statement so these people could learn if promises have been kept,” Manchin said. “I expect to continue to ask if the promises that have been made to my people have been kept.”

House Minority Leader Tim Miley, D-Harrison, voted in favor of the repeal, but said earlier this week that the law itself was a “toothless tiger.” Miley was a proponent of the economic impact study. 

â€" Email: ppritt@register-herald.com Follow PamPrittRH on Twitter

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West Virginia senate repeals 2009 alternative energy act - Bluefield Daily Telegraph

CHARLESTON â€" A bill that would repeal a 2009 law that mandates utility companies get 25 percent of their production materials from sources other than coal by 2025 was passed by the West Virginia State Senate unanimously Wednesday, with debate only on an amendment to the bill.

Senate Democrats attempted to amend the bill to include a study by the legislative auditor on the repeal's net effect on jobs and utility rates.

The amendment was introduced by Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall. Kessler said he wanted to include the amendment so that lawmakers could see "that it performs as intended â€" to create more jobs in the coalfields and lower utility bills."

Proponents of repealing the Alternative and Renewable Energy Act of 2009 have said the law will allow the free market to rule what purchases utility companies make, which will in turn keep consumer utility bills lower.

The amendment was defeated 20-13, with one senator absent.

All 18 Republicans voted against the amendment; two Democrats â€" Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, and Sen. Bob Williams, D-Taylor â€" voted with the majority.

A similar push for the act's repeal in the House of Delegates is likely to mirror the Senate action. House Minority Leader Tim Miley, D-Harrison, has asked for an economic impact study. Miley called the current law a "toothless tiger."

Miley said he fears state residents in coal-producing counties are being offered the false hope that if the law is repealed coal industry jobs will return.

Speaker of the House Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, answered Miley's request Tuesday, saying the effect of repealing the law is already known.

"Further delay of the repeal of the act will force the non-producing utilities to purchase credits, at least for this year, and, if long-term contracts are required by the seller, may burden those utilities (and, necessarily, their customers) with financial obligations well beyond 2015," Armstead said in a letter to Miley.

First Energy representative Sammy Gray said his company was "fine if the law stays in place" and "fine if it's repealed." First Energy already complies with the first tier of standards in the law, he said.

West Virginia Coal Association executive director Bill Raney said the industry was in favor of repeal. Raney said the 25 percent standard â€" not law until 2025 â€" is bad for the coal industry.

However, the 2009 Alternative and Renewable Energy Act also gave a nod to the coal industry and allowed "advanced coal technology, coal bed methane, fuel produced by a coal gasification or liquefaction facility and waste coal" as alternative energy sources.

Raney said the coal industry was in favor of the law at the time it was passed, but could not anticipate the regulations regarding carbon emissions from power plants handed down later by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. A provision in the 2009 law allowing "net metering," producing electricity through solar panels or windmills and the ability to sell electricity to a utility company was preserved in the repeal.

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Senate passes repeal of alternative energy act in 33-0 vote - Beckley Register-Herald

CHARLESTON â€" A bill that would repeal a 2009 law that mandates utility companies get 25 percent of their production materials from sources other than coal by 2025 was passed by the West Virginia State Senate unanimously Wednesday, with debate only on an amendment to the bill.

Senate Democrats attempted to amend the bill to include a study by the legislative auditor on the repeal's net effect on jobs and utility rates.

The amendment was introduced by Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall. Kessler said he wanted to include the amendment so that lawmakers could see "that it performs as intended â€" to create more jobs in the coalfields and lower utility bills."

Proponents of repealing the Alternative and Renewable Energy Act of 2009 have said the law will allow the free market to rule what purchases utility companies make, which will in turn keep consumer utility bills lower.

The amendment was defeated 20-13, with one senator absent.

All 18 Republicans voted against the amendment; two Democrats â€" Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, and Sen. Bob Williams, D-Taylor â€" voted with the majority.

A similar push for the act's repeal in the House of Delegates is likely to mirror the Senate action. House Minority Leader Tim Miley, D-Harrison, has asked for an economic impact study. Miley called the current law a "toothless tiger."

Miley said he fears state residents in coal-producing counties are being offered the false hope that if the law is repealed coal industry jobs will return.

Speaker of the House Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, answered Miley's request Tuesday, saying the effect of repealing the law is already known.

"Further delay of the repeal of the act will force the non-producing utilities to purchase credits, at least for this year, and, if long-term contracts are required by the seller, may burden those utilities (and, necessarily, their customers) with financial obligations well beyond 2015," Armstead said in a letter to Miley.

First Energy representative Sammy Gray said his company was "fine if the law stays in place" and "fine if it's repealed." First Energy already complies with the first tier of standards in the law, he said.

West Virginia Coal Association executive director Bill Raney said the industry was in favor of repeal. Raney said the 25 percent standard â€" not law until 2025 â€" is bad for the coal industry.

However, the 2009 Alternative and Renewable Energy Act also gave a nod to the coal industry and allowed "advanced coal technology, coal bed methane, fuel produced by a coal gasification or liquefaction facility and waste coal" as alternative energy sources.

Raney said the coal industry was in favor of the law at the time it was passed, but could not anticipate the regulations regarding carbon emissions from power plants handed down later by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

A provision in the 2009 law allowing "net metering," producing electricity through solar panels or windmills and the ability to sell electricity to a utility company was preserved in the repeal.

â€" Email: ppritt@register-herald.com Follow PamPrittRH on Twitter

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Democrats want impact study on repeal of alternative energy law - Beckley Register-Herald

CHARLESTON â€" Legislation to repeal a five-year-old law that hasn't fully taken effect yet is moving through the State Senate. But Democratic leaders are calling for a economic impact study on repealing the measure, just as their GOP counterparts have called for the same studies on bills introduced this session. 

The Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, championed by then-Gov. Joe Manchin, required utility companies to earn credits by producing electricity from alternative fuel sources, including advanced coal technology, coal bed methane, waste coal, coal gasification, natural gas and pumped storage from hydroelectric projects. 

The Act also allows for "net metering," credits given from utility companies back to residents who produce their own electricity through solar panels or windmills. Those residents can sell electricity to their providers, as well. 

Measures in both houses now preserve net metering in the West Virginia Code. 

Called the "West Virginia Cap and Trade Law" during the campaign last year, the standard's "cap" is generally thought to be the 25-percent minimum requirement of alternative fuels and the trade is ability for small utility companies to buy or trade energy credits. 

The federal push for cap and trade calls for capture of carbon emissions, with profit incentives for doing so, and gives those companies the ability to sell or trade their unused credits. 

Former House Speaker Tim Miley, D-Harrison, called the original bill a "toothless tiger" last week, and said its repeal would not help state residents in coal-producing counties. 

This week, Miley sent a letter to House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, asking for an economic impact study on the bill's repeal. “It’s important to know whether the repeal of the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act accomplishes meaningful results, or whether the repeal of the legislation is mere campaign fluff,” he said.

“This legislation has been touted by many members of the Legislature and coal industry representatives as a vital jobs-saving bill for the coal industry,” Miley said. “I believe it is imperative for members of the Legislature to know the real impact of this legislation â€" to coal miners and their families and to other industries that may be affected by the repeal â€" prior to being asked to cast their votes.”

The House of Delegates adopted changes to the House Rules on the first day of session that included a provision (House Rule 95C) that permits the Speaker to request an Economic Impact Statement on any piece of legislation to determine how many jobs would be gained or lost as a result of the legislation and any effect on wages and compensation.

Sen. Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, the former Senate president, likewise made the same challenge to leadership in the upper chamber Monday morning. Kessler said he favors repeal, but wants to see if the Legislature is passing "sound public policy."

Sen. President Bill Cole, R-Mercer, said the study is unlikely. 

As chair of the Committee on Energy, Industry and Mining, Sen. Jeff Mullins, R-Raleigh, said repealing the law allows free markets to decide what fuels energy companies use.

"(I)f an energy company decides that coal is the cheapest way to provide energy, they will not be limited by state government in ability to provide energy through coal. This in turn will ensure that no coal jobs in West Virginia are limited now or at any time in the future by a cap on coal-fueled energy," Mullins said. 

Mullins said he is happy that the committee was able to reach a compromise on net metering so that consumers who generate their own power are given credit for that.

The Alternative Energy Act took effect Jan. 1. 

â€" Email: ppritt@register-herald.com Follow PamPrittRH on Twitter

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Forget Keystone, focus on alternative energy sources - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

The Keystone XL bill is a pointless gesture. It’s no substitute for a real agenda about energy, transportation or the economy. It’s hard to understand why House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insist it’s such a high priority as to make it the first item on their legislative agenda.

The reality is that the technology already exists to cut our projected oil use in half over the next 20 years. We just need stronger efficiency standards, incentives for better fuels and a bigger market for electric vehicles. Congressional leaders should be putting time and effort into advancing those policies.

Instead, KXL focuses on helping a Canadian oil company extract and sell tar sands diluted bitumen, a fuel source considerably dirtier than conventional crude oil. Extracting and refining it creates up to three times more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional crude. The cost to the climate is real. At a time when we need to confront climate change and encourage innovation in energy, this bill takes us in exactly the opposite direction.

Instead, the Republican Party should focus on a proposal designed by former Republican Treasury Secretary George Shultz, which is revenue neutral, relies on the market to do its work and reduces carbon dioxide emissions faster than the president’s regulatory plan. The plan would provide a carbon dividend to every household paid for by a fee imposed on all fossil fuels at their source. The dividend would be more than enough to pay for increases in the costs of various items now dependent on fossil fuels, and would encourage conservation and innovation in alternative energy sources. And, unlike the XL pipeline, it also would create millions of jobs for the long term. If the Republican Party voted for such a bill, the president would sign it.

Peter Garrett

Emery & Garrett Groundwater Investigations

Winslow

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Panasonic invents – wireless charging to alternative energy solutions - IPWatchdog.com

From U.S. Patent Application No. 20140346053, entitled Carbon Dioxide Reducing Method, Carbon Dioxide Removing Cell, and Carbon Dioxide Removing Apparatus.

The Panasonic Corporation of Osaka, Japan, is one of the largest electronics manufacturing companies in a country with many renowned corporations in that field, such as Sony and Hitachi. As we’ll discuss below, Panasonic is hoping to make a stir at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show with various kiosks showing off the company’s recent advancements in electric vehicles, avionics and business-to-business solutions. The North American International Auto Show occurring in Detroit will also be the place where Panasonic unveils its e-Cockpit technology, which provides a user-friendly interface for the center console and instrument cluster that reduces driver distraction. In mid-December, Panasonic announced that it would be building a new technology and business solutions hub in Denver, CO, which will employ 330 workers in a facility located near the Denver International Airport.

Our latest survey of the patents issued to Panasonic showed some very intriguing developments in the area of wireless charging systems, including one technology that encourages better heat dissipation in instances where large electrical loads are transmitted. Another patent protects a system of automatically collecting lifestyle information based on the interactions between a person and objects within a space. Readers may also be interested in the organic light-emitting diode display and compressed gas vehicle technologies reflected in patents which we’ve shared today.

We noticed a major focus on medical innovations in Panasonic patent applications. One of these discusses an improved orthodontic device for improving tooth alignment with vibration forces. Another patent application would protect a biochip having a stronger diaphragm section to work as a filtration device. Sustainable technologies which we feature include a system for removing carbon dioxide from a source as well as an improved configuration for fuel cells used in home energy systems.

Panasonic’s Issued Patents: From Wireless Charging Systems to Lifestyle Collecting Apparatuses 

The Panasonic Corporation is among the strongest of the Companies We Follow in terms of U.S. patent grants. The Intellectual Property Owners Association ranked Panasonic 8th overall during 2013, the latest year for which we have complete statistics on U.S. patent grants, with 2,649 patents issued by the USPTO in that year. This represented a drop of just over six percent compared to Panasonic’s U.S. patent totals from the year before. The company has also made a strong showing in international patent filing in recent years, according to statistics published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. In October of last year, Panasonic entered into an agreement with Canadian IP licensing company WiLAN to transfer the rights and title to certain patents related to vending machine systems, the second such agreement between those two companies in as many years.

Wireless charging systems were an area of research and development focus for Panasonic where we found a couple of interesting patents that have been issued to the company in recent weeks. Techniques for the safe removal of excess heat generated by wireless power charging scenarios are disclosed and protected by U.S. Patent No. 8917511, titled Wireless Power Transfer System and Power Transmitting/Receiving Device With Heat Dissipation Structure. The invention is designed to support the safe dissipation of heat in wireless charging situations when large amounts of electric power are transmitted in such a way that doesn’t reduce the power transfer efficiency. The power transmitting/receiving device of this invention includes a heat dissipation structure with an electrically conductive thermal conductor which makes thermal contact with an inductor through an electrical insulator to transfer heat from the inductor to a distant location. A system of wireless power charging designed to provide a power supply for a lighting apparatus is the focus of U.S. Patent No. 8912730, which is titled Wireless Power Supply System for Lighting and Lighting Apparatus. The wireless power supply system of this invention has a power reception unit comprised of a power reception coil which receives electric power as well as a power circuit which performs a Buck-Boost operation to output a predetermined electric power to a lighting load. The Buck-Boost operation of this invention reduces instability of the powered supplied to the lighting load that can occur when the output voltage of the power reception coil fluctuates.

As we’ll go on to note later in this article, Panasonic has various intellectual properties in the field of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Another patent in this field was recently added to the company’s portfolio: U.S. Patent No. 8907358, which is titled Organic Light-Emitting Panel, Manufacturing Method Thereof, and Organic Display Device (Fig. 4 is pictured left). The organic light-emitting panel claimed here has a plurality of light-emitting cells arranged in an alignment with each cell having an underlying layer and a plurality of banks which are structured to define each light-emitting cell by separating them. The sidewalls created by the banks included in this display have different inclination angles which makes it possible to adjust the pinning location of the ink to create a more uniform film thickness across an entire OLED panel for an even luminance.

An innovative system for matching a display to a user’s lifestyle preferences is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8909636, which is titled Lifestyle Collecting Apparatus, User Interface Device, and Lifestyle Collecting Method (Figures 15 and 16 are pictured right). The patent claims a method of providing a user interface to a user with a lifestyle collecting apparatus that detects object information regarding objects around a user, determining a relevance degree of a user with respect to the object, determining appearance information representing an object’s appearance and determining a material of a display object to be displayed by an information processing apparatus of a user. The invention is directed at creating an ambient wall display that can display images representative of a user’s lifestyle without the need for a user to manually input lifestyle information.

A bicycle which utilizes a gas compression braking system is the focus of U.S. Patent No. 8919485, issued under the title Vehicle Using Compressed Gas, and Control Device Therefor. The patent protects a vehicle that runs with an air engine with a control device that operates a control valve so that the target output of gas machinery is obtained. This innovation is designed to improve safety in vehicles utilizing compressed gas energy when a turnover is experienced, which may crack the piping of gas machinery, while also providing a mechanism for identifying symptoms of cracked compressed gas piping much more simply.

We also wanted to share with our readers a Panasonic development in the field of consumer digital cameras, which is protected by U.S. Patent No. 8913333, entitled Lens Barrel and Imaging Device. The invention described here enables the use of contrast detection systems for auto-focusing with a compact barrel lens for a lightweight focal lens unit. The patent claims a lens barrel with two lens units as well as a drive unit for driving the second lens unit with respect to the first lens unit; the drive unit is also fixed to the first lens unit so that the profile line made by the drive unit and first lens unit is substantially circular.

Patent Applications of Note: Plenty of Medical Technologies and Alternative Energy Solutions 

Panasonic is one of the technology companies regularly featured on the Companies We Follow series which has a broad range of innovative research and development activities which it supports. In July of last year, Panasonic announced a joint venture with INCJ, JDI and Sony for the development of OLED display panels for mobile PCs, tablets and signage. At the beginning of December, Panasonic kicked off its development of the Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town (SST), a 19-hectare area southwest of Tokyo that will accommodate 3,000 people by its 2018 completion date; the goal is to create a community where each house contributes zero carbon emissions. Consumer device innovation has also been strong at the company, evidenced by the recognition of Panasonic as a 2015 CES Innovation Awards Honoree for the company’s LUMIX LX100 Digital Camera, which has stereoscopic (3D) imaging and 4k video capture capabilities.

We’ll start off today’s analysis of Panasonic’s recent innovations with a look at a trio of novel technologies developed for medical fields. An improved apparatus for observing cultured cells and other microorganisms in a decontaminated environment is discussed within U.S. Patent Application No. 20140356942, filed under the title Isolator (shown left). The isolator that would be protected includes a working chamber in which a worker performs a task and a storage chamber that maintains an airtight state while in communication with the working chamber through an opening in a bottom plate of the working chamber. This isolator apparatus can be installed in a smaller space and is also configured to better protect an observation device when moving the device between the storage chamber and the working chamber.

A better design for a microchip that measures physiological characteristics of a human or animal body is described by U.S. Patent Application No. 20140367257, which is titled Biochip and Biodevice Using the Same. The biochip claimed here includes a plate-like diaphragm part having a through-hole, a wall part provided around the periphery of the diaphragm part and a reinforcing part formed in a part other than the through-hole. The reinforcing part of this biochip strengthens the diaphragm part, allowing it to serve filtration purposes within the body while reducing the risk of damaging the diaphragm because of flow pressure.

We were also intrigued by the novel orthodontic therapy and device explained within U.S. Patent Application No. 20140335467, which is titled Vibration Imparting Device for Dental Use (shown right). This technology is designed to capitalize on the discovery that vibrating forces imparted to a tooth can improve teeth alignment without the physical or physiological burdens imposed by continuous forces imparted by a bracket device. The patent application would protect a vibrating dental device for vibrating a specific tooth and teeth in a dentition to which an orthodontic device is attached; vibrations are transmitted through a contact portion which is detachably connected to the orthodontic device.

We took note of a couple of technologies which could be incorporated into the Fujisawa SST sustainability project that we described at the top of this section. The use of fuel cells to provide electricity within the home would be aided by the technology laid out within U.S. Patent Application No. 20140377672, filed under the title Hydrogen Generator and Fuel Cell System. This improved fuel cell system is designed to reduce issues with poor booster performance that can occur when steam condenses in the hydrogen-containing gas before passing through the booster. The patent application claims a hydrogen generator with a reformer generating a hydrogen-containing gas, a hydro-desulfurizer which removes a sulfur compound from the raw material and a recycle passage through which the raw material flows on its way towards the hydro-desulfurizer. A high-efficiency cell for the removal of carbon dioxide from a source is at the center of U.S. Patent Application No. 20140346053, entitled Carbon Dioxide Reducing Method, Carbon Dioxide Removing Cell, and Carbon Dioxide Removing Apparatus. The carbon dioxide reducing method that is claimed includes an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, each containing an electrolytic solution, a proton exchange membrane disposed between those chambers. A light is irradiated onto the anode to reduce the carbon dioxide contained within the electrolytic solution in the cathode chamber.

An enhanced system for utilizing image data to better determine how to guide a vehicle towards an electrical charging unit is laid out within U.S. Patent Application No. 20140371966, which is titled Vehicle Guidance Device and Vehicle Guidance Method. The vehicle guidance apparatus claimed by the patent application is mounted on a vehicle and receives power from a power supply section in a non-contact state and guides a vehicle towards the power supply section by calculating a power supply efficiency as well as a power supply efficiency change amount. This innovation is intended to improve the charging of electric vehicle through non-contact power supply units by helping a vehicle driver better position the vehicle so that the power supply unit and power receiving unit are within an optimal charging distance.

We were also fascinated by a Panasonic innovation for retail store environments which helps store management better understand the demographics of customers entering their establishment. U.S. Patent Application No. 20140334718, titled Human Attribute Estimation System, Human Attribute Estimation Apparatus and Human Attribute Estimation Method, would protect a human attribute estimation system connected to multiple cameras which capture images of a human subject for attribute estimation; the system also involves the use of a earning data acquiring section which can generate parameters that influence estimations made by the human attribute estimation method. This invention increases the accuracy of age/gender attribute estimation made by systems implemented by multiple cameras monitoring subjects within a store.

Steve Brachmann Steve Brachmann is a writer located in Buffalo, New York. He has worked professionally as a freelancer for more than five years. His work has been published by The Buffalo News, The Hamburg Sun, USAToday.com, Chron.com, Motley Fool and OpenLettersMonthly.com. He also provides website copy and documents for various business clients.

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Committees work to repeal alternative energy law - Beckley Register-Herald

CHARLESTON â€" Committees on Energy, Industry and Mining in both legislative chambers took the first steps Thursday toward repealing a 2009 law that allowed credits for the use of alternative energies, including clean coal. 

The law also covered “net metering,” which allowed producers of electricity through solar panels and windmills to sell electricity back to utility companies. Through the legislation, the Public Service Commission established tradable credits used to meet the law’s standards and set benchmarks for how many credits utility companies were to have in place during a 10-year period. 

Sen. Jeff Mullins, R-Raleigh, chairs the committee. 

Mullins said repealing the law means energy producers will be able to continue to buy coal to run their plants, a measure which will keep prices down. 

“If we don’t keep coal-fired plants around, keep our coal industry going, we’re going to continue to see sky-rocketing energy prices,” Mullins said. 

Sen. Doug Facemire, D-Braxton, said 13 power plants are currently under construction across the country; not one will use coal. 

“It’s immaterial how good our coal is if no one wants to use it,” Facemire said. “We have to do be extremely cautious.”

First Energy’s Sammy Gray said his company has no new plants under construction and no plans to build any. First Energy, the parent company of Monongahela Power and Potomac Edison, acquired the Harrison Power Station in Haywood in the last few years. Gray said his company can meet its power needs with that acquisition. 

As for the Alternative Energy Act, Gray told the House Committee on Energy that First Energy is “fine with it in place” and “fine if you repeal it;” however, he said the company does prefer allowing the free market to dictate the energy source. 

First Energy already complies with the law, although it only recently took effect on Jan. 1, he said. 

Other states, he said, do have similar laws. 

Bill Raney, executive director of the West Virginia Coal Association, said his industry supported the law when it was passed in 2009, but could not foresee the onslaught of regulations that have since been handed down by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. 

“It needs to be repealed,” he said. 

Coal, he said, needs to be cost competitive with alternative energies. 

Mullins said the only “pushback” from repealing the law has come from state residents who have invested in solar panels and windmills to participate in net metering. 

His Senate committee will introduce a substitute for the bill that retains language that codifies net metering. The House of Delegates version passed out of committee without amendment. It will progress to the Committee on the Judiciary before heading to the House floor.

Delegate Linda Phillips, D-Wyoming, said she has been contacted by state residents outside her district concerned about net marketing. Phillips said her focus would remain on what helps the coal industry. 

Former Speaker of the House Tim Miley didn’t mince words in his criticism of repealing the 2009 law. Miley said he was never approached about the issue when he was the chair of the Committee on the Judiciary or while he was Speaker. 

And, Miley said, the law doesn’t do the coal industry much harm. 

“It was a toothless tiger when we passed it,” he said. “It will be a toothless tiger when it’s removed.”

Miley said he fears residents in coal producing counties will believe repealing the law is a forerunner of the coal industry regaining dominance over energy markets. 

He said Republicans labeled it a “cap and trade” bill, which it isn’t. 

“They wanted to label every Democrat in West Virginia as anti-coal,” Miley said. “Every Democrat knows the importance of coal.”

Repealing the alternative energy law also got harsh words from its chief backer. U.S.  Sen. Joe Manchin, D- W.Va., said he is “deeply disappointed” state Republican leaders have “decided to play partisan politics with our state’s energy and utility rates.

“(T)his attempt by Republicans proves that the worst of Washington political gamesmanship has made its way to West Virginia,” Manchin said. 

Manchin, who was governor when the bill passed, said collaboration on the bill brought industry, coal miners and environmental leaders together to use all the state’s resources.

“Coal will be a part of our nation’s energy portfolio for the next several decades, and West Virginia must lead the way in showing other states how to produce and burn coal more efficiently and cleanly,” he said. “This law struck a balance between our economy and our environment, and has reduced utility rates for middle class West Virginians, something all of our elected officials should be focused on.” 

Manchin challenged state GOP leaders to introduce legislation that requires a “mandatory reduction of utility rates of more than 10 percent for all West Virginians.”

“West Virginia was the only state that showed, if we take advantage of clean energy technologies, we can reduce emissions while still utilizing coal. It is my belief that West Virginia’s energy policies can be used as a template for future national energy policies to strike that balance between environmental concerns and America’s energy needs,” he concluded.

The bill called for using advanced coal technology, coal bed methane, waste coal and fuel produced by coal gasification, as well as natural and synthetic gases, tire-derived fuel and recycled energy. 

â€" E-mail: ppritt@register-herald.com Follow PamPrittRH on Twitter

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