Part 3: Approach Analysis
Step 1: My Approach
Generally: I will be describing the various potensial methods to solve both the issue of coal mining and how occupations involved with coal could be salvaged with the industry's shift. I will first give specific examples of solutions from the nearby state of Nevada. Then I will describe which of these methods I believe would be most beneficial for the 4 corners region and the Navajo Nation.
Specific Approach: L.A.’s Plan to Harness Hoover Dam’s Energy Reserves,
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/california-today-hoover-dam-energy.html
Step 2: Research
Generally: I will be describing the various potensial methods to solve both the issue of coal mining and how occupations involved with coal could be salvaged with the industry's shift. I will first give specific examples of solutions from the nearby state of Nevada. Then I will describe which of these methods I believe would be most beneficial for the 4 corners region and the Navajo Nation.
Specific Approach: L.A.’s Plan to Harness Hoover Dam’s Energy Reserves,
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/california-today-hoover-dam-energy.html
Step 2: Research
L.A.’s Plan to Harness Hoover Dam’s Energy Reserves (Penn, Ivan)
|
NV Energy Contracts to Build More Than 1,000MW of New Solar, 100MW of Battery Storage (Pyper, Julia)
- "NV Energy announced Thursday it has contracted for more than 1 gigawatt of new solar energy and 100 megawatts of battery energy capacity [...]"
- All projects involved to make this contract possible have been predicted to be completed by the end of 2021
- The moment towards 100% renewables in Nevada began in 2017 when Navada moved to a competitive retail market for electricity
- This system essentially removes the possibility of a large company monopolizing on a large portion of energy production.
- This helps promote the smaller diversified renewable companies to gain a foot hold to help supply the grid with power.
- This is called the Energy Choice Initiative which was passed in 2017 for Navada
- This system essentially removes the possibility of a large company monopolizing on a large portion of energy production.
Step 3: Analysis
What I liked
I greatly enjoyed the prospect of using Hoover Dam as a central battery system for the many renewable energy sources throughout the south west. Energy storage is going to become an increasingly necessary part as our energy system moves to a more renewable system. Nevada with their great accessibility to solar and the new progressive legislative power given to smaller renewable energy companies. This has given Navada the very progressive plan to build over 100MW of solar storage and 1000MW of new solar farms. This would be very good for increasing the number of energy related jobs in the area and helping them further towards their 100% renewable energy goal. Solar energy is giving communities in the Nevada region the energy independence to move away from big fossil fuel corporations.
Limitations
There are some unsustainable limitations to the proposed regional Hoover Dam mechanical battery. The proposal is that the electricity generated by it would only serve California cities. The energy is being generated over many different states and all to serve the agricultural powerhouse of the United States. The problem that you have is that you are trying to improve the already failing system that is California there are many aspects of its cities that make the state as a whole an unsustainable venture. The state seems to suck the rest of the southwest dry allready of its water resources is it now going to take our clean energy also? Another limitation of a mechanical battery made out of a dam is that it is highly inefficient to pump the water and then generate electricity again. The limitation of implementing solar farms specifically is that they are installing 100MW of storage however that does not have the capacity to store even half of the 1000MW of generating capacity from the solar farms.
The largest setback still faced by solar power and other renewable resources is that the ability to generate electricity is intermittent. This requires large storage systems and the technology for these systems will in my life time be one of the largest issues that our society will have to overcome.
How I can apply this knowledge to my proposal
If this type of solution can be applied to the Navajo Nation and the Four Corners region it could eventually offset the loss of jobs from decreasing dependence on large coal corporations like Peabody Energy. When the Navajo Generating Station and the Kyenta mine eventually fully close in 2019 hundreds of employees will lose their jobs. These jobs could be offset by both permanent and temporary jobs installing solar farms and long term metinence of these solar farms. The millions of dollars can be gleaned from the sale of equipment that will no longer be in use at the Navajo Generating Station and the Kayenta Coal Mine. If we are worried about how solar might change the landscape and impact the land it sits on I think I may have an answer. A coal mine impacts thousands of acres of land absolutely destroying it. A solar farm that could generate a comparable amount of power would impact the land less and use less land to generate that power.
What I liked
I greatly enjoyed the prospect of using Hoover Dam as a central battery system for the many renewable energy sources throughout the south west. Energy storage is going to become an increasingly necessary part as our energy system moves to a more renewable system. Nevada with their great accessibility to solar and the new progressive legislative power given to smaller renewable energy companies. This has given Navada the very progressive plan to build over 100MW of solar storage and 1000MW of new solar farms. This would be very good for increasing the number of energy related jobs in the area and helping them further towards their 100% renewable energy goal. Solar energy is giving communities in the Nevada region the energy independence to move away from big fossil fuel corporations.
Limitations
There are some unsustainable limitations to the proposed regional Hoover Dam mechanical battery. The proposal is that the electricity generated by it would only serve California cities. The energy is being generated over many different states and all to serve the agricultural powerhouse of the United States. The problem that you have is that you are trying to improve the already failing system that is California there are many aspects of its cities that make the state as a whole an unsustainable venture. The state seems to suck the rest of the southwest dry allready of its water resources is it now going to take our clean energy also? Another limitation of a mechanical battery made out of a dam is that it is highly inefficient to pump the water and then generate electricity again. The limitation of implementing solar farms specifically is that they are installing 100MW of storage however that does not have the capacity to store even half of the 1000MW of generating capacity from the solar farms.
The largest setback still faced by solar power and other renewable resources is that the ability to generate electricity is intermittent. This requires large storage systems and the technology for these systems will in my life time be one of the largest issues that our society will have to overcome.
How I can apply this knowledge to my proposal
If this type of solution can be applied to the Navajo Nation and the Four Corners region it could eventually offset the loss of jobs from decreasing dependence on large coal corporations like Peabody Energy. When the Navajo Generating Station and the Kyenta mine eventually fully close in 2019 hundreds of employees will lose their jobs. These jobs could be offset by both permanent and temporary jobs installing solar farms and long term metinence of these solar farms. The millions of dollars can be gleaned from the sale of equipment that will no longer be in use at the Navajo Generating Station and the Kayenta Coal Mine. If we are worried about how solar might change the landscape and impact the land it sits on I think I may have an answer. A coal mine impacts thousands of acres of land absolutely destroying it. A solar farm that could generate a comparable amount of power would impact the land less and use less land to generate that power.
Works Cited
Burger, Andrew. “Nevada Utility NV Energy Goes ‘Solar Plus Storage’ in a Big Way.” Solar Magazine, Solar Magazine, 8 Aug. 2019, solarmagazine.com/nevada-utility-nv-energy-goes-solar-plus-storage-in-a-big-way/.
Geuss, Megan, and Utc. “Geothermal Energy Has Success in Nevada, Wants to Spread to the Rest of the West.” Ars Technica, 10 Aug. 2014, arstechnica.com/science/2014/08/geothermal-energy-has-success-in-nevada-may-spread-to-the-rest-of-the-west/.
Heinsius, Ryan. “Could Cutting Edge Solar Energy Storage Technology Save the Navajo Generating Station?” KNAU Arizona Public Radio, www.knau.org/post/could-cutting-edge-solar-energy-storage-technology-save-navajo-generating-station.
Maize, Kennedy. “NV Energy: Warren Buffett's Plan for a Structural Power Shift.” POWER Magazine, 31 Aug. 2015, www.powermag.com/nv-energy-warren-buffetts-plan-for-a-structural-power-shift-2/.
“Officials Dedicate 2 Large Solar Electric Generating Plants.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 12 Dec. 2017, apnews.com/7ea26b2d27244317bba2716a0136eeea/Officials-dedicate-2-large-solar-electric-generating-plants.
Penn, Ivan, and Inyoung Kang. “California Today: L.A.'s Plan to Harness Hoover Dam's Energy Reserves.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 July 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/california-today-hoover-dam-energy.html.
Pyper, Julia. “NV Energy Contracts to Build More Than 1,000MW of New Solar, 100MW of Battery Storage.” Greentech Media, Greentech Media, 1 June 2018, www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nv-energy-contracts-more-than-1gw-of-new-solar-100mw-of-battery-storage.
Roselund. “Will DOE Take the Crescent Dunes Solar Project into Bankruptcy?” Pv Magazine USA, 7 Oct. 2019, pv-magazine-usa.com/2019/10/07/will-doe-take-the-crescent-dunes-solar-project-into-bankruptcy/.
Geuss, Megan, and Utc. “Geothermal Energy Has Success in Nevada, Wants to Spread to the Rest of the West.” Ars Technica, 10 Aug. 2014, arstechnica.com/science/2014/08/geothermal-energy-has-success-in-nevada-may-spread-to-the-rest-of-the-west/.
Heinsius, Ryan. “Could Cutting Edge Solar Energy Storage Technology Save the Navajo Generating Station?” KNAU Arizona Public Radio, www.knau.org/post/could-cutting-edge-solar-energy-storage-technology-save-navajo-generating-station.
Maize, Kennedy. “NV Energy: Warren Buffett's Plan for a Structural Power Shift.” POWER Magazine, 31 Aug. 2015, www.powermag.com/nv-energy-warren-buffetts-plan-for-a-structural-power-shift-2/.
“Officials Dedicate 2 Large Solar Electric Generating Plants.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 12 Dec. 2017, apnews.com/7ea26b2d27244317bba2716a0136eeea/Officials-dedicate-2-large-solar-electric-generating-plants.
Penn, Ivan, and Inyoung Kang. “California Today: L.A.'s Plan to Harness Hoover Dam's Energy Reserves.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 July 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/california-today-hoover-dam-energy.html.
Pyper, Julia. “NV Energy Contracts to Build More Than 1,000MW of New Solar, 100MW of Battery Storage.” Greentech Media, Greentech Media, 1 June 2018, www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nv-energy-contracts-more-than-1gw-of-new-solar-100mw-of-battery-storage.
Roselund. “Will DOE Take the Crescent Dunes Solar Project into Bankruptcy?” Pv Magazine USA, 7 Oct. 2019, pv-magazine-usa.com/2019/10/07/will-doe-take-the-crescent-dunes-solar-project-into-bankruptcy/.