Fresh Loaf

The chair of the state Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee says he plans to introduce a bill that would give Georgians a financial incentive to buy fuel-efficient automobiles.

Sen. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry, made the announcement today during an “energy independence” rally at the state Capitol. (I’ll write more about the event later today.) No specifics to report at the moment, but Tolleson says the incentive could possibly come in the form of a tax credit when consumers purchase a hybrid automobile.

“What makes this a wise move for metro Atlanta is that it’ll lower the demand for fuel but also improve air quality,” Tolleson says, referring to Atlanta’s notorious smog issues.

But in a slowing economy such as Georgia’s and the nation’s — the state recently announced it’s expecting a $1.6 billion budget deficit — an incentive program could be a difficult sell to fellow lawmakers in January.

Things could get better between now and the start of the General Assembly. But they could also get worse. Regardless, good move by Tolleson.

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Public Service Commission candidate Jim Powell says his appeal that was originally scheduled for today at 3 p.m. in Fulton County Superior Court has been postponed. Judge John Goger has recused himself because he’s a former law partner of Powell’s attorney. Powell says a new judge will be assigned later today and the appeal should be heard sometime later in the week.

Powell is contesting Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel’s removal of his name from the July 15 primary ballot. He was granted a stay the day before the election and garnered 85 percent of the vote.

To read CL’s coverage of the PSC brouhaha, click here.

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This was bound to happen. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce tossed its support behind two utility companies itching to build a coal power plant in Early County and echoed their claims that a Fulton County Superior Court judge overreached in her June 30 ruling that halted the beast.

From the Albany Herald:

ALBANY — Officials with the state and area chambers of commerce say they will lend their names to an application that will be filed today with the Georgia Court of Appeals asking that a Fulton County Superior Court judge’s decision interrupting construction of a coal-fired power plant in Early County be reconsidered.

Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore’s ruling on June 30 invalidated a permit granted by the state Environmental Protection Division to LS Power to begin construction on the $2 billion Longleaf Energy Station in rural Early County. Chamber officials say the decision threatens economic growth potential in Georgia by hampering the state’s ability to meet the demand for reliable and affordable power.

“We’re shocked at the decision,” George Israel, president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, said during a meeting Tuesday with The Albany Herald Editorial Board. “If this ruling is allowed to stand, it will not only hinder the ability to supply power to the state, it will have a major negative impact on future economic development in Georgia.”

Patricia Barmeyer, an attorney for one of the companies proposing the plant, says the judge’s ruling set back the project for one year.

The fallout from this ruling has been substantial. For one thing, the ruling was the first of its kind in the country. Moore’s decision even put the brakes on another coal power plant near Sandersville, Ga. The ruling even sparked a bit of Silkwood-esque drama; The Sierra Club received death threats two weeks ago because it supported GreenLaw, the environmental law firm that led the fight against the plant.

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A MILLION TO ONE: Natural-gas discoveries in northwest Louisiana have sent the price of an acre in some places from a few hundred dollars to $30,000 in a few months, creating a sudden class of millionaires in the middle of nowhere.

LYNCHING RE-ENACTMENT: The victims’ surviving family members say they’re “troubled” by an Atlanta civil rights group’s four-year-old re-enactment of the 1946 Moore’s Ford lynching, and especially by this year’s installment.

CLAYTON: The BOE barely approves its official response to send to SACS regarding the accreditation stripping.

RETENTION: A report released today details the problems the Atlanta Police Department is having retaining officers; 9 percent of the 1,600-member police force left last year, and on one day last August, each zone of the city had one uncovered beat.

SIX-LEGGED DEER: Will go to live with an Athens woman who has a permit to keep unusual animals.

KANGAROO ATTACK: A Zoo Atlanta visitor records on cell-phone video a kangaroo attacking a zoo worker over the weekend.

JASON ELAM: The metro Atlanta native, who’s spent the last 15 years in Denver as one of the NFL’s premier kickers, says he’s happy to now be a Falcon.

JOE HORN: Probably not a Falcon for much longer.

STOLEN THUNDER: Angry at a local radio station for leaking its new Oklahoma City team’s mascot (the Thunder), the NBA hurriedly registers a list of alternates, one of which is misspelled.

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Watch Atlanta alt-fuel hero Rob del Bueno deliver a hypnotic sales pitch to CNN on the merits of biodiesel, the production of which he oversees for Refuel Biodiesel.

I swear, del Bueno could sell water to a well. Good thing the product he’s touting — non-petroleum fuel made from recycled cooking oil that’s siphoned from local restaurants — helps reduce our carbon footprint and our reliance on foreign oil. Oh, and it’s WAY cheaper than regular diesel .

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Jim Powell yesterday said he’s not going to let the legal issues hanging over his head taint the buzz of winning Tuesday Democrat primary for the Public Service Commission’s District 4 seat.

Powell bested opponent Bob Indech 85-15, a surprising feat for someone who’d not only been disqualified the day before, but also reported signs were still hanging at polls on Tuesday wrongly advising voters his race was essentially over.

“I’ve got a lot of folks I need to talk to,” Powell said during a phone interview. “I won the primary. So obviously, I’m going to run my campaign as if I’ll be [on the ballot] in November.”

(more…)

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Pres. George W. Bush today lifted an executive ban on offshore drilling. Kind of snobbish that only CEOs get to drill for oil off the coast, but whatever, I don’t make the rules.

Gov. Sonny Perdue applauds the move and urges Congress to act:

“With record gas prices straining the budgets of many Georgia families, we cannot afford to take any option off the table. It is imperative that we take a balanced approach of conserving, developing alternative energy technologies and increasing the supply of domestically-produced resources. I want to thank President Bush for his action today and I urge Congress to hear the voices of the American people who are asking for relief from our dependence on foreign oil.”

If Congress fails to act, Bush’s order will just go in a file cabinet somewhere.  Whether you’re fer it or agin it, contact your elected official and let them know.

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And they’re not even considering the wind potential off Georgia’s coast. From the office of Gov. George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue:

According to a recent Forbes article entitled “America’s Best Places For Alternative Energy,” the abundance of biomass in Georgia’s Bioenergy Corridor ranks third in the nation as a potential source of renewable energy. The article referenced the amount of privately owned forest in Georgia, more than any other state in the country, as a reason for the state’s ranking. Forbes also cited that “roughly 50 million tons of the state’s own timber end up in the state’s wood-products manufacturing plants every year” and the industry “returns nearly half of it in the form of primary mill wood debris.” Only Iowa and North Dakota ranked higher. Rounding out the top five were Mississippi and North Carolina.

“Georgia’s wealth of natural resources combined with our research institutions and a strong business climate create an ideal environment for the development of renewable energy,” said Governor Perdue. “We appreciate Forbes’ recognition of our ability to develop alternative energy sources.”

…

Georgia is at the forefront of the nation’s development of cellulosic ethanol, a non-food feedstock for the production of ethanol from pine and other wood residuals. Range Fuels broke ground on the nation’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Soperton on November 6, 2007. The facility is expected to be operational in 2009. In addition, the state’s research institutions including the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia and the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center are providing R&D in support of cellulosic ethanol and other renewable energy alternatives.

Full press release follows after the jump.

(more…)

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The Public Service Commission sounds like a nonprofit organization that pairs high school students with soup kitchens. In reality, it’s a five-member quasi-judicial state agency that plays a large role in not only how much you pay to keep your living room cool and your lights aglow, but what kind of energy generation a utility uses to make those modern conveniences possible. And at a time when energy prices are soaring and global warming continues to happen, it’s perhaps one of the most important elected offices in the state.

The PSC regulates most electric, telecommunications and natural gas rates in the state. They’re in a tricky spot. On one hand, you can’t put the pinch on customers and for the business. On the other, they can’t choke business. The biggest item on its agenda is an upcoming vote in March to determine whether customers should pay for a proposed expansion to Plant Vogtle, a nuclear plant near Augusta.

The commission has become notorious for being chummy with the utilities they’re supposed to regulate. Campaign contributions from lobbyists and lawyers who argue before them are commonplace. The commission also needs to learn the power of the “no.” Of the last five rate increases that were presented by Georgia Power to the PSC, all were approved. UPDATE: Bill Edge of the PSC chimes in and lets me know “Georgia Power’s proposed increases in 2004 and 2007 were cut by the Commission. In the 2001 rate case, the Commission actually cut Georgia Powers rates already in effect.” One of them was necessary to clean up plants, but man, it’d sure be a shame for those companies to pay for that out of pocket, wouldn’t it? In other words, it’s been business-as-usual.

I posed three questions to Angela Speir, a widely admired commissioner who is opting not to run for reelection, about the PSC’s role in Georgians’ lives and why July 15’s crop of candidates should be scrutinized. Here are her responses, along with a few endorsements for who she’d like to see join the commission. Note she doesn’t endorse Doug Everett, the incumbent with whom she’s served the last six years. (Click here to read CL’s analysis of all July 15 primary races.)Why is it important?

While few people realize it, the decisions of the PSC directly impact every resident of Georgia and every business in Georgia every single day. The Commission is charged with ensuring that Georgians have safe, reliable, and affordable utility service. One of the most important duties of the Commission is setting reasonable rates - for example, how much Georgia Power can charge for electricity and how much Atlanta Gas Light can charge for natural gas distribution. But, the Commission also determines things like whether Georgia should meet its energy needs through renewable energy or nuclear power, whether a natural gas marketer that defrauds consumers will be held accountable, and even whether the corroded leaky gas main down the street gets replaced.

Why should people care about who gets elected to serve on it?

Who you elect will directly impact your wallet! Over the last 5 years, the annual bill for a typical Georgia Power customer has increase from $843 to $1,119, and a majority of the Commissioners approved every penny of that increase. That’s a 34% increase! Some of those increases may have been unavoidable due to rising wholesale energy prices. But, much of it was unnecessary and unfair to consumers.

What should they look for?

Different Commissioners are going to make different decisions. Some will try to make balanced, fair decisions based on the evidence and based on what is best for Georgia. Others, frankly, will make politically motivated decisions based on backroom deals, gifts and campaign contributions. Voters should look for candidates who have honor, ethics and integrity - someone whose idea of public office is that of a dedicated public servant, not someone who looks at what they can get out of the office for personal gain. Looking at how a candidate runs his or her campaign, including who they accept money from, can tell you a lot about what kind of Commissioner they will be – will they enter office beholden only to the people? Or, will they enter office already beholden to utilities, lobbyists, or other special interests. For these reasons, Pam Davidson and Rick Collum have my vote and my support.

(Photo courtesy of the PSC)

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Two candidates vying for the Public Service Commission’s District 4 seat that represents north Georgia sniped at each other today at the joint Atlanta Press Club/Georgia Public Broadcasting debates and delivered what basically could be amounted to as “Pam loves renewables” and “Bubba loves nukes.” A clear-cut battle between Mother Nature and Radioactive Man.

Bubba McDonald — who’s now going by his given name of Lauren, but he’ll always be Bubba to us — served both on the commission and in the General Assembly and wants to hop back on the agency that regulates the state’s energy sector. His opponent, Pam Davidson, has never held an elected office in her life, but is a former lobbyist and energy consultant who says she makes up for her inexperience with education about the issues.

(more…)

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Earliest date new U.S. offshore drilling might produce oil for market: 2030

Earliest date oil from the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge might produce oil for market: 2018

Estimated amount offshore and ANWR drilling will lower the price of gasoline per gallon in 2025: 3.5 cents

Barrels of oil Americans use daily: 21 million

Barrels of oil Tifton agricultural scientist J.C. Bell says he can produce annually using bio-mass (non-food plant materials): 5 billion

Percent of current U.S. oil consumption 5 billion barrels equals: 65

Annual budget of Bell’s research facility: $60 million

Exxon-Mobil’s average daily profit during the first-quarter of 2008: $119.3 million

Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, Bell BioEnergy Labs, Tifton Gazette, CNNMoney.com

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The Discovery Channel brings news that the worst gift Asia ever gave us could be used to offset some of our demand for oil.

[Rowan Sage of the University of Toronto and colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's] team gathered samples of kudzu from different locations in the south at different times of year and measured the amount of carbohydrate — which can be converted into ethanol by yeast — present in leaves, vines and roots.

The roots were by far the largest source of carbohydrate in the plant: up to 68 percent carbohydrate by dry weight, compared to a few percent in leaves and vines.

The researchers estimate that kudzu could produce 2.2 to 5.3 tons of carbohydrate per acre in much of the South, or about 270 gallons per acre of ethanol, which is comparable to the yield for corn of 210 to 320 gallons per acre. They recently published their findings in Biomass and Bioenergy.

Sounds awesome, but researchers say it would only offset our hunger for bioethanol by 8 percent. That’s if it’s economically viable to harvest the vicious vine. Or is it a weed?

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Some tips courtesy of Conserve Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue’s newest initiative aimed at educating Jaw-juhns of the many ways we can create a more sustainable state.

• Drive sensibly: Speeding, rapid acceleration (jackrabbit starts), and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds. Drivers can save up to 80 gallons of gasoline ($302) by driving sensibly on the highway. Around town, sensible driving can save five percent, up to 30 gallons of gasoline ($113).



• Choose the right vehicle: If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible.

• Reduce trunk loads: An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical vehicle’s fuel economy by up to two percent. Removing an extra 100 pounds of unneeded items from your trunk can save up to 12 gallons of gasoline per year ($45).

• Decrease speed: Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly over 60 miles-per-hour (mph). Each five mph over 60 equates to paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas.

• Avoid idling: Idling gets zero miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.

• Inflate your tires: Keeping tires properly inflated improves gas mileage by approximately three percent, saving up to 20 gallons of gasoline ($75).

• Tune up: Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of four percent, saving up to 25 gallons of gasoline ($94). Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40 percent (saving up to 250 gallons or $945).

• Select the right oil: Using the manufacturers recommended grade of motor oil, including refined motor oil, improves gas mileage by one to two percent, an annual savings of more than $40.

These are all well and good. But like a bunch of Ritalin-fueled cleaning ladies, we can do more. From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenwheatley, I offer the following tips:

• Check the A-TRAIN Trip Planner, the online navigation tool that’ll literally show you the path to the city’s transit options.

• If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, buy a hybrid. Or one of those tiny, funny looking cars. The AJC says people will giggle. If you’re shy it might help you make friends. Energy-supply crunches are great ice breakers!

• If you live intown, ride a bike. If you live along transit intown but want something that’ll get to those in-between spots, think about a Segway. Or get a scooter. A co-worker here says his meep-meep machine gets 70 miles a gallon. Yes, it only has one gallon, but that’s roughly $4 a week to get him to work and back home.

“But wait, Mrs. Frankenwheatley!” a voice cries out from the smog. “Public transit doesn’t serve my area! I don’t have the money to purchase a hybrid! People throw cans at me when I ride a scooter!”

Well, then click here to find your local elected official and tell them how you feel. Be sure to ask those who are running for election as well. Tell ‘em you want tax incentives and rebates. Make it clear what you want in terms of transit. Heck, maybe you want them to drill for oil — although come on, really? But get involved. Give them your ideas and hold them accountable. And don’t forget to vote.

(Fictitious gas-station sign created at Atom Smasher)

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